title: Relationship between mercury levels in hair and fish consumption in a population living near a hydroelectric tropical dam.
abstract: In the present study, total mercury (T-Hg) concentrations were assessed in human hair samples (n = 76) and fish muscle (n = 33) collected at Urrá dam, upstream Sinú river, northwestern Colombia. Based on interviews with study participants, weekly intakes of total mercury (WIT-Hg) and methylmercury (WIMeHg) by fish consumption were also estimated. T-Hg concentrations in hair samples ranged from 0.40 to 24.56 μg/g dw. The highest concentrations were recorded in children (CH) (2-15 years old, n = 24) with significant differences (p < 0.05) with respect to women of childbearing age (WCHA) (16-49 years old, n = 29) and the rest of the population (RP) (n = 23), which were not significantly different. The highest T-Hg concentrations in muscle tissue were recorded in the carnivorous fish (0.65-2.25 μg/g wet weight, ww), with significant differences (p < 0.05) compared to non-carnivorous fish (0.16-0.54 μg/g ww). WIT-Hg recorded the highest values in CH (2.18-50.41 μg/kg/week), with significant differences (p < 0.05) with respect to WCHA (2.02-23.54 μg/kg/week) and RP (1.09-24.71 μg/kg/week), which were not significantly different. Correlation analysis showed a significant relationship between weekly fish consumption and hair T-Hg in CH (r = 0.37, p < 0.05) and WCHA (r = 0.44, p < 0.05). This association was also observed with the number of days per week with fish consumption in CH (r = 0.37, p < 0.05) and WCHA (r = 0.45, p < 0.05). These results suggest that Hg exposure in people inhabiting the Urrá dam should be carefully monitored, particularly in vulnerable groups such as CH and WCHA.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory Toxicology and Environmental Management, University of Córdoba, Montería, Colombia. jlmarrugon@hotmail.com
authors.forename: José Luis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Marrugo-Negrete
authors.forename: Javier Alonso
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Ruiz-Guzmán
authors.forename: Sergi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Díez
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004032:Diet; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D005399:Fishes; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis; D006197:Hair / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008628:Mercury / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism*; D008767:Methylmercury Compounds / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D011210:Power Plants; D017747:Seafood / Q000032:analysis; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D008767:Methylmercury Compounds; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D008628:Mercury