Mercury in the Early Life in Mexico to Environmental Toxicants (ELEMENT) Cohort: Levels in Women, Children, and Fish

Abstract

Mercury in the Early Life in Mexico to Environmental Toxicants (ELEMENT) Cohort: Levels in Women, Children, and FishAbstract Number:2165 Nil Basu*, Rebecca Tutino, Zhenzhen Zhang, Brisa Sanchez, David Cantonwine, Jackie Goodrich, Emily Somers, Lourdes Schnaas, Maritsa Solano, Adriana Mercado, Karen Peterson, Howard Hu, Mara Tellez-Rojo Nil Basu* McGill University, Canada, E-mail Address: [email protected] Search for more papers by this author , Rebecca Tutino University of Michigan, United States, E-mail Address: [email protected] Search for more papers by this author , Zhenzhen Zhang University of Michigan, United States, E-mail Address: [email protected] Search for more papers by this author , Brisa Sanchez University of Michigan, United States, E-mail Address: [email protected] Search for more papers by this author , David Cantonwine University of Michigan, United States, E-mail Address: [email protected] Search for more papers by this author , Jackie Goodrich University of Michigan, United States, E-mail Address: [email protected] Search for more papers by this author , Emily Somers University of Michigan, United States, E-mail Address: [email protected] Search for more papers by this author , Lourdes Schnaas National Institute of Perinatology, Mexico, Mexico, E-mail Address: [email protected] Search for more papers by this author , Maritsa Solano National Institute of Public Health, Mexico, E-mail Address: [email protected] Search for more papers by this author , Adriana Mercado National Institute of Public Health, Mexico, E-mail Address: [email protected] Search for more papers by this author , Karen Peterson University of Michigan, United States, E-mail Address: [email protected] Search for more papers by this author , Howard Hu University of Toronto, Canada, E-mail Address: [email protected] Search for more papers by this author , and Mara Tellez-Rojo National Institute of Public Health, Mexico, E-mail Address: [email protected] Search for more papers by this author AbstractMercury is a global contaminant of concern that is now being acted upon via the UNEP Minamata Convention. While some geographic regions have tremendous resources or biomonitoring data to assess the efficacy of the Convention, there are many areas (such as Mexico) in which little is known about mercury exposures. The objective of this study was to characterize mercury levels in pregnant women, children, and commonly consumed fish and seafood samples from Mexico City. Total mercury levels in biomarkers from 348 pregnant women (blood from three trimesters and cord blood), 825 children (blood, hair, urine) and their mothers (hair), and 91 fish/seafood samples were determined utilizing resources of the Early Life Exposures in Mexico to Environmental Toxicants (ELEMENT) birth cohort. Maternal blood mercury levels correlated across three trimesters and averaged 3.4µg/L. Cord blood mercury averaged 4.7µg/L and correlated with trimester 3 maternal blood (but not trimesters 1 and 2). In children, blood, hair and urine mercury levels correlated and averaged 1.8µg/L, 0.6µg/g, and 0.9µg/L, respectively. Hair mercury was 0.5µg/g in mothers and correlated with child’s hair. Monthly consumption of canned tuna, fresh fish, seafood, and canned sardine was 3.0, 2.2, 0.4, and 1.0 times respectively in pregnant women. Mean mercury content in 7 of 23 fish/seafood species and 5 of 9 canned tuna brands purchased exceeded the guidance value of 0.3 ?g/g. In conclusion, mercury exposures in pregnant women and children from Mexico City, via biomarker studies, are generally 3-5 times greater than population surveys from the U.S., Canada, and elsewhere. In particular, mercury levels in 29-39% of the maternal participants exceeded the reference dose suggesting that 700,414 to 960,008 newborns per year in Mexico may be at increased risk of mercury-associated learning disabilities owing to in utero exposures.