Health effects in the Flemish population in relation to low levels of mercury exposure: From organ to transcriptome level

Croes, Kim; Coster, Sam De; Galan, Sandra De; Morrens, Bert; Loots, Ilse; Mieroop, Els Van de; Nelen, Vera; Sioen, Isabelle; Bruckers, Liesbeth; Nawrot, Tim S.; Colles, Ann; Hond, Elly Den; Schoeters, Greet; Larebeke, Nicolas Van; Baeyens, Willy; Gao, Yue

doi:10.1016/j.ijheh.2013.06.004

Cited by 26 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 62 publications

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“…In Table 1, exposures in Austria were assumed to be similar to those in Germany, as suggested by available data [28]. Exposure information from the Flemish part of Belgium [29,30] do not differ much from the national data obtained in DEMOCOPHES, which were therefore used for the calculations. The Flemish data were used to represent exposures in The Netherlands.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Economic benefits of methylmercury exposure control in Europe: Monetary value of neurotoxicity prevention

Bellanger

Pichery

Aerts³

et al. 2013

Environ Health

135

123

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BackgroundDue to global mercury pollution and the adverse health effects of prenatal exposure to methylmercury (MeHg), an assessment of the economic benefits of prevented developmental neurotoxicity is necessary for any cost-benefit analysis.MethodsDistributions of hair-Hg concentrations among women of reproductive age were obtained from the DEMOCOPHES project (1,875 subjects in 17 countries) and literature data (6,820 subjects from 8 countries). The exposures were assumed to comply with log-normal distributions. Neurotoxicity effects were estimated from a linear dose-response function with a slope of 0.465 Intelligence Quotient (IQ) point reduction per μg/g increase in the maternal hair-Hg concentration during pregnancy, assuming no deficits below a hair-Hg limit of 0.58 μg/g thought to be safe. A logarithmic IQ response was used in sensitivity analyses. The estimated IQ benefit cost was based on lifetime income, adjusted for purchasing power parity.ResultsThe hair-mercury concentrations were the highest in Southern Europe and lowest in Eastern Europe. The results suggest that, within the EU, more than 1.8 million children are born every year with MeHg exposures above the limit of 0.58 μg/g, and about 200,000 births exceed a higher limit of 2.5 μg/g proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO). The total annual benefits of exposure prevention within the EU were estimated at more than 600,000 IQ points per year, corresponding to a total economic benefit between €8,000 million and €9,000 million per year. About four-fold higher values were obtained when using the logarithmic response function, while adjustment for productivity resulted in slightly lower total benefits. These calculations do not include the less tangible advantages of protecting brain development against neurotoxicity or any other adverse effects.ConclusionsThese estimates document that efforts to combat mercury pollution and to reduce MeHg exposures will have very substantial economic benefits in Europe, mainly in southern countries. Some data may not be entirely representative, some countries were not covered, and anticipated changes in mercury pollution all suggest a need for extended biomonitoring of human MeHg exposure.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This applies to Austria (data from Germany were used), Bulgaria (Romania), Netherlands (Flanders [30]), and Estonia, Finland, Latvia, and Lithuania (Sweden); b All data are from DEMOCOPHES, unless otherwise noted; c [30]; d [32]; e Pal Weihe, unpublished data; f [31]; g [33]; h Jean Golding, pers.comm.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Economic benefits of methylmercury exposure control in Europe: Monetary value of neurotoxicity prevention

Bellanger

Pichery

Aerts³

et al. 2013

Environ Health

135

123

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“…Asthma, having been breastfed as a newborn, age of menarche, allergy for animals, and free testosterone levels were negatively associated with mercury in hair. Janus kinase 2 (JAK2), ARID4A, Hist1HA4L (boys) and HLAdrb5, PIAS2, MANN1B1, GIT and ABCA1 (girls) were also significantly correlated with mercury levels in hair [22]. …”

Section: Low-level Mercury Exposure Studies (Humans)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Recent Advances in Mercury Research

Martinez-Finley

Aschner

2014

Curr Envir Health Rpt

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Mercury (Hg) is a highly toxic, non-essential, naturally occurring metal with a variety of uses. Mercury is not required for any known biological process and its presence in the human body may be detrimental, especially to the nervous system. Both genetic and behavioral studies suggest that mercury levels, age (both of exposure and at testing), and genetic background determine disease processes and outcome. The metal receptors and genes responsible for mercury metabolism also appear to play a pivotal role in the etiology of mercury-induced pathology. This review presents information about the latest advances in mercury research, with particular focus on low-level exposures and the contribution of genetics to toxic outcome. Future studies should address the contribution of genetics and low-level mercury exposure to disease, namely gene x environment interactions, taking into consideration age of exposure as developing animals are exquisitely more sensitive to this metal. In addition to recent advances in understanding the pathology associated with mercury exposure, the review highlights transport mechanisms, cellular distribution and detoxification of mercury species in the body.

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“…However, it is well established that all forms of Hg are toxic [29]. In the last years, several studies conducted in European countries [30,31,32,33,34,35], USA [36], Canada [37], Japan [38], and China [39] have demonstrated that exposure to Hg is still a crucial public health concern, which no one country can solve alone. In 2013, global measures were adopted by the Minamata Convention aiming to reduce and eliminate sources of exposure to Hg ().…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mercury in Children: Current State on Exposure through Human Biomonitoring Studies

Ruggieri

Majorani

Domanico

et al. 2017

IJERPH

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Mercury (Hg) in children has multiple exposure sources and the toxicity of Hg compounds depends on exposure routes, dose, timing of exposure, and developmental stage (be it prenatal or postnatal). Over the last decades, Hg was widely recognized as a threat to the children’s health and there have been acknowledgements at the international level of the need of a global policy intervention—like the Minamata treaty—aimed at reducing or preventing Hg exposure and protecting the child health. National human biomonitoring (HBM) data has demonstrated that low levels of exposure of Hg are still an important health concern for children, which no one country can solve alone. Although independent HBM surveys have provided the basis for the achievements of exposure mitigation in specific contexts, a new paradigm for a coordinated global monitoring of children’s exposure, aimed at a reliable decision-making tool at global level is yet a great challenge for the next future. The objective of the present review is to describe current HBM studies on Hg exposure in children, taking into account the potential pathways of Hg exposure and the actual Hg exposure levels assessed by different biomarkers.

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Health effects in the Flemish population in relation to low levels of mercury exposure: From organ to transcriptome level

Cited by 26 publications

References 62 publications

Economic benefits of methylmercury exposure control in Europe: Monetary value of neurotoxicity prevention

Economic benefits of methylmercury exposure control in Europe: Monetary value of neurotoxicity prevention

Recent Advances in Mercury Research

Mercury in Children: Current State on Exposure through Human Biomonitoring Studies

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