Mercury is a toxic and hazardous metal that occurs naturally in the earth's crust. Natural phenomena such as erosion and volcanic eruptions, and anthropogenic activities like metal smelting and industrial production and use may lead to substantial contamination of the environment with mercury. Through consumption of mercury in food, the populations of many areas, particularly in the developing world, have been confronted with catastrophic outbreaks of mercury-induced diseases and mortality. Countries such as Japan, Iraq, Ghana, the Seychelles, and the Faroe Islands have faced such epidemics, which have unraveled the insidious and debilitating nature of mercury poisoning. Its creeping neurotoxicity is highly devastating, particularly in the central and peripheral nervous systems of children. Central nervous system defects and erethism as well as arrythmias, cardiomyopathies, and kidney damage have been associated with mercury exposure. Necrotizing bronchitis and pneumonitis arising from inhalation of mercury vapor can result in respiratory failure. Mercury is also considered a potent immunostimulant and -suppressant, depending on exposure dose and individual susceptibility, producing a number of pathologic sequelae including lymphoproliferation, hypergammaglobulinemia, and total systemic hyper- and hyporeactivities. In this review we discuss the sources of mercury and the potential for human exposure; its biogeochemical cycling in the environment; its systemic, immunotoxic, genotoxic/carcinogenic, and teratogenic health effects; and the dietary influences on its toxicity; as well as the important considerations in risk assessment and management of mercury poisoning.

Review: Environmental exposure to mercury and its toxicopathologic implications for public health

Molecular and ionic mimicry and the transport of toxic metals.

http://kodaimercury.org/backdoor/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/mercury_article-4.pdf

Mercury exposure in children: a review.

This review summarizes the level of epidemiologic evidence for relationships between prenatal and/or early life exposure to environmental chemical contaminants and fetal, child, and adult health. Discussion focuses on fetal loss, intrauterine growth restriction, preterm birth, birth defects, respiratory and other childhood diseases, neuropsychological deficits, premature or delayed sexual maturation, and certain adult cancers linked to fetal or childhood exposures. Environmental exposures considered here include chemical toxicants in air, water, soil/house dust and foods (including human breast milk), and consumer products. Reports reviewed here included original epidemiologic studies (with at least basic descriptions of methods and results), literature reviews, expert group reports, meta-analyses, and pooled analyses. Levels of evidence for causal relationships were categorized as sufficient, limited, or inadequate according to predefined criteria. There was sufficient epidemiological evidence for causal...

Epidemiologic evidence of relationships between reproductive and child health outcomes and environmental chemical contaminants

The balance of contaminant risk and nutritional benefit from maternal prenatal fish consumption for child cognitive development is not known. Using data from a prospective cohort study of 341 mother-child pairs in Massachusetts enrolled in 1999-2002, the authors studied associations of maternal second-trimester fish intake and erythrocyte mercury levels with children's scores on the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT) and Wide Range Assessment of Visual Motor Abilities (WRAVMA) at age 3 years. Mean maternal total fish intake was 1.5 (standard deviation, 1.4) servings/week, and 40 (12%) mothers consumed >2 servings/week. Mean maternal mercury level was 3.8 (standard deviation, 3.8) ng/g. After adjustment using multivariable linear regression, higher fish intake was associated with better child cognitive test performance, and higher mercury levels with poorer test scores. Associations strengthened with inclusion of both fish and mercury: effect estimates for fish intake of >2 servings/week versus never were 2.2 (95% confidence interval (CI): -2.6, 7.0) for the PPVT and 6.4 (95% CI: 2.0, 10.8) for the WRAVMA; for mercury in the top decile, they were -4.5 (95% CI: -8.5, -0.4) for the PPVT and -4.6 (95% CI: -8.3, -0.9) for the WRAVMA. Fish consumption of < or =2 servings/week was not associated with a benefit. Dietary recommendations for pregnant women should incorporate the nutritional benefits as well as the risks of fish intake.

/pdf/maternal-fish-intake-during-pregnancy-blood-mercury-levels-1m39mwhusv.pdf

Maternal fish intake during pregnancy, blood mercury levels, and child cognition at age 3 years in a US cohort.

Toxic and essential elements in placentas of Swedish women.

/pdf/exponering-for-perfluorkarboner-hos-kvinnor-med-hogt-1hc4h0h5el.pdf

Exponering för perfluorkarboner hos kvinnor med högt fiskintag

Den övergripande målsättningen med den hälsorelaterade miljöövervakningen (HÄMI) är att övervaka halter av miljöföroreningar över tid, speciellt hos känsliga och riskutsatta grupper, och att försöka identifiera de huvudsakliga exponeringskällorna för att uppnå en effektiv exponeringsreducering. Det specifika syftet med föreliggande projekt var att bestämma exponeringen för kvicksilver, framförallt metylkvicksilver (MeHg), hos gravida kvinnor som utgör en riskgrupp i den allmänna befolkningen eftersom fostret är speciellt känsligt för MeHg. Resultaten från studien skall jämföras med resultat från tidigare projekt inom HÄMI för att ge bättre underlag för riskbedömning av kvicksilverexponering hos kvinnor, foster och barn, samt identifiera vilka preventiva åtgärder som har störst effekt på exponeringen. Föreliggande undersökning har utförts i samarbete mellan Institutet för Miljömedicin (IMM), Karolinska Institutet och Livsmedelsverket på uppdrag av Naturvårdsverket.

/pdf/undersokning-av-kvicksilverexponering-hos-gravida-kvinnor-i-4gy4d7jvwn.pdf

Undersökning av kvicksilverexponering hos gravida kvinnor i Uppsala län

Den overgripande malsattningen med den halsorelaterade miljoovervakningen (HAMI) ar att folja exponering for miljofororeningar over tid, speciellt hos kansliga och riskutsatta grupper, och att sa l ...

/pdf/kvicksilverexponering-hos-kvinnor-med-hogt-fiskintag-28sacmlckz.pdf

Kvicksilverexponering hos kvinnor med högt fiskintag

We determined levels of inorganic mercury (I-Hg) and methylmercury in placentas from 119 Swedish women, not selected with respect to high exposure of mercury. Our objective was to relate placental Hg species with maternal and fetal blood concentrations and to evaluate possible associations with selenium. We performed the analyses using automated alkaline solubilization/reduction and cold-vapor atomic fluorescence spectrophotometry. I-Hg levels in placenta increased with an increasing number of maternal dental amalgam fillings (p < 0.001). Despite placental accumulation (median, 1.3 microg/kg; range, 0.18-6.7 microg/kg wet weight), a substantial fraction of maternal blood I-Hg, probably as Hg(0), reached the fetus. Although MeHg transferred easily to the fetus, it also accumulated in the placenta. On average, 60% of placental Hg was in the form of MeHg. The median concentration was 1.8 microg/kg (range, 0-6.2 microg/kg wet weight), more than twice the maternal blood concentration. We found significant associations between MeHg and selenium in both maternal and umbilical cord blood but not in the placenta. The associations were particularly obvious in freshwater fish consumers, probably reflecting that fish is a source of both MeHg and selenium. We found no correlations between I-Hg and selenium. This study increases the understanding of Hg, in its different forms, in human placenta and how they are related to maternal and fetal exposure.

Inorganic mercury and methylmercury in placentas of Swedish women.

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