Genotoxicity of mercury: Contributing for the analysis of Amazonian populations

Crespo-López, María Elena; Macêdo, Gisele L.; Arrifano, Gabriela de Paula; Pinheiro, Maria da Conceição Nascimento; Nascimento, José Luíz Martins do; Herculano, Anderson Manoel

doi:10.1016/j.envint.2010.08.009

Cited by 47 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…Hg poses problems with respect to standards for ex situ management of dredged sediments, since it frequently exceeds the limit of 0.5 µg/g for material that can be reused in the lagoon [25]. In addition, Hg is known to exert neurotoxic and genotoxic effects on humans once transformed into the bioaccumulable organometallic form mono-methylmercury [38][39][40], and its redistribution in the LV due to tidal forcing was recently reviewed [41]. Zn was found to exceed the limit (200 µg/g) less frequently, but it is by far the most abundant anthropogenic metal in the Lagoon of Venice [28,[42][43][44].…”

Section: Characterisation Of Sediments In Term Of Heavy Metalsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Relationship of Morpho-Sedimentological Variations to the Fate of Hg- and Zn-Polluted Sediments in the Contaminated Site of Porto Marghera, Lagoon of Venice, Italy

Molinaroli¹,

Sarretta²,

Guimarães³

et al. 2013

JEP

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New data collected from twenty-six sites during 2008 inthe contaminated Site of National Interest (SIN) of Porto Marghera within the Lagoon of Venice (Italy), which has been affected by the presence of an industrial zone for the last 80 years, were compared with data from a campaign performed in the same site 30 years before (1976-1978). The SIN was found to be heavily polluted in the earlier study, and several tons of Hg and Zn are still stored in soils and industrial channel sediments, potentially affecting the lagoon part of the SIN. Bathymetric variations, grain-size, Hg and Zn content in sediments were analysed. The severe contamination of the late 1970s (Hg 1.7 μg/g; Zn 754 μg/g) had fallen by the late 2000s (Hg 0.9 μg/g; Zn 225 μg/g). The fall in Hg and Zn contamination over the 30-year period was mainly linked to the patterns of geomorphological change inside the SIN that affected two distinct sub-areas: 1) a stable-depositional (SD) area in the Northern part, which exerted a “dilution” effect on contaminants, with significant deposition (~11%) of coarse-grained sediments (63 - 8 μm), and 2) an area characterised by moderate-to-severe-erosion (MSE) to the South, which saw the loss (~13%) of pollutant-bearing fine-grained sediments (<8 μm). A budget calculation in the MSE sub-area showed a loss of ~2.5 tons for Hg and ~700 tons for Zn over three decades, most of which was exported to other parts of the LV or at the open sea. A similar amount is still stored in the SD area, which will be subject to erosion if hydrodynamic conditions change in the future. This study provides useful support to decision-making systems by helping to select hot-spots for remediation measures.

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Section: Characterisation Of Sediments In Term Of Heavy Metalsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Relationship of Morpho-Sedimentological Variations to the Fate of Hg- and Zn-Polluted Sediments in the Contaminated Site of Porto Marghera, Lagoon of Venice, Italy

Molinaroli¹,

Sarretta²,

Guimarães³

et al. 2013

JEP

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“…Several studies have shown that mercuric and methylmercuric chloride induce genotoxicity in various cultured mammalian cells including human lymphocytes (summarised in Crespo- Lopez et al, 2009Lopez et al, , 2011FAO/WHO 2011b). As underlying mechanisms oxidative stress, disruption of microtubules as well as interactions with DNA damage response and DNA repair pathways are discussed (Christie et al, 1986;Cebulska-Wasilewska et al, 2005).…”

Section: Genotoxicitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Scientific Opinion on the risk for public health related to the presence of mercury and methylmercury in food

2012

EFS2

465

160

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EFSA was asked by the European Commission to consider new developments regarding inorganic mercury and methylmercury toxicity and evaluate whether the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) provisional tolerable weekly intakes for methylmercury of 1.6 µg/kg body weight (b.w.) and of 4 µg/kg b.w. for inorganic mercury were still appropriate. In line with JECFA, the CONTAM Panel established a tolerable weekly intake (TWI) for inorganic mercury of 4 µg/kg b.w., expressed as mercury. For methylmercury, new developments in epidemiological studies from the Seychelles Child Developmental Study Nutrition Cohort have indicated that n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in fish may counteract negative effects from methylmercury exposure. Together with the information that beneficial nutrients in fish may have confounded previous adverse outcomes in child cohort studies from the Faroe Islands, the Panel established a TWI for methylmercury of 1.3 µg/kg b.w., expressed as mercury. The mean dietary exposure across age groups does not exceed the TWI for methylmercury, with the exception of toddlers and other children in some surveys. The 95 th percentile dietary exposure is close to or above the TWI for all age groups. High fish consumers, which might include pregnant women, may exceed the TWI by up to approximately six-fold. Unborn children constitute the most vulnerable group. Biomonitoring data from blood and hair indicate that methylmercury exposure is generally below the TWI in Europe, but higher levels are also observed. Exposure to methylmercury above the TWI is of concern. If measures to reduce methylmercury exposure are considered, the potential beneficial effects of fish consumption should also be taken into account. Dietary inorganic mercury exposure in Europe does not exceed the TWI, but inhalation exposure of elemental mercury from dental amalgam is likely to increase the internal inorganic mercury exposure; thus the TWI might be exceeded. This opinion focuses only on the risks related to dietary inorganic mercury and methylmercury exposure and does not assess the nutritional benefits linked to certain foods (e.g. fish and other seafood).A call for annual collection of chemical contaminant occurrence data in food and feed, including mercury, was issued by EFSA in December 2010. In response, EFSA received 59 820 results on mercury in food from 20 European countries, mainly covering the period from 2004 to 2011. A total number of 59 650 results were described with sufficient detail to be used in the statistical analysis of the respective food groups; 98.2 % of the samples were for total mercury, 1.8 % for methylmercury and three samples for inorganic mercury.All the 20 food groups available at the first level of FoodEx were covered in the current data collection. The food groups 'Fish and other seafood' and 'Meat and meat products' dominated the food product coverage with 36.8 % and 17.6 % respectively. These were followed by 'Grain and grain-based products' at 7.8 % and 'Vegetables an...

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“…Carnivorous fish are used as indirect indicators of mercury contamination. Mercury contamination can be acute or chronic and the intoxication produces effects that range from mild to lethal, with alterations on the central nervous system (Berzas Nevado et al, 2010;Counter and Buchanan, 2004) and genotoxicity (Crespo-López et al, 2011;WHO 2013;2007).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mercury Contamination within Protected Areas in the Brazilian Northern Amazon-Amapa State

Venturieri¹,

Oliveira‐da‐Costa²,

Gama³

et al. 2017

American Journal of Environmental Sciences

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Mercury contamination is a long-standing environmental and social problem, notably in the Amazon. The widespread use of mercury in artisanal and small-scale gold mining has driven contamination of the environment and the people, threatening biodiversity, human health and livelihoods of traditional populations. Along the border area between Brazil and French Guiana, illegal gold mining is considered a critical threat to biodiversity, a social and economic problem and a political and diplomatic issue. On the Brazilian side in Amapá state, stands the world´s largest tropical forest National Park-Tumucumaque National Park (TNP). Despite its critical importance for the maintenance of ecosystem services, little is known about anthropic impacts in the area, including mercury contamination. The present study aims to assess the current levels of mercury contamination of carnivorous fish species in the TNP region as the starting point for the assessment of its impact over the integrity of protected areas and local communities. Fish samples were collected at 33 sampling sites within TNP and its surroundings. Samples of 187 most consumed local fish belonging to eight carnivore species were analyzed. Mercury was detected in 81% of the collected fish, the majority of them with individual levels above the WHO health safety limit (0.5 µg.g −1 ). Furthermore, samples from all rivers assessed presented some level of contamination. The contamination of important locally consumed fish is widespread in the study area. Important river basins in the Northern Amazon area are affected and even protected areas might be impacted by mercury. Our results suggest mercury as a significant threat to biodiversity and human health in the region. Additional studies should be conducted towards identifying the extent of the problem in the region and mitigation strategies addressing the effects of contamination must be incorporated in decision makers' priority agenda.

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Genotoxicity of mercury: Contributing for the analysis of Amazonian populations

Cited by 47 publications

References 28 publications

Relationship of Morpho-Sedimentological Variations to the Fate of Hg- and Zn-Polluted Sediments in the Contaminated Site of Porto Marghera, Lagoon of Venice, Italy

Relationship of Morpho-Sedimentological Variations to the Fate of Hg- and Zn-Polluted Sediments in the Contaminated Site of Porto Marghera, Lagoon of Venice, Italy

Scientific Opinion on the risk for public health related to the presence of mercury and methylmercury in food

Mercury Contamination within Protected Areas in the Brazilian Northern Amazon-Amapa State

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