Human co-exposure to mercury vapor and methylmercury in artisanal mercury mining areas, Guizhou, China

Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety

Volumn 74, Issue 3, 2011, Pages 473-479

  Li, Ping ^a   Feng, Xinbin ^a   Shang, Lihai ^a   Qiu, Guangle ^a   Meng, Bo ^a,b   Zhang, Hua ^a,b   Guo, Yanna ^a   Liang, Peng ^a  

^a INSTITUTE OF GEOCHEMISTRY   (China)

^b UNIVERSITY OF CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES   (China)

Author keywords

Artisanal mercury mining; Human exposure; Mercury vapor; Methylmercury; Rice

Indexed keywords

CREATININE; MERCURY; METHYLMERCURY;

ARTISANAL MINING; BIOACCUMULATION; HAIR; HEALTH RISK; MERCURY (ELEMENT); METHYLMERCURY; OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE; RICE; URINE;

ADULT; AGED; ARTICLE; CHINA; CLINICAL ARTICLE; CONTROLLED STUDY; FINGER TREMOR; FOOD INTAKE; HAIR ANALYSIS; HEALTH HAZARD; HUMAN; HYPERSENSITIVITY; MERCURIALISM; MINER; MINING; OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE; PROTEINURIA; RICE; URINALYSIS;

ADULT; AGED; AIR POLLUTANTS, OCCUPATIONAL; ART; CHINA; ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING; HAIR; HUMANS; INHALATION EXPOSURE; MERCURY; METHYLMERCURY COMPOUNDS; MIDDLE AGED; MINING; OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE;

CHINA; GUIZHOU;

EID: 79951942378     PISSN: 01476513     EISSN: 10902414     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2010.10.030     Document Type: Article

References (58)

1. Abdennour C., Khelili K., Boulakoud M.S., Nezzal A., Boubsil S., Slimani S. Urinary markers of workers chronically exposed to mercury vapor. Environ. Res. 2002, 89:245-249.
2. Barregard L. Biological monitoring of exposure to mercury vapour. Scand. J. Work Environ. Health 1993, 19:45-49.
3. Bellander T., Merler E., Ceccarelli F., Boffetta P. Historical exposure to inorganic mercury at the smelter works of Abbadia San Salvatore, Italy. Ann. Occup. Hyg. 1998, 42:81-90.
4. Chan H.M., Egeland G.M. Fish consumption, mercury exposure, and heart diseases. Nutr. Rev. 2004, 62:68-72.
5. Cheng J., Gao L., Zhao W., Liu X., Sakamoto M., Wang W. Mercury levels in fisherman and their household members in Zhoushan, China: impact of public health. Sci. Total Environ. 2009, 407:2625-2630.
6. Clarkson T.W., Hursch J.B., Sager P.R., Syversen T.L.M. Mercury. Biological Monitoring of Toxic Metals 1988, Plenum, New York. T.W. Clarkson, L. Friberg, G.F. Nordberg, P.R. Sager (Eds.).
7. Clarkson T.W. The three modern faces of mercury. Environ. Health Perspect. 2002, 110:11-23.
8. Clarkson T.W., Magos L., Myers G.J. The toxicology of mercury-current exposures and clinical manifestations. N. Engl. J. Med. 2003, 349:1731-1737.
9. CNSA (Chinese National Standard Agency) Tolerance Limit of Mercury in Foods, GB 2762-94 1994, CNSA, Beijing, (in Chinese).
10. Crump K.S., Kjellstrom T., Shipp A.M., Silvers A., Stewart A. Influence of prenatal mercury exposure upon scholastic and psychological test performance: benchmark analysis of a New Zealand cohort. Risk Anal. 1998, 18:701-713.
11. Feng X., Li P., Qiu G., Wang S., Li G., Shang L., Meng B., Jiang H., Bai W., Li Z., Fu X. Human exposure to methylmercury through rice intake in Wanshan mercury mining areas, Guizhou Province, China. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2008, 42:326-332.
12. Fredriksson A., Dencker L., Archer T., Danielsson B.R. Prenatal coexposure to metallic mercury vapour and methylmercury produce interactive behavioural changes in adult rats. Neurotoxicol. Teratol. 1996, 18:129-134.
13. Garcia-Gomez M., Caballero-Klink J.D., Boffetta P., Espanol S., Sallsten G., Gomez-Quintana J. Exposure to mercury in the mine of Almadén. Occup. Environ. Med. 2007, 64:389-395.
14. Grandjean P., Weihe P., White R.F., Debes F., Araki S., Yokoyama K., Murata K., Sorensen N., Dahl R., Jorgensen P.J. Cognitive deficit in 7-year-old children with prenatal exposure to methylmercury. Neurotoxicol. Teratol. 1997, 19:417-428.
15. Grandjean P., Weihe P., White R.F., Debes F. Cognitive performance of children prenatally exposed to 'safe' levels of methylmercury. Environ. Res. 1998, 77:165-172.
16. Haggqvist B., Havarinasab S., Bjorn E., Hultman P. The immunosuppressive effect of methylmercury does not preclude development of autoimmunity in genetically susceptible mice. Toxicology 2005, 208:149-164.
17. Harada M. Minamata disease: methylmercury poisoning in Japan caused by environmental pollution. Crit. Rev. Toxicol. 1995, 25:1-24.
18. Hat E., Krechniak J. Mercury concentrations in hair exposed in vitro to mercury vapor. Biol. Trace Elem. Res. 1993, 39:109-115.
19. Horvat M., Lupsina V., Pihlar B. Determination of total mercury in coal fly ash by gold amalgamation cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry. Anal. Chim. Acta 1991, 243:71-79.
20. Horvat M., Nolde N., Fajon V., Jereb V., Logar M., Lojen S., Jacimovic R., Falnog I., Qu L., Faganeli J., Drobne D. Total mercury, methylmercury and selenium in mercury polluted areas in the province Guizhou, China. Sci. Total Environ. 2003, 304:231-256.
21. Hultman P., Hansson-Georgiadis H. Methyl mercury-induced autoimmunity in mice. Toxicol. Appl. Pharm. 1999, 154:203-211.
22. Itai Y., Fujino T., Ueno K., Motomatsu Y. An epidemiological study of the incidence of abnormal pregnancy in areas heavily contaminated with methylmercury. Environ. Sci. 2004, 11:83-97.
23. Iwata T., Sakamoto M., Feng X., Yoshida M., Liu X., Dakeishi M., Li P., Qiu G., Jiang H., Nakamura M., Murata K. Effects of mercury vapor exposure on neuromotor function in Chinese miners and smelters. Int. Arch Occup. Environ. Health 2007, 80(5):381-387.
24. JECFA (Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives) Summary and conclusions of the sixty-first meeting of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives 2003, JECFA, Roma.
25. Kjellstrom, T., Kennedy, S., Wallis, S., Mantell, C., 1986. Physical and mental development of children with prenatal exposure to mercury from fish, Stage 1: preliminary test at age 4. Natl. Swed. Environ. Protec. Bd., Rpt. 3080 (Solna, Sweden).
26. Kjellstrom, T.; Kennedy, S.; Wallis, S., 1989. Physical and mental development of children with prenatal exposure to mercury from fish, Stage 2: Interviews and psychological tests at age 6. Natl. Swed. Environ. Protec. Bd., Rpt. 3642. (Solna, Sweden).
27. Kobal A., Horvat M., Prezelj M., Briski S.A., Krsnik M., Dizdarevic T., Mazej D., Falnoga I., Stibilj V., Arneric V., Kobal D., Osredkar J. The impact of long-term past exposure to elemental mercury on antioxidative capacity and lipid peroxidation in mercury miners. J. Trace Elem. Med. Biol. 2004, 17:261-274.
28. Li P., Feng X., Shang L., Qiu G., Meng B., Liang P., Zhang H. Mercury pollution from artisanal mercury mining in Tongren, Guizhou, China. Appl. Geochem. 2008, 23:2055-2064.
29. Li P., Feng X., Qiu G., Li Z., Fu X., Sakamoto M., Liu X., Wang D. Mercury exposures and symptoms in smelting workers of artisanal mercury mines in Wuchuan, Guizhou, China. Environ. Res. 2008, 107:108-114.
30. Li P., Feng X., Qiu G., Shang L., Wang S. Mercury exposure in the population from Wuchuan mercury mining area, Guizhou, China. Sci. Total Environ. 2008, 395:72-79.
31. Li Y., Chen C., Li B., Wang J., Gao Y., Zhao Y., Chai Z. Scalp hair as a biomarker in environmental and occupational mercury exposed populations: suitable or not?. Environ. Res. 2008, 107:39-44.
32. Li P., Feng X., Qiu G., Shang L., Wang S., Meng B. Atmospheric mercury emission from artisanal mercury mining in Guizhou Province, Southwestern China. Atmos. Environ. 2009, 43:2247-2251.
33. Liang L., Horvat M., Bloom N.S. An improved speciation method for mercury by GC/CVAFS after aqueous phase ethylation and room temperature precollection. Talanta 1994, 41:371-379.
34. Liang L., Horvat M., Cernichiari E., Gelein B., Balogh S. Simple solvent extraction technique for elimination of matrix interferences in the determination of methylmercury in environmental and biological samples by ethylation-gas chromatography-cold vapor atomic fluorescence spectrometry. Talanta 1996, 43:1883-1888.
35. Liu X., Cheng J., Song Y., Honda S., Wang L., Liu Z. Mercury concentration in hair samples from Chinese people in coastal cities. J. Environ. Sci. China 2008, 20:1258-1262.
36. Marsh D.O., Clarkson T.W., Myers G.J., Davidson P.W., Cox C., Cernichiare T., Tanner M.A., Lednar W., Shamlaye C., Choisy O., Hoareau C., Berlin M. The Seychelles study of fetal methylmercury exposure and child development: introduction. Neurotoxicology 1995, 16:583-596.
37. Meng B., Feng X., Qiu G., Cai Y., Wang D., Li P., Shang L., Sommar J. Distribution patterns of inorganic mercury and methylmercury in tissues of rice (Oryza sativa L.) plants and possible bioaccumulation pathways. J. Agric. Food Chem. 2010, 58:4951-4958.
38. Mergler D., Anderson A.H., Chan H.M.L., Mahaffey R.K., Murray M., Sakamoto M., Stern H.A. Methylmercury exposure and health effects in humans: a worldwide concern. AMBIO 2007, 36:3-11.
39. Myers G.J., Marsh D.O., Cox C., Davidson P.W., Shamlaye C.F., Tanner M.A., Choi A., Cernichiari E., Choisy O., Clarkson T.W. A pilot neurodevelopmental study of Seychelles children following in utero exposure to methylmercury from a maternal fish diet. Neurotoxicology 1995, 16:629-638.
40. Myers G.J., Davidson P.W., Cox C., Shamlaye C., Palumbo D., Cernichiari E., Sloan-Reeves J., Wilding G.E., Kost J., Huang L., Clarkson T.W. Prenatal methylmercury exposure from ocean fish consumption in the Seychelles Child Development Study. Lancet 2003, 361:1686-1692.
41. NRC (National Research Council) Toxicological Effects of Methylmercury 2000, National Academy Press, Washington.
42. Passos C., Mergler D. Human mercury exposure and adverse health effects in the Amazon: a review. Cad. Saude Publica 2008, 24:S503-S520.
43. Qiu B., Guan M., Hu M., Shi Y., Shi L., Zhang J., Bao P., Li Y., Shi Y. The investigation of mercury content in fishermen's hair after the pollution control in Songhua River. J. Environ. Health 1994, 11:62-64. (in Chinese with English abstract).
44. Qiu G., Feng X., Li P., Wang S., Li G., Shang L., Fu X. Methylmercury accumulation in rice (Oryza sativa L) grown at abandoned mercury mines in Guizhou, China. J. Agric. Food Chem. 2008, 56(7):2465-2468.
45. Qiu G., Feng X., Wang S., Fu X., Shang L. Mercury distribution and speciation in water and fish from abandoned Hg mines in Wanshan, Guizhou Province, China. Sci. Total Environ. 2009, 407:5162-5168.
46. Sakamoto M., Nakano A., Akagi H. Declining Minamata male birth ratio associated with increased male fetal death due to heavy methylmercury pollution. Environ. Res. 2001, 87:92-98.
47. Stern A.H. A review of the studies of the cardiovascular health effects of methylmercury with consideration of their suitability for risk assessment. Environ. Res. 2005, 98:133-142.
48. UNIDO (United Nations Industrial Development Organization) Protocols for environmental and health assessment of mercury released by artisanal and small-scale gold miners (ASM) 2003, UNIDO, Vienna.
49. USEPA (United States Environmental Protection Agency) Mercury study report to the congress, EPA 452/R-97-0003 1997, USEPA, Washington.
50. USEPA (United States Environmental Protection Agency) Method 1631, Revision b: mercury in water by oxidation, purge and trap, and cold vapor atomic fluorescence spectrometry 1999, USEPA, Washington.
51. USEPA (United States Environmental Protection Agency) Method 1630: methyl mercury in water by distillation, aqueous ethylation, purge and trap, and CVAFS 2001, USEPA, Washington.
52. WHO (World Health Organization) Environmental health criteria 101-methylmercury 1990, WHO, Geneva.
53. WHO (World Health Organization) Environmental Health Criteria 118-Inorganic Mercury 1991, WHO, Geneva.
54. Yan H., Feng X., Liu T., Shang L., Li Z., Li G. Present situation of fish mercury poHufion in heavily mercury-contaminated Baihua reservoir in Guizhou. Chinese J. Eco. 2008, 27:1357-1361. (In Chinese with English abstract).
55. Yasutake A., Matsumoto M., Yamaguchi M., Hachiya N. Current hair mercury levels in Japanese for estimation of methylmercury exposure. J. Health Sci. 2004, 50:120-125.
56. Zhang H., Feng X., Larssen T., Shang L., Li P. Bioaccumulation of methylmercury versus inorganic mercury in rice (Oryza sativa L.) grain. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2010, 44:4499-4504.
57. Zhang H., Feng X., Larssen T., Qiu G., Vogt R. In inland China, rice, rather than fish, is the major pathway for methylmercury exposure. Environ. Health Perspect. 2010, 118:1183-1188.
58. Zhang L., Wang Q. Preliminary study on health risk from mercury exposure to residents of Wujiazhan town on the Di'er Songhua River, Northeast China. Environ. Geochem. Health 2006, 28:67-71.