Toxicokinetics of mercury in blood compartments and hair of fish-fed sled dogs

Table 2 Summary of toxicokinetic variables in various compartments (blood and hair).

	Compartment	Hg at week 12 (ppb)	Time to Plateau^a (weeks)	k_e^b (weeks^-1)	t_1/2 (weeks)	Ratio Hg Hair:Blood^c
dog C	WB:	11.36	8	-0.14	-5.0	62
	PCp:	18.98	8	-0.14	-4.9
	PCs:	16.80	6	-0.14	-5.1
	Hair:	704.9
dog K	WB:	6.58	2	-0.16	-4.3	69
	PCp:	10.64	4	-0.21	-3.3
	PCs:	9.60	3	-0.21	-3.4
	Hair:	456.6
dog M	WB:	9.27	6	-0.09	-7.5	52
	PCp:	12.99	8	-0.09	-7.7
	PCs:	13.24	8	-0.09	-7.6
	Hair:	488.1
dog T	WB:	9.57	4	-0.10	-7.3	54
	PCp:	15.28	6	-0.11	-6.6
	WB:	9.57	4	-0.10	-7.3	54
	PCp:	15.28	6	-0.11	-6.6
	PCs:	13.71	4	-0.11	-6.6
	Hair:	526.0
Average ^d	WB:	9.2 ± 1.97	3	-0.10	-7.0	59 ± 7.6
all fish-	PCp:	14.2 ± 3.18	6	-0.11	-6.6
fed dogs	PCs:	13.3 ± 2.95	6	-0.10	-6.9
	Hair:	544 ± 111.0

Total mercury (Hg) concentration was determined at the end of fish exposure (week 12) for the fish-fed dogs and the rates to plateau and elimination for the different blood compartments (whole blood (WB), packed cells from plasma (PCp) and packed cells from serum (PCs)) were calculated.
^aTime to plateau was determined as the earliest time point found not to vary significantly from Hg concentration at week 12 (α = 0.05).
^bk_e is the first order elimination constant
^cRatio = Hg Hair (ppm)/Hg Whole Blood (ppm)
^dAnalysis was done on the average of the combined parameter results