The possibility of poisoning by mercury of the gold gilding work on the great statue of Buddha in Toudaiji-temple (The study from the risk assessment way)

Abstract

The great statue of Buddha in Toudaiji-temple in Nara (it’s so called Nara-Daibutsu) was constructed in 749 and gilded for 5years after built.

The “amalgam-method”, was applied to the gilding. At first, statue was coated with gold- amalgam, mercury was evaporated by heating next, and gold was plated on the surface.

It is said that many workers were poisoned by the vaper of mercury, but the basis of the theory is not be cleared.

In this report, the possibility of poisoning by the gilding work was studied from the risk evaluation way in the risk assessment.

As a result, it is cleared that the risk of the gilding work was dangerous level, and many workers must be poisoned by mercury.