Mercury in women exposed to methylmercury through fish consumption, and in their newborn babies and breast milk

Journal Article · Sat Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1988 · Bull. Environ. Contam. Toxicol.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02020989· OSTI ID:6043713

Skerfving, S

The presence of methylmercury in fish is a major environmental problem. During the major epidemics of methylmercury poisoning through sea food in Minamata in Japan, and through dressed seed in Iraq, there was a high prevalence of infants, who developed cerebral palsy. This was generally assumed to be due to intrauterine methylmercury poisoning, as it is well known, that methylmercury is transferred through the placenta into the fetus. There is also a possibility that exposure occurred through breast milk, as high levels of mercury in breast milk have been reported in mothers from Minamata. Information on the relationship between methylmercury exposure, mercury levels in blood of mothers and their babies, and levels in breast milk are reported here.

• Research Organization: Univ. Hospital, Lund (Sweden)
• OSTI ID: 6043713
• Journal Information: Bull. Environ. Contam. Toxicol.; (United States), Journal Name: Bull. Environ. Contam. Toxicol.; (United States) Vol. 41:4; ISSN BECTA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560300* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AGE GROUPS
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
BLOOD CHEMISTRY
BODY FLUIDS
CHILDREN
CONTAMINATION
FEMALES
FISHES
FOOD
INFANTS
INTAKE
LACTATION
MAMMALS
MAN
MATERIALS
MERCURY COMPOUNDS
METHYLMERCURY
MILK
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC MERCURY COMPOUNDS
PRIMATES
VERTEBRATES
WOMEN