PUBH 8165-3

Environmental Health

Professor: Jeff Wu

The Hazards of Mercury in Diet

By

Dina Alsalih

The Target Audience

The main stakeholders are:

pregnant women

Nursing mothers

Young children

Mercury is one of the planet’s most poisonous naturally occurring substances

Chronic mercury poisoning has been linked with everything from Alzheimer’s disease to autism .

At lower levels, mercury poisoning is evidenced by weakness, fatigue, faulty memory, tremors, recurring headachesrosis and even death.

The General Effect of Mercury

Food contaminated with mercury

Inhalation of mercury vapors in ambient air

Exposure to mercury through dental and medical treatments

Dietary intake is by far the dominant source of exposure to mercury for the general population

Potential Sources of Human Exposure to Mercury

Shark

Swordfish

King mackerel Orange roughy

Tilefish. 

Types of Fish Containing High Levels of Mercury

Ocean perch

Mahi Mahi

Haddock Atlantic

Types of Fish Containing Medium Levels of Mercury

Shrimp

Canned light tuna

Salmon

Pollock

Catfish

Fish Containing Low Levels of Mercury

Mercury exists in a number of inorganic and organic forms in water

Methylmercury, the most common organic form of mercury, quickly enters the aquatic food chain

Inorganic mercury (metallic mercury and inorganic mercury compounds), which enters the air from mining ore deposits, burning coal and waste, and from manufacturing plants

Mercuric chloride

Types of Mercury

The toxicological effect of Mercury is known as crucial. Mercury is very harmful to our body, and the nervous system is very sensitive to all forms of it. Methylmercury and metallic mercury vapors are more harmful than other forms, because more mercury in these forms reaches the brain.

The Toxicological Effect of Mercury and It’s Implicit Impact on Humans

Central nervous system effects such as: Impairment of vision, Motor in-coordination, loss of feeling, Seizures, Very severe neurological impairment, Has high potential causes human germ cell

mutagenicity Kidney tumors in male mice Mercuric chloride effect: Several types of tumors in rats and mice, Causes human Carcinogens

Methylmercury Poisoning

Very young children are more sensitive to mercury than adults.

Young Children expose to elemental Mercury in air, and most frequently at homes or schools.

The source of Mercury at home or school can be from broken thermometers or off-gassing from flooring containing a mercury in it.

Many studies has shown that many autistic children are indeed mercury poisoned

The Toxicological Effect Engendered on Absorbing Mercury To Young Children

The Toxicological Effect Engendered on Absorbing Mercury to Pregnant women

Mercury’s harmful effects that may be passed from the mother to the fetus include brain damage, mental retardation, in coordination, blindness, seizures, and inability to speak

Mercury in the mother's body passes to the fetus and may accumulate there.

The Toxicological Effect Engendered on Absorbing Mercury to Nursing Mothers

Mercury can pass to a nursing infant through breast milk.

Many mothers refuse to provide their infants the flu vaccine( which is recommended from 6-23 months), which is called Fluzone.

Fluzone is a trivalent vaccine grown in chicken eggs. Harvested with formaldehyde and containing the recommended ratio of 15 ug of each of the three prototype viral strains, each dose of Fluzone also contains 25 ug of mercury

EPA indicated that the typical U.S. consumer was not in danger of consuming harmful levels of methyl mercury from fish.

This advice is appropriate for typical consumers who eat less than 10 grams of fish and shellfish per day with mercury concentrations averaging between 0.1 and 0.15 ppm.

Eating more fish than is typical or eating fish that are more contaminated, can increase the risk to a developing infant.

Fish Consumption Limits

The number of allowable fish meals per month based on the ranges of methylmercury in the consumed fish tissue. The following assumptions were used to calculate the consumption limits:

Consumer adult body weight of 70 kg Average fish meal size of 8 oz (0.227 kg) Time-averaging period of 1 mo (30.44 d)

Consumption Limits Calculation

UPPA ( Urinary Porphyrine Profile Analysis)

Is a proven indirect method for assessing mercury toxicity.

measure mercury in the blood, urine or feces, or in tissues (e.g., hair and nail).

Demonstrate the role of mercury in populations of autistic children

Conclusion

Mercury can have a harmful effect on mothers, infants, and adults in general

Consuming a reasonable amount of it can have minimum effect on our body

Excessive intake of mercury might lead to serious health problems.

Conclusion ( cont’)

Methylmercury and metallic mercury vapors are more harmful than other forms

Mercury’s harmful effects that may pass from mother to fetus and can cause to many consequences like brain damage, mental retardation, in coordination, blindness, seizures, and death in sever cases

Urinary Porphyrin Profil Analysis is a proven indirect technique for measuring Mercury toxicity.

Further Reading

A.Nadakavukaren, our Global Environment: A Health Perspective, 4th ed.( Prospect Heights, Illinois: Waveland Press, 1995)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,” What Should I Do if I have a Mercury Spill?”. Retrieved on August 2, 2009. From:http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/index.htm

Schneider,M.(2006). Introduction to Public Health, second edition

Besser, R. (2009) ATSDR. Children exposure to elemental Mercury: A national Review of exposure event. Retrieved on August 2, 2009. From:http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/mercury/docs/MercuryRTCFinal2013345.pdf#page=31

Agency for Toxic substances and Disease Registry (1999) ATSDR. Toxicological files for Mercury. Atlanta, GA: U.S.Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service. Retrieved on August 2, 2009. From:

http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/tfacts46.pdf Felps, P.( 2006). Reduce Mercury in Your Diet: What You Need to Know About Eating Fish. Retrieved on August 2, 2009.From:http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/77802/reduce_mercury_in_your_diet_what_you.html 

References

References ( Cont’)

Medical News Today, (2007). Autistic Children Clinically Proven Mercury Poisoned. Retrieved on August 2, 2009. From: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/67953.php

Besser, R.( 2009). The agency of Toxic Substances and Disease Registry and Centers for Disease control and Prevention. Retrieved on August 2, 2009. From: http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/mercury/docs/MercuryRTCFinal2013345.pdf

Moms against Mercury, ( 2007).Mercury in Flu shots. Retrieved on August 2, 2009. From:http://www.momsagainstmercury.org/mercury.htm

United States Environmental Protection Agency, (2001). Mercury Update: Impact on fish Advisory. Retrieved on August 1, 2009. From:http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/fish/advice/mercupd.pdf