Ocular disorders among workers exposed to mercury

Mercury vapor exposed workers may show ocular changes, as well as other systems affection. A sample of 84 workers in preparing mercury fulminate were examined for conjunctival corneal and lenticular manifestation of long duration exposure, together with mercury urinary output. Lens changes were found in 50% of the involved workers while keratopathy as recorded in 34.5% of them. No statistically significant association was found between the occurrence of eye lesions and levels of urinary elimination of mercury. These results suggest local absorption of this element is most probably the underlying cause of ocular affection.