High hair and urinary mercury levels of fish eaters in the nonpolluted environment of Papua New Guinea

Arch Environ Health. 1995 Sep-Oct;50(5):367-73. doi: 10.1080/00039896.1995.9935969.

Abstract

Hair and mercury concentrations of 134 fish-eating subjects in the Lake Murray area and 13 non-fish-eating subjects in the upper-Strickland area, Papua New Guinea, were studied. Hair mercury levels among the subjects in the Lake Murray area (mean = 21.9 micrograms/g, range = 3.7-71.9 micrograms/g) and urinary mercury levels (mean = 7.6 micrograms/g creatinine, range = 1.4-25.6 micrograms/g creatinine) were markedly higher than levels found in subjects from the upper-Strickland area (mean hair mercury = 0.75 micrograms/g, mean urinary mercury = 0.48 micrograms/g creatinine). Mercury intake of the fish eaters, estimated from mercury concentrations found in fish and from the observed amounts of fish consumed, was approximately 73 micrograms/d. Hair and urinary mercury concentrations were correlated significantly (r = .59), indicating that urinary mercury excretion was elevated because fish consumption was very high.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Animals
  • Diet Surveys
  • Environmental Monitoring
  • Female
  • Fishes*
  • Food Analysis
  • Food Contamination*
  • Hair / chemistry*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mercury / urine*
  • Mercury Poisoning / etiology
  • Mercury Poisoning / urine*
  • Papua New Guinea
  • Population Surveillance
  • Residence Characteristics
  • Urine / chemistry
  • Water Pollution, Chemical

Substances

  • Mercury