Abstract
Exposure to methylmercury from marine mammals and other seafood may affect the development of the central nervous system. In a traditional Inuit community in Qaanaaq, Greenland, mercury concentrations in cord blood and maternal hair have been examined in connection with all births. We examined 43 children at age 7-12 years with a battery of neurobehavioral tests. The average mercury concentration in hair was 5.0 microg/g and 1.5 microg/g in children and mothers, respectively. Clinical neurological examination did not reveal any obvious deficits. However, neuropsychological tests showed possible exposure-associated deficits, though only in a few cases reaching statistical significance. In conjunction with data from other studies, peak latencies on brainstem auditory evoked potentials tended to be prolonged at increased exposure levels. The data from the present study therefore appears in accordance with other evidence that prenatal or early postnatal exposures to methylmercury may cause subtle neurobehavioral deficits.
Highlights
Exposure to methylmercury from marine mammals and other seafood may affect the development of the central nervous system
Subtle neurological or neuropsychological effects have been repor ted at lower exposure levels in some, though not all, studies using sensitive outcome measures [7,8,9,10]
Marine mammals tend to accumulate methylmercury, and average concentrations of about 0.5 - 1.0 μg/g wet weight have been reported for muscle tissue of narwhal and beluga [11]
Summary
Exposure to methylmercury from marine mammals and other seafood may affect the development of the central nervous system. In a traditional Inuit community in Qaanaaq, Greenland, mercury concentrations in cord blood and maternal hair have been examined in connection with all births.We examined 43 children at age 7-12 years with a battery of neurobehavioral tests. The risk of damage to the fetal brain seems to be greater when maternal hair-mercury concentrations exceed 10 μg/g [3], the safe level of exposure has not yet been determined with any cer tainty. This issue is of substantial public health relevance in populations relying on seafood contaminated with methylmer-. 22 other children aged 7-12 years, and residing in the same community, were examined
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
