Relationship Between Mercury Levels in Hair and Fish Consumption in a Population Living Near a Hydroelectric Tropical Dam

• Published in: Biological trace element research 2013-02, Vol.151 (2), p.187-194
• Main Authors: Marrugo-Negrete, José Luis, Ruiz-Guzmán, Javier Alonso, Díez, Sergi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Animals; Bioaccumulation; Biochemistry; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biotechnology; carnivores; Child; Child, Preschool; children; Childrens health; Correlation analysis; Dams; Diet; Environmental Exposure - analysis; Female; fish; fish consumption; Fish populations; Fishes; Food Contamination - analysis; Food supply; Hair; Hair - metabolism; Health risk assessment; Humans; interviews; Life Sciences; Mercury; Mercury - analysis; Mercury - metabolism; Methylmercury; methylmercury compounds; Methylmercury Compounds - analysis; Methylmercury Compounds - metabolism; Middle Aged; muscle tissues; Nutrition; Oncology; Power Plants; rivers; Seafood - analysis; Statistics, Nonparametric; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; women; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0163-4984; 1559-0720
• DOI: 10.1007/s12011-012-9561-z

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