Fish as a source of exposure to mercury and selenium

• Published in: The Science of the total environment 1992-09, Vol.126 (1), p.61-74
• Main Authors: Svensson, B.-G., Schütz, A., Nilsson, A., Åkesson, I., Åkesson, B., Skerfving, S.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: ACIDE GRAS SATURE; ACIDOS GRASOS SATURADOS; Adult; Aged; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; BLOOD; BLOOD PLASMA; Cohort Studies; Dental Amalgam - chemistry; DIET; DIETA; Fatty Acids, Unsaturated - blood; Female; FISH; Fishes; Food Contamination; Food toxicology; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; MERCURE; MERCURIO; MERCURY; Mercury - analysis; Mercury - blood; Mercury - pharmacokinetics; methylmercury; Middle Aged; PESCADO; PLASMA SANGUIN; PLASMA SANGUINEO; POISSON (ALIMENT); REGIME ALIMENTAIRE; SANG; SANGRE; SATURATED FATTY ACIDS; SELENIO; SELENIUM; Selenium - blood; Selenium - pharmacokinetics; SUECIA; SUEDE; SWEDEN; Toxicology; Water Pollutants, Chemical - pharmacokinetics
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/0048-9697(92)90484-A

In a total of 395 subjects with varying fish consumption habits, mercury levels in whole blood (BHg), and selenium levels in plasma (PSe) were studied. Also, in subcohorts, mercury levels in blood cells (EryHg; n = 79), plasma (PHg; n = 158) and urine (UHg; n = 125) were analysed. There were statistically significant associations between fish intake on the one hand, and BHg, EryHg and PHg, on the other, but not so with UHg. In subjects who never had fish, the average BHg was 1.8 ng/g, in subjects who had at least two fish meals each week, 6.7 ng/g. EryHg, and to a less extent PHg, were associated with levels of marine n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in serum phosphatidylcholine. PHg and UHg were associated with numbers of teeth with amalgam fillings. PSe also correlated with fish intake. In subjects who never had fish, PSe averaged 80 μg/l, in subjects who had at least two fish meals per week, 91 μg/l. There was an association between PUFA and PSe. Further, there were statistically significant associations between PSe on the one hand, and BHg, EryHg and PHg on the other. The data clearly demonstrate the importance of fish for the exposure to methylmercury and selenium in the Swedish diet, and the impact of amalgam as a source of exposure to inorganic mercury.