Geographical variation in urinary mercury concentrations among populations living in highland and lowland Bolivia.

Mercury (Hg) concentrations were determined in spot urine samples of populations living in the highland and lowland areas of Bolivia. The mean levels of the Hg (U-Hg) were 0.43 and 0.34 micrograms Hg/g creatinine in lowlanders and in highlanders, respectively, which did not suggest existence of high-level exposure to Hg in these populations. In both highlanders and lowlanders, there was a marked difference in levels of U-Hg among different populations. Several lines of evidence suggested that local dietary patterns resulted in the observed difference in U-Hg among different populations. Several lines of evidence suggested that local dietary patterns resulted in the observed difference in U-Hg levels, although the responsible food items could not be specified. In most of the populations examined, females showed higher U-Hg levels than males. Other factors possibly related to the observed geographical differences are discussed.