title: Children's health and mercury exposure.
abstract: The reason why mercury is dangerous is that once released into the environment it cannot be removed and is rapidly transformed by microorganisms into organic compounds that tend to bioaccumulate and biomagnify in animals. The principal organic compound is methylmercury (MeHg). The primary route of exposure to MeHg for humans is consumption of fish. The safe dose (reference dose, RfD) of MeHg that can be consumed without neurotoxicological consequences is 0.1 microg per kg b.w./day. According to available data, the whole population of certain European countries or people who consume large quantities of fish are exposed to doses of MeHg that exceed the RfD. Given this level of mercury exposure, in order to avoid or reduce the expected neurotoxic consequences on foetuses we propose the following strategy: 1) At present the most reasonable solution for pregnant women (and small children) is to reduce substantially or completely avoid fish intake. 2) In the medium term the European Community should evaluate the technical and economic feasibility of breeding uncontaminated fish in order to reduce the drawbacks of banning fish consumption. 3) In the long term there is no alternative to substantially reducing mercury emissions worldwide.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Second School of Medicine, University 'La Sapienza', Rome, Italy. roberto.ronchetti@ospedalesantandrea.it
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ronchetti
authors.forename: Moniek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zuurbier
authors.forename: Milos
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jesenak
authors.forename: Janna G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Koppe
authors.forename: Ubah Farah
authors.initials: UF
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ceccatelli
authors.forename: Maria Pia
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Villa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D002669:Child Welfare; D004032:Diet; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D004782:Environmental Health; D005060:Europe; D005062:European Union; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008628:Mercury / Q000633:toxicity; D008630:Mercury Poisoning / Q000453:epidemiology*; D020262:Mercury Poisoning, Nervous System / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D017747:Seafood
chemical_list: D008628:Mercury