Mercury in the umbilical cord: Implications for risk assessment for Minamata disease

C. Dalgard; P. Grandjean; P.J. Jorgensen; P. Weihe

doi:10.1289/ehp.94102548

Mercury in the umbilical cord: Implications for risk assessment for Minamata disease

C. Dalgard, P. Grandjean, P.J. Jorgensen, P. Weihe

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

26 Citations (Scopus)

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Abstract

Umbilical cord tissue was obtained from 50 births in the Faroe Islands, where high mercury intake is due to ingestion of pilot whale meat. The mercury concentration correlated significantly with the frequency of maternal whale meat dinners during pregnancy and with mercury concentrations in umbilical cord blood and in maternal hair. The results; were compared with published values for mercury in umbilical cord tissue from 12 infants diagnosed with congenital methylmercury poisoning in Minamata, Japan. From the regression coefficients obtained in the Faroese samples, the median umbilical cord mercury concentration of 4.95 nmol/g dry weight in Minamata would correspond to 668 nmol/l cord blood and 114 nmol/g maternal hair. These levels agree well with other evidence of susceptibility of the fetus to increased exposure to methylmercury.

Original language	Undefined/Unknown
Pages (from-to)	548-550
Number of pages	3
Journal	Environmental Health Perspectives
Volume	102
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.94102548
Publication status	Published - 1994
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

Blood analysis
Hair
Mercury
Methylmercury
Minamata disease
Pregnancy
Seafood

Access to Document

10.1289/ehp.94102548

Dalgård et al Mercury in the umbilical cordFinal published version, 909 KBLicence: Other

Cite this

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title = "Mercury in the umbilical cord: Implications for risk assessment for Minamata disease",

abstract = "Umbilical cord tissue was obtained from 50 births in the Faroe Islands, where high mercury intake is due to ingestion of pilot whale meat. The mercury concentration correlated significantly with the frequency of maternal whale meat dinners during pregnancy and with mercury concentrations in umbilical cord blood and in maternal hair. The results; were compared with published values for mercury in umbilical cord tissue from 12 infants diagnosed with congenital methylmercury poisoning in Minamata, Japan. From the regression coefficients obtained in the Faroese samples, the median umbilical cord mercury concentration of 4.95 nmol/g dry weight in Minamata would correspond to 668 nmol/l cord blood and 114 nmol/g maternal hair. These levels agree well with other evidence of susceptibility of the fetus to increased exposure to methylmercury.",

keywords = "Blood analysis, Hair, Mercury, Methylmercury, Minamata disease, Pregnancy, Seafood",

author = "C. Dalgard and P. Grandjean and P.J. Jorgensen and P. Weihe",

year = "1994",

doi = "10.1289/ehp.94102548",

language = "Undefined/Unknown",

volume = "102",

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journal = "Environmental Health Perspectives",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Mercury in the umbilical cord

T2 - Implications for risk assessment for Minamata disease

AU - Dalgard, C.

AU - Grandjean, P.

AU - Jorgensen, P.J.

AU - Weihe, P.

PY - 1994

Y1 - 1994

N2 - Umbilical cord tissue was obtained from 50 births in the Faroe Islands, where high mercury intake is due to ingestion of pilot whale meat. The mercury concentration correlated significantly with the frequency of maternal whale meat dinners during pregnancy and with mercury concentrations in umbilical cord blood and in maternal hair. The results; were compared with published values for mercury in umbilical cord tissue from 12 infants diagnosed with congenital methylmercury poisoning in Minamata, Japan. From the regression coefficients obtained in the Faroese samples, the median umbilical cord mercury concentration of 4.95 nmol/g dry weight in Minamata would correspond to 668 nmol/l cord blood and 114 nmol/g maternal hair. These levels agree well with other evidence of susceptibility of the fetus to increased exposure to methylmercury.

AB - Umbilical cord tissue was obtained from 50 births in the Faroe Islands, where high mercury intake is due to ingestion of pilot whale meat. The mercury concentration correlated significantly with the frequency of maternal whale meat dinners during pregnancy and with mercury concentrations in umbilical cord blood and in maternal hair. The results; were compared with published values for mercury in umbilical cord tissue from 12 infants diagnosed with congenital methylmercury poisoning in Minamata, Japan. From the regression coefficients obtained in the Faroese samples, the median umbilical cord mercury concentration of 4.95 nmol/g dry weight in Minamata would correspond to 668 nmol/l cord blood and 114 nmol/g maternal hair. These levels agree well with other evidence of susceptibility of the fetus to increased exposure to methylmercury.

KW - Blood analysis

KW - Hair

KW - Mercury

KW - Methylmercury

KW - Minamata disease

KW - Pregnancy

KW - Seafood

U2 - 10.1289/ehp.94102548

DO - 10.1289/ehp.94102548

M3 - Article

SN - 0091-6765

VL - 102

SP - 548

EP - 550

JO - Environmental Health Perspectives

JF - Environmental Health Perspectives

ER -