Hair mercury levels in relation to fish consumption among Vietnamese in Hanoi

Abstract

-People are exposed to methylmercury (MeHg) mainly through fish consumption, which is increasing in Vietnam. However, little information is available on estimating the health risk of MeHg exposure through fish consumption in Vietnam. The present study examined the association between mercury (Hg) levels in hair and selenium (Se) levels in toenails of 196 Vietnamese people and their fish consumption, using a dietary questionnaire to obtain information pertinent for assessing health risk owing to MeHg exposure. The geometric mean of Hg levels in the hair of males and females was 617 ng/g and 575 ng/g, respectively. We found that Hg levels in the hair of 98% of the Vietnamese study subjects were lower than the provisional tolerable weekly intake for MeHg (1.6 μg Hg/kg body weight; which is equivalent to a hair Hg concentration of approximately 2,300 ng/g, with an uncertainty factor of 6.4). There were significant differences in the age-adjusted geometric mean of Hg levels found in hair from females related to their frequency of freshwater fish consumption. The levels of Hg in hair and Se in toenails increased with an increased frequency of marine fish consumption, and both showed a significant positive correlation in subjects who consumed marine fish ≥ once/week. This is the first cross-sectional study to investigate the association between hair Hg levels and fish consumption in Vietnam. These findings provide valuable information for future assessments of the health risk of MeHg exposure through fish consumption in Vietnam.

The First Exposure Assessment of Mercury Levels in Hair among Pregnant Women and Its Effects on Birth Weight and Length in Semarang, Central Java, Indonesia

“…T-Hg was determined using a reducing-vaporization mercury analyzer HG-1500 (Sanso Co., Tokyo, Japan) at Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan. The preparation procedures followed the previous studies [ 29 , 30 ]. Before running the Hg measurement, hair samples were washed with acetone 5 mL for 30 min using clean bottle, and then dried and kept in the desiccator.…”

“…Fish consumption was estimated using the answers to the questionnaire. Participants were asked about their types and frequencies of daily fish and other seafood intakes during the pregnancy by using pictures of fish and seafood in the questionnaire and about the quantities by using food models of fish (50 g) [ 29 ]. Ten types of fresh-water, eight marine fish, and six other marine species that are commonly consumed in Semarang were included in the questionnaire.…”

The role of fingernail selenium in the association between arsenic, lead and mercury and child development in rural Vietnam: a cross-sectional analysis

“…This area is typical of many semi-rural settings in South-East Asia where there is increasing industrialisation. In Ha Nam province, exposure to Hg occurs through the consumption of organic compounds (methylmercury) in large fresh water fish, a staple of the local diet (29) . Pb levels in soil are increased by anthropogenic activity such as the recycling of Pb batteries (30) .…”

Evaluation of neurobehavioral impairment in methylmercury‐treated KK‐Ay mice by dynamic weight‐bearing test

“…T‐Hg concentrations in blood and sciatic nerve were measured with a direct thermal decomposition Hg analyzer (SP‐3D and MA‐3000; Nippon Instruments, Tokyo, Japan) as previously described (Yamamoto et al, ; Yamamoto et al, ). T‐Hg and MeHg contents in brain tissue were measured using a protocol we developed previously (Hoang, Do, et al, ; Hoang, Sakamoto, & Yamamoto, ; Miyamoto, Kuwana, Ando, Yamamoto, & Nakano, ; Yoshimoto et al, ). The samples were solubilized with 0.1% Cys solution (1 mL) and 5 m NaOH (1 mL), then incubated at 80°C for 1 hour with vortexing every 10 minutes.…”