title: Fish as a source of exposure to mercury and selenium.
abstract: In a total of 395 subjects with varying fish consumption habits, mercury levels in whole blood (B-Hg), and selenium levels in plasma (P-Se) were studied. Also, in subcohorts, mercury levels in blood cells (Ery-Hg; n = 79), plasma (P-Hg; n = 158) and urine (U-Hg; n = 125) were analysed. There were statistically significant associations between fish intake on the one hand, and B-Hg, Ery-Hg and P-Hg, on the other, but not so with U-Hg. In subjects who never had fish, the average B-Hg was 1.8 ng/g, in subjects who had at least two fish meals each week, 6.7 ng/g. Ery-Hg, and to a less extent P-Hg, were associated with levels of marine n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in serum phosphatidylcholine. P-Hg and U-Hg were associated with numbers of teeth with amalgam fillings. P-Se also correlated with fish intake. In subjects who never had fish, P-Se averaged 80 micrograms/l, in subjects who had at least two fish meals per week, 91 micrograms/l. There was an association between PUFA and P-Se. Further, there were statistically significant associations between P-Se on the one hand, and B-Hg, Ery-Hg and P-Hg on the other. The data clearly demonstrate the importance of fish for the exposure to methylmercury and selenium in the Swedish diet, and the impact of amalgam as a source of exposure to inorganic mercury.
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, University Hospital, University of Lund, Sweden.
authors.forename: B G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Svensson
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schütz
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nilsson
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Akesson
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Akesson
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Skerfving
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003723:Dental Amalgam / Q000737:chemistry; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005399:Fishes; D005506:Food Contamination; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008628:Mercury / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D008875:Middle Aged; D012643:Selenium / Q000097:blood* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*
chemical_list: D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D003723:Dental Amalgam; D008628:Mercury; D012643:Selenium