Mercury Exposure

A mercury monitoring program in Colorado has recently been established by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to improve the tracking, prevention, and mitigation of human health impacts of environmental and occupational exposures to mercury. Like other public health monitoring systems, this system is built on a reporting requirement that includes the collection of sufficient information about tested individuals and for their health care providers to conduct follow-up to identify the source of exposure.

The mercury monitoring program analyses the data collected on mercury exposures to determine risk factors, to identify population at risk, to identify areas for further investigation and to determine prevention and intervention activities that are needed to reduce exposures. The program intervenes through education and outreach activities. The program uses these data to develop annual reports.

State regulation about mercury reporting requirement

Elevated levels of mercury in the body is a reportable condition in the State of Colorado as described in the State Board of Health:

Regulations Pertaining to the Detection, Monitoring, and Investigation of Environmental and Chronic Diseases(6CCR1009-7)  

These regulations require that all laboratories report within 30 days of the test, all blood and urine tests where mercury levels exceed 0.5 μg/dL (or 5 μg/L) for blood and 20 μg/L for urine.

Mercury Monitoring Reports

• Mercury Surveillance in Colorado  

Mercury Monitoring Fact Sheets 

• Mercury Exposure and Your Health
• Mercury in Fish and Your Health
• Mercury - Household Sources and Reducing Exposure

Mercury Monitoring Contact 

• Program Manager - Raj Goyal 303-692-2634