title: Indirect sources of mercury poisoning in the Iraqi epidemic.
abstract: Secondary sources of intoxication with methylmercury poisoning other than home-made bread were explored. Mercury levels in various food items were below 0.05 mg/kg.Over 30 000 specimens of meat and internal organs of sheep were analysed because of the strong suspicion that the animals had been fed treated barley. It was found that 6-12% of the specimens analysed contained more than 0.5 mg/kg of mercury. Consumption of meat did not appear to constitute a danger of intoxication during the outbreak.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005506:Food Contamination; D006801:Humans; D007493:Iraq; D007668:Kidney / Q000032:analysis; D008460:Meat / Q000032:analysis; D008628:Mercury / Q000032:analysis; D008630:Mercury Poisoning / Q000209:etiology*; D008767:Methylmercury Compounds / Q000506:poisoning; D012756:Sheep
chemical_list: D008767:Methylmercury Compounds; D008628:Mercury