Human Exposure Assessment to Mercury Through Hair Analysis in Coastal Villages of the Valparaiso Region (Chile)

Abstract

In the present study, we assessed mercury exposure of residents of different sites of Valparaiso Region (Chile) due to fish consumption and atmospheric contamination from coal-burning power plant and copper smelter. Total mercury concentration was determined in 199 hair samples and in 14 species of marine fish, purchased in the supermarket or collected in the studied fishing villages-1 in human hair samples and from 0.04 to 3.-1 in fish samples. Importantly, hair mercury concentration was significantly higher in the case of population exposed to mercury exclusively by fish consumption (e.g. Quintay and Zapallar), in comparison to the residents exposed to industrial emissions and fish consumption (e.g. Puchuncavi, Las Ventanas, Quintero). Finally, high mercury concentrations were observed in fish types commonly consumed by the residents of the fishing villages, evidencing human exposure to mercury through fish consumption.

Naturaleza, materia y neoliberalismo: discutiendo la fractura metabólica en la producción del espacio urbano en Chile

“…El vaciamiento de este discurso gubernamental se hace más elocuente al situarlo dentro de lo que se ha denominado públicamente como "Zonas de Sacrificio". Quizás el caso más emblemático lo podemos encontrar en el complejo Quintero-Ventanas, ubicado dentro de la Macrozona Urbana del centro de Chile, donde se ha evidenciado una multiplicidad de conflictos para el desarrollo de la vida, como la exposición humana al mercurio a través del consumo de pescados que se extraen de la bahía de Quintero (Durán et al, 2019), la relación entre sedimento contaminado de petróleo crudo y bacterias marinas (Bravo et al, 2019), o la contaminación de la bahía debido a la presencia de metales pesados (Parra et al, 2015). Sin embargo, estas problemáticas no son exclusivas de esta zona.…”

“…Figura 1-Comunas que presentan una alta cantidad (kg) de disposición final de residuos sólidos urbanos per cápita (kg/hab/día)4 …”

Risk map of human intake of methylmercury through fish consumption in Latin America and the Caribbeans

“…In addition, Latin American and the Caribbean occupies one of the top 3 regions with the highest shery exploitation and aquaculture production (FAO 2020). Indeed, it has been reported signi cant mercury concentrations in marine and freshwater sh, and in human hair associated with sh consumption in several Latin American and the Caribbean countries (Langeland et al 2017;Bravo et al 2019; Valdelamar-Villegas and Olivero-Verbel 2020).…”

Biomonitoring of Mercury in Hair among a Group of Eritreans (Africa)

“…Mercury (Hg) is a naturally occurring element that can be distributed in the environment by both natural processes and human activities [1]. Hg is recognized as a dangerous environmental pollutant due to its high persistence in the environment and its toxicity to several biological species, including humans [2][3][4]. The entire global population is potentially exposed to Hg due to its long-range transport and its ubiquity in global marine ecosystems [5].…”