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# Dental amalgam fillings are a source of mercury pollution
- URL: https://www.foodconsumer.org/dental_amalgam_fillings_are_a_source_of_mercury_pollution_112016/
- Published: 2016-11-20T10:20:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-22T16:33:38.000Z
- Description: A Karolinska Institute autopsy study found a correlation between the number of amalgam-filled tooth surfaces and mercury in the occipital cortex, and higher kidney mercury in seven people with fillings. A 1995 Swedish study reported levels dropped after fillings were removed.
- Author: Food Consumer
- Tags: Drug, Health News, #vivvo-import

Scientists at Karolinska Institute in Sweden early conducted a study (1) and found that dental amalgam fillings or silver fillings can release mercury and pollute the central nervous system of the brain and the kidneys.

For the study, the scientists analyzed the samples of the central nervous system and kidney cortex collected from autopsies. They found a correlation in 34 individuals between the number of tooth surfaces containing amalgam fillings and the concentration of mercury in the occipital lobe cortex of the central nervous system.

Also they found that seven individuals with dental amalgam fillings had significantly higher levels of mercury in their kidneys than those who did not have the dental fillings, 433 ng Hg/g wet tissue vs. 49 ng/g wet tissue.

Many studies have linked exposure to amalgam fillings to elevated mercury levels in tissues.

Doctors at Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Göteborg, Sweden published a study (2) in 1995 to suggest that some people could have higher mercury uptake from amalgam fillings than others.

The doctors tested samples from three individuals with amalgam fillings and found evidence suggesting that their daily mercury uptake could be as much as 100 micrograms. The mercury levels in their blood was found five to ten times the average for the general population. The subjects had no other sources of exposure. After amalgam fillings were removed, the mercury levels were lowered to the average for the general population.

Studies of data on urinary mercury in the general population suggests that the number of people with urinary excretion of 50 micrograms per gram creatinine or higher could be greater than the number of workers who were professionally exposed to mercury sources. This suggests that dental amalgam fillings can be the source for the higher mercury load in the general population.

Researchers at University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada used full-body scanning and tissue analysis and found that mercury released from amalgam fillings can be largely absorbed in the lung, gastrointestinal system and jaw tissue. The absorbed mercury can then migrate to the kidney and the liver. The study (3) was reported in the FASEB Journal.

Amalgam fillings contain 50% mercury which can be gradually released from the fillings and find a way to pollute many parts of the body. (Davdi Liu)

**Soruces**

1, [*Nylander M , Friberg L , Lind B, Mercury concentrations in the human brain and kidneys in relation to exposure from dental amalgam fillings. Swedish Dental Journal \[1987, 11(5):179-187\]*](http://europepmc.org/abstract/med/3481133?ref=foodconsumer.org)

*2,* [*L Barregård, G Sällsten, B Järvholm, People with high mercury uptake from their own dental amalgam fillings. Occup Environ Med 1995;52:124-128 doi:10.1136/oem.52.2.124*](http://oem.bmj.com/content/52/2/124.short?ref=foodconsumer.org)

*3,* [*L J Hahn, R Kloiber, M J Vimy, Y Takahashi and F L Lorscheider, Dental "silver" tooth fillings: a source of mercury exposure revealed by whole-body image scan and tissue analysis. The FASEB Journal, December 1989, vol. 3 no. 14 2641-2646*](http://www.fasebj.org/content/3/14/2641.short?ref=foodconsumer.org)