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Title: Mercury: Major issues in environmental health

Abstract

In the past, methylmercury compounds were manufactured as fungicides or appeared as unwanted byproducts of the chemical industry, but today the methylation of inorganic mercury in aquatic sediments and soils is the predominant if not the sole source of methylmercury. This form of mercury is bioaccumulated to a higher degree in aquatic food chains to attain its highest concentrations in edible tissues in long-lived predatory fish living in both fresh and ocean waters. It is well absorbed from the diet and distributes within a few days to all tissues in the body. It crosses without hindrance the blood-brain and placental barriers to reach its principal target tissue, the brain. It is eliminated chiefly in the feces after conversion to inorganic mercury. The biological half-time of methylmercury in human tissues is about 50 days, but there is wide individual variation. Adult poisoning is characterized by focal damage to discrete anatomical areas of the brain such as the visual cortex and granule layer of the cerebellum. A latent period of weeks or months may ensue before the appearance of signs and symptoms of poisoning. The latter manifest themselves as paresthesia, staxia, constriction of the visual fields, and hearing loss. The presented periodmore » is the most sensitive stage of the life cycle to methylmercury. Prenatally poisoned infants exhibit a range of effects from severe cerebral palsy to subtle development delays. Methylmercury is believed to inhibit those processes in the brain specially involved in development and growth such as neuronal cell division and migration. 78 refs., 8 figs.« less

Authors:
 [1]
  1. Univ. of Rochester School of Medicine, NY (United States)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
6755236
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Environmental Health Perspectives; (United States)
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 100; Journal ID: ISSN 0091-6765
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; BRAIN; DAMAGE; METHYLMERCURY; BIOLOGICAL ACCUMULATION; BIOLOGICAL PATHWAYS; ONTOGENESIS; CELL DIVISION; BLOOD-BRAIN BARRIER; DIET; ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE PATHWAY; FOOD CHAINS; PRENATAL EXPOSURE; SEDIMENTS; TISSUE DISTRIBUTION; BODY; CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM; DISTRIBUTION; NERVOUS SYSTEM; ORGANIC COMPOUNDS; ORGANIC MERCURY COMPOUNDS; ORGANS; 560300* - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology; 550200 - Biochemistry

Citation Formats

Clarkson, T W. Mercury: Major issues in environmental health. United States: N. p., 1993. Web. doi:10.1289/ehp.9310031.
Clarkson, T W. Mercury: Major issues in environmental health. United States. https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.9310031
Clarkson, T W. 1993. "Mercury: Major issues in environmental health". United States. https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.9310031.
@article{osti_6755236,
title = {Mercury: Major issues in environmental health},
author = {Clarkson, T W},
abstractNote = {In the past, methylmercury compounds were manufactured as fungicides or appeared as unwanted byproducts of the chemical industry, but today the methylation of inorganic mercury in aquatic sediments and soils is the predominant if not the sole source of methylmercury. This form of mercury is bioaccumulated to a higher degree in aquatic food chains to attain its highest concentrations in edible tissues in long-lived predatory fish living in both fresh and ocean waters. It is well absorbed from the diet and distributes within a few days to all tissues in the body. It crosses without hindrance the blood-brain and placental barriers to reach its principal target tissue, the brain. It is eliminated chiefly in the feces after conversion to inorganic mercury. The biological half-time of methylmercury in human tissues is about 50 days, but there is wide individual variation. Adult poisoning is characterized by focal damage to discrete anatomical areas of the brain such as the visual cortex and granule layer of the cerebellum. A latent period of weeks or months may ensue before the appearance of signs and symptoms of poisoning. The latter manifest themselves as paresthesia, staxia, constriction of the visual fields, and hearing loss. The presented period is the most sensitive stage of the life cycle to methylmercury. Prenatally poisoned infants exhibit a range of effects from severe cerebral palsy to subtle development delays. Methylmercury is believed to inhibit those processes in the brain specially involved in development and growth such as neuronal cell division and migration. 78 refs., 8 figs.},
doi = {10.1289/ehp.9310031},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6755236}, journal = {Environmental Health Perspectives; (United States)},
issn = {0091-6765},
number = ,
volume = 100,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Apr 01 00:00:00 EST 1993},
month = {Thu Apr 01 00:00:00 EST 1993}
}