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Sakong, Jeon, Yun, Hong, Lee, Kim, Ha, and Kwon: Association of Blood Mercury Level and Neurobehavioral Performance in Korean Elementary School Students
Original Article

Korean Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2010; 22(4): 324-330.

Published online: 31 December 2010

DOI: https://doi.org/10.35371/kjoem.2010.22.4.324

Association of Blood Mercury Level and Neurobehavioral Performance in Korean Elementary School Students

Joon Sakong1, 2, Man-Joong Jeon2, Sung-Ho Yun3, Yun-Chul Hong4, Chul-Gab Lee5, Young-Ki Kim6, Mina Ha7, Ho-Jang Kwon7

1Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Yeungnam University Hospital, Korea.

2Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, College of Medicine, Yeungnam University, Korea.

3Department of Occupational Medicine, Good Morning Hospital, Korea.

4Department of Preventive Medicine, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Korea.

5Department of Preventive Medicine, College of Medicine, Chosun University, Korea.

6Department of Occupational Medicine, Busan National University Yangsan Hospital, Korea.

7Department of Preventive Medicine, College of Medicine, Dankook University, Korea.

Corresponding author (jsakong@med.yu.ac.kr)

Received 26 July 2010       Revised 20 September 2010       Accepted 28 September 2010

Copyright © 2010 The Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Medicine

Abstract

Objectives

This study was conducted to examine the effect of blood mercury on neurobehavioral performance in Korean elementary school students.

Methods

We measured the blood mercury concentration in 1,077 elementary school students from Seoul, Busan, Daegu and Gwangju, then the students underwent computerized neurobehavioral test.

Results

The mean concentration of blood mercury of study subjects was 2.10 µg/L. An increased blood mercury was associated with an increased reaction time in digit addition and symbol digit.

Conclusions

The blood mercury concentration of study subjects was very high compared to findings in a foreign country. We found several associations between blood mercury level and neurobehavioral performance.

Keywords: Blood mercury, Elementary school students, Neurobehavioral performance

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