SLIGHT RENAL EFFECT OF MERCURY FROM AMALGAM FILLINGS

The current study was to answer the question: Is enough mercury absorb ed from dental amalgam fillings to produce renal damage? One hundred h ealthy adults (18-44 years old) filled out health questionnaires and V oided urine samples. Urine mercury concentration and N-acetyl-beta-glu cosaminidase (NAG) were measured. Subjects were grouped into those hav ing amalgam fillings (N=66) and those without (N=34). Median (95% Conf idence Interval) urine mercury was I (1-2) and 0 (0-0.6) ng/ml (P<0.01 ) and median urine NAG was 23 (18-27) and 16 (11-18) units (P<0.05) in the two groups respectively. People with mercury amalgam fillings exc reted slightly more mercury than people without them, and have a very small increase in urinary NAG excretion that is probably of no clinica l significance. This dose of mercury absorbed from amalgam appears to be too little to be a public health hazard for renal injury.