Phenylmercury and its mobilization in the organism by a metal complex-forming substance: 2,3-dimercapto-1-propane sodium sulfonate.

Workers handling dressing machines for seed treatment with the product Agronal, containing a phenylmercury chloride fungicide, were exposed to high concentrations of phenylmercury dust in the working environment. Urine analyses for mercury result in concentration of up to 0.1 mg Hg/l of urine. After administration of a complex-forming substance-Unitol (2,3-dimercapto-1-propane sodium sulfonate)-a higher urinary excretion of mercury occurred. The amount of mercury excreted confirmed its deposit in the organism. It was speculated that subjective complaints by workers handling dressing machines could be caused by high exposure to phenylmercury. This suggestion cannot, however, be fully accepted because the complaints were not necessarily specific for mercury only, but could also have been caused by factors of nontoxic origin, such as stress at the workplace, discontent with work and environmental hygiene conditions, conflicts and alcoholism. Most probably, it was a case of interpotentiation of the effects of toxic and non-toxic nature.