J Prev Med Public Health.  2012 Nov;45(6):353-363.

Methylmercury Exposure and Health Effects

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Preventive Medicine, Dong-A University College of Medicine, Busan, Korea.
  • 2Department of Clinical Laboratory Science, Catholic University of Pusan College of Health Science, Busan, Korea. kelee@cup.ac.kr

Abstract

Methylmercury is a hazardous substance that is of interest with regard to environmental health, as inorganic mercury circulating in the general environment is dissolved into freshwater and seawater, condensed through the food chain, ingested by humans, and consequently affects human health. Recently, there has been much interest and discussion regarding the toxicity of methylmercury, the correlation with fish and shellfish intake, and methods of long-term management of the human health effects of methylmercury. What effects chronic exposure to a low concentration of methylmercury has on human health remains controversial. Although the possibility of methylmercury poisoning the heart and blood vessel system, the reproductive system, and the immune system is continuously raised and discussed, and the carcinogenicity of methylmercury is also under discussion, a clear conclusion regarding the human health effects according to exposure level has not yet been drawn. The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives proposed to prepare additional fish and shellfish intake recommendations for consumers based on the quantified evaluation of the hazardousness of methylmercury contained in fish and shellfish, methylmercury management in the Korea has not yet caught up with this international trend. Currently, the methylmercury exposure level of Koreans is known to be very high. The starting point of methylmercury exposure management is inorganic mercury in the general environment, but food intake through methylation is the main exposure source. Along with efforts to reduce mercury in the general environment, food intake management should be undertaken to reduce the human exposure to methylmercury in Korea.

Keyword

Methylmercury; Health effect; Toxicity; Human exposure; Epidemiology

MeSH Terms

Animals
*Environmental Exposure
Fishes/metabolism
Food Chain
Humans
Mercury Poisoning, Nervous System/etiology
Methylmercury Compounds/chemistry/*metabolism/toxicity
Neurons/drug effects
Oxidative Stress/drug effects
Public Health
Reproduction/drug effects
Thymocytes/cytology/drug effects
Methylmercury Compounds
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