Ecosystem Transformation (), 44-61

Mercury in hair of Irkutsk residents: accumulation levels and thermodesorption forms

Lutskin E.S. , Savostyanova E.O.

This study presents the results of mercury (Hg) biomonitoring in hair samples from 217 residents of Irkutsk, obtained using direct thermal analysis and stepwise thermoscanning with a RA915Lab analyzer. Hair Hg concentrations ranged from 0.010 to 1.873 μg/g, with a mean of 0.235 μg/g and a median of 0.165 μg/g. In 97.5% of participants, Hg levels did not exceed 1 μg/g, indicating a relatively low risk of chronic exposure for the majority of the population. Frequent fish consumption and
hair dyeing were identified as the key factors associated with elevated Hg levels, whereas the effects of smoking, episodic household contact with mercury, and regular cosmetic use were not statistically significant. Thermodesorption analysis showed that 70–85% of total Hg is released within the 240–400 °C interval, which is predominantly associated with organic Hg species, including methylmercury. In samples with high Hg concentrations, a two-peak temperature profile was observed and interpreted as a redistribution of part of the Hg into more thermally stable complexes with the hair matrix. Overall, these results support the leading role of dietary intake in Hg exposure and suggest that stepwise thermoscanning can serve as a qualitative tool for assessing mercury forms in human hair.

E. S. Lutskin
Limnological Institute, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Ulan-Batorskaya St., Irkutsk, 3664033 Russia

lutskin2000@mail.ru

E. O. Savostyanova
Limnological Institute, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Ulan-Batorskaya St., Irkutsk, 3664033 Russia

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