title: Total mercury concentrations in the general Korean population, 2008-2011.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the blood mercury levels of the general Korean population. The data from subjects of all ages were pooled from recent national surveys. In the combined surveys, the geometric means (GMs) of the blood mercury concentrations in subjects aged 0-7, 8-18, and 19years and above were 2.05 (2010-2011), 2.12 (2010-2011), and 3.74μg/L (2008-2011), respectively. There was an increasing trend in blood mercury levels with age until 59years and then a slight decline in the group above 60years. The time trend for exposure to mercury in Korea also showed a marked decline. In comparing estimated methylmercury exposure to the Korean health-based guidance value (tolerable weekly intake [TWI]: 2.0μg/kgbw/week), the GMs of methylmercury exposure for subjects aged 0-7, 8-18, and 19years and above were 0.30, 0.31, and 0.43μg/kgbw/week, respectively, while methylmercury exposure did not exceed the TWI (15.0%, 15.5%, and 21.5% compared to the TWI, respectively). The 95th percentiles of estimated methylmercury exposure ranged from 0.71 to 1.61μg/kgbw/week, which was not above the TWI (range, 35.5-80.5%).
authors.affiliation: Food Safety Risk Assessment Division, National Institute of Food & Drug Safety Evaluation, Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, Osong-eup, Cheongwon-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do 363-700, South Korea.
authors.forename: Jae-Hong
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Food Safety Risk Assessment Division, National Institute of Food & Drug Safety Evaluation, Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, Osong-eup, Cheongwon-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do 363-700, South Korea. Electronic address: hwang1963@korea.kr.
authors.forename: Myung-Sil
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.affiliation: Food Safety Risk Assessment Division, National Institute of Food & Drug Safety Evaluation, Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, Osong-eup, Cheongwon-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do 363-700, South Korea.
authors.forename: Ahra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.affiliation: Food Safety Risk Assessment Division, National Institute of Food & Drug Safety Evaluation, Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, Osong-eup, Cheongwon-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do 363-700, South Korea.
authors.forename: Da-Hyun
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Jeong
authors.affiliation: Food Safety Risk Assessment Division, National Institute of Food & Drug Safety Evaluation, Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, Osong-eup, Cheongwon-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do 363-700, South Korea.
authors.forename: Hui-Seung
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.affiliation: Food Contaminants Division, National Institute of Food & Drug Safety Evaluation, Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, Osong-eup, Cheongwon-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do 363-700, South Korea.
authors.forename: Hae-Jung
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.affiliation: Food Safety Risk Assessment Division, National Institute of Food & Drug Safety Evaluation, Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, Osong-eup, Cheongwon-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do 363-700, South Korea.
authors.forename: Jin-Hwan
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Hong
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004032:Diet; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005399:Fishes; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008628:Mercury / Q000097:blood*; D008767:Methylmercury Compounds / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D056910:Republic of Korea; D012758:Shellfish; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D008767:Methylmercury Compounds; D008628:Mercury
keywords: Exposure assessment; Human biomonitoring; Korean; Mercury; Methylmercury