Impact of maternal seafood diet on fetal exposure to mercury, selenium, and lead.
Umbilical cord blood from 1,023 consecutive births in the Faroe Islands showed a median blood-mercury concentration of 121 nmol/l (24.2 micrograms/l); 250 of those samples (25.1%) had blood-mercury concentrations that exceeded 200 nmol/l (40 micrograms/l). Maternal hair mercury concentrations showed a median of 22.5 nmol/g (4.5 micrograms/g), and 130 samples (12.7%) contained concentrations that exceeded 50 nmol/g (10 micrograms/g). Frequent ingestion of whale meat dinners during pregnancy and, to a much lesser degree, frequent consumption of fish, and increased parity or age were associated with high mercury concentrations in cord blood and hair. Blood-mercury levels were slightly lower if the mother had occasionally ingested alcoholic beverages. Mercury in blood correlated moderately with blood selenium (median, 1.40 mumol/l). Increased selenium concentrations were associated with intake of whale meat, alcohol abstention, delivery after term, and high parity. Lead in cord blood was low (median, 82 nmol/l), particularly if the mothers had frequently had fish for dinner and had abstained from smoking.
Grandjean
P
P
Institute of Community Health, Odense University, Denmark.
Weihe
P
P
Jørgensen
P J
PJ
Clarkson
T
T
Cernichiari
E
E
Viderø
T
T
D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects; D000818:Animals; D003718:Denmark; D004034:Diet Surveys; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000737:chemistry*; D005399:Fishes; D005865:Gestational Age; D006197:Hair / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007233:Infant, Postmature; D007854:Lead / Q000097:blood* / Q000737:chemistry; D008423:Maternal Age; D008628:Mercury / Q000097:blood* / Q000737:chemistry; D009035:Mothers; D010298:Parity; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012643:Selenium / Q000097:blood* / Q000737:chemistry; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D014907:Whales
D007854:Lead; D008628:Mercury; D012643:Selenium