Impact of maternal seafood diet on fetal exposure to mercury, selenium, and lead

P. Grandjean, P. Weihe, T. Viderø, P.J. Jørgensen, T. Clarkson, E. Cernichiari

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    Abstract

    Umbilical cord blood from 1 023 consecutive births in the Faroe Islands showed a median blood-mercury concentration of 121 nmol/l (24.2 μg/l); 250 of those samples (25.1%) had blood-mercury concentrations that exceeded 200 nmol/l (40 μg/l). Maternal hair mercury concentrations showed a median of 22.5 nmol/g (4.5 μg/g), and 130 samples (12.7%) contained concentrations that exceeded 50 nmol/g (10 μg/g). Frequent ingestion of whale meat dinners during pregnancy and, to a much lesser degree, frequent consumption of fish, and increased parity or age were associated with high mercury concentrations in cord blood and hair. Blood-mercury levels were slightly lower if the mother had occasionally ingested alcoholic beverages. Mercury in blood correlated moderately with blood selenium (median, 1.40 μmol/l). Increased selenium concentrations were associated with intake of whale meat, alcohol abstention, delivery after term, and high parity. Lead in cord blood was low (median, 82 nmol/l), particularly if the mothers had frequently had fish for dinner and had abstained from smoking. 
    Original languageUndefined/Unknown
    Pages (from-to)185-195
    Number of pages10
    JournalArchives of Environmental & Occupational Health
    Volume47
    Issue number3
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 1992

    Keywords

    • seafood diet
    • mercury-concentration
    • Faroe Islands
    • pregnancy
    • women

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