Children's health and mercury exposure.
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.
Ronchetti
Roberto
R
Department of Pediatrics, Second School of Medicine, University 'La Sapienza', Rome, Italy. roberto.ronchetti@ospedalesantandrea.it
Zuurbier
Moniek
M
Jesenak
Milos
M
Koppe
Janna G
JG
Ahmed
Ubah Farah
UF
Ceccatelli
Sandra
S
Villa
Maria Pia
MP
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
D008628:Mercury