Scand J Work Environ Health 1975;1(1):54-59 pdf
https://doi.org/10.5271/sjweh.2859 | Issue date: Mar 1975
Blood cell delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase activity in humans exposed to methylmercury.
The delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALA-D) activity in blood cells was studied in 15 subjects exposed to methylmercury through consumption of contaminated fish and 19 "unexposed" subjects with a similar sex and age distribution. The exposed subjects had a mean mercury level of 120 (range 15-370) ng/g blood cells while the controls had 9 (range 4-15) ng/g. Both groups had the same mean level of lead in whole blood (10+/-1 µg/100 ml). ALA-D activity decreased statistically significantly as both mercury and lead levels in the blood cells increased.
Key terms blood; blood cell; delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase; human; human experiment; lead; methylmercury; toxicology