Do recent data from the Seychelles Islands alter the conclusions of the NRC Report on the toxicological effects of methylmercury?
In 2000, the National Research Council (NRC), an arm of the National Academy of Sciences, released a report entitled, "Toxicological Effects of Methylmercury." The overall conclusion of that report was that, at levels of exposure in some fish- and marine mammal-consuming communities (including those in the Faroe Islands and New Zealand), subtle but significant adverse effects on neuropsychological development were occurring as a result of in utero exposure. Since the release of that report, there has been continuing discussion of the public health relevance of current levels of exposure to Methylmercury. Much of this discussion has been linked to the release of the most recent longitudinal update of the Seychelles Island study. It has recently been posited that these findings supercede those of the NRC committee, and that based on the Seychelles findings, there is little or no risk of adverse neurodevelopmental effects at current levels of exposure. In this commentary, members of the NRC committee address the conclusions from the NRC report in light of the recent Seychelles data. We conclude that no evidence has emerged since the publication of the NRC report that alters the findings of that report.
Stern
Alan H
AH
Bureau for Risk Analysis, Division of Science, Research, and Technology, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, 401 East State Street, 1st Floor, PO Box 409, Trenton, NJ 08625, USA. Alan.Stern@dep.state.nj.us
Jacobson
Joseph L
JL
Ryan
Louise
L
Burke
Thomas A
TA
D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005506:Food Contamination; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D018811:Maternal Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008630:Mercury Poisoning / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D008767:Methylmercury Compounds / Q000097:blood / Q000633:toxicity*; D009307:National Academy of Sciences, U.S.; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000097:blood / Q000633:toxicity; D011247:Pregnancy; D011634:Public Health; D018570:Risk Assessment; D017747:Seafood / Q000633:toxicity*; D012750:Seychelles / Q000453:epidemiology; D014481:United States; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000633:toxicity*; D014877:Water Pollution, Chemical / Q000009:adverse effects*
D015415:Biomarkers; D008767:Methylmercury Compounds; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls