Health Watch: Answers a Snip Away

US News & World Report, Betsy Querna
Published June 5, 2005

Those wondering whether they've been exposed to mercury from seafood, dental fillings, or pollution can find out. Scientists at the University of North Carolina-Asheville are collecting hair samples from volunteers across the nation for the largest mercury exposure study done in the United States. Participants in the study will get the added benefit of finding out how high their own mercury levels are. The study kits cost $25 and are available through the websites of the Sierra Club or Greenpeace, which are sponsoring the project. Volunteers snip off a few locks and, in about a month, get the results. Researchers have about 7,000 samples so far and hope to get at least 3,000 more before they issue a report on what risk factors--such as where people live or what they eat--might lead to higher mercury levels. Mercury accumulates in the body most commonly by eating seafood, especially shark, swordfish, king mackerel, or golden snapper. Fetuses are especially susceptible to its effects, and the metal has been blamed for birth defects such as cerebral palsy and mental retardation.