Prenatal methylmercury exposure and children: Neurologic, developmental, and behavioral research

被引:116
作者
Myers, GJ
Davidson, PW
机构
[1] Univ Rochester, Sch Med & Dent, Dept Neurol, Div Pediat Neurol, Rochester, NY 14642 USA
[2] Univ Rochester, Sch Med & Dent, Dept Pediat, Strong Ctr Dev Disabil, Rochester, NY 14642 USA
关键词
mercury; methylmercury; fetal exposure; child development; Seychelles; neurodevelopment; fish;
D O I
10.2307/3434199
中图分类号
X [环境科学、安全科学];
学科分类号
08 ; 0830 ;
摘要
Mercury is present in the earth's crust and is methylated by bacteria in aquatic environments to methylmercury (MeHg). It is then concentrated by the food chain so predatory fish and sea mammals have the highest levels. Thus, consuming seafood leads to exposure. MeHg readily crosses the placenta and the blood-brain barrier and is neurotoxic. The developing fetal nervous system is especially sensitive to its effects. Prenatal poisoning with high dose MeHg causes mental retardation and cerebral palsy. Lower level exposures from maternal consumption of a fish diet have not been consistently associated with adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes. However, most studies have considerable uncertainty associated with their results. Two large controlled longitudinal studies of populations consuming seafood are underway that are likely to determine ii: any adverse effects can be identified. No adverse associations have been found in the Seychelles, where exposure is mainly from fish consumption. In the Faroe Islands where exposure is primarily from consumption of whale meat and not fish, adverse associations have been reported. The Seychelles population consumes large amounts of marine fish containing MeHg concentrations similar to commercial fish in the United States. Current evidence does not support the hypothesis that consumption of such fish during pregnancy places the fetus at increased neurodevelopmental risk.
引用
收藏
页码:841 / 847
页数:7
相关论文
共 53 条
[1]   PERINATAL METHYLMERCURY POISONING IN IRAQ [J].
AMINZAKI, L ;
ELHASSANI, S ;
MAJEED, MA ;
CLARKSON, TW ;
DOHERTY, RA ;
GREENWOOD, MR ;
GIOVANOLIJAKUBCZAK, T .
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF DISEASES OF CHILDREN, 1976, 130 (10) :1070-1076
[2]   METHYLMERCURY POISONING IN IRAQ - INTERUNIVERSITY REPORT [J].
BAKIR, F ;
DAMLUJI, SF ;
AMINZAKI, L ;
MURTADHA, M ;
KHALIDI, A ;
ALRAWI, NY ;
TIKRITI, S ;
DHAHIR, HI ;
CLARKSON, TW ;
SMITH, JC ;
DOHERTY, RA .
SCIENCE, 1973, 181 (4096) :230-241
[3]   METHYLMERCURY DEVELOPMENTAL NEUROTOXICITY - A COMPARISON OF EFFECTS IN HUMANS AND ANIMALS [J].
BURBACHER, TM ;
RODIER, PM ;
WEISS, B .
NEUROTOXICOLOGY AND TERATOLOGY, 1990, 12 (03) :191-202
[4]  
Cernichiari E, 1995, NEUROTOXICOLOGY, V16, P705
[5]  
Cernichiari E, 1995, NEUROTOXICOLOGY, V16, P613
[6]   ABNORMAL NEURONAL MIGRATION, DERANGED CEREBRAL CORTICAL ORGANIZATION, AND DIFFUSE WHITE MATTER ASTROCYTOSIS OF HUMAN FETAL BRAIN - MAJOR EFFECT OF METHYLMERCURY POISONING INUTERO [J].
CHOI, BH ;
LAPHAM, LW ;
AMINZAKI, L ;
SALEEM, T .
JOURNAL OF NEUROPATHOLOGY AND EXPERIMENTAL NEUROLOGY, 1978, 37 (06) :719-733
[7]  
Clarkson T, 1998, SCIENCE, V279, P459
[8]  
Cox C, 1995, NEUROTOXICOLOGY, V16, P727
[9]   DOSE-RESPONSE ANALYSIS OF INFANTS PRENATALLY EXPOSED TO METHYL MERCURY - AN APPLICATION OF A SINGLE COMPARTMENT MODEL TO SINGLE-STRAND HAIR ANALYSIS [J].
COX, C ;
CLARKSON, TW ;
MARSH, DO ;
AMINZAKI, L ;
TIKRITI, S ;
MYERS, GG .
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH, 1989, 49 (02) :318-332
[10]   REANALYSIS OF DOSE-RESPONSE DATA FROM THE IRAQI METHYLMERCURY POISONING EPISODE [J].
CRUMP, K ;
VIREN, J ;
SILVERS, A ;
CLEWELL, H ;
GEARHART, J ;
SHIPP, A .
RISK ANALYSIS, 1995, 15 (04) :523-532