Hair to blood mercury concentration ratios and a retrospective hair segmental mercury analysis in the Northwest Territories, Canada

Packull-McCormick, Sara; Ratelle, Mylène; Lam, Christina; Napenas, Jean; Bouchard, Michèle; Swanson, Heidi K.; Laird, Brian

doi:10.1016/j.envres.2021.111800

Cited by 15 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…Given the potential for errors associated with creating Hg exposure estimates from data based on surveillance programs with no precise sampling strategy, 13 as well as the inherent variance in blood to hair conversion 45 , 46 where possible, we examined the associations between measured Hg concentrations and reported fish consumption. We reran the SEM using reported G1 fish consumption during childhood in the place of estimated Hg exposure during childhood.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Contribution across Three Generations of Mercury Exposure to Attempted Suicide among Children and Youth in Grassy Narrows First Nation, Canada: An Intergenerational Analysis

Mergler

Philibert

Fillion

et al. 2023

Environ Health Perspect

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Background: For 60 y, the people of Asubpeeschoseewagong Anishinabek (Grassy Narrows First Nation) have endured the effects of massive mercury (Hg) contamination of their river system, central to their traditions, culture, livelihood, and diet. In the years following the Hg discharge into the English–Wabigoon River system by a chloralkali plant in the early 1970s, there was a dramatic increase in youth suicides. Several authors attributed this increase solely to social disruption caused by the disaster. Objective: This research examined the possible contribution of Hg exposure across three generations on attempted suicides among today’s children (5–11 y old) and youth (12–17 y old), using a matrilineal intergenerational paradigm. Methods: Information from the 2016–2017 Grassy Narrows Community Health Assessment (GN-CHA) survey was merged with Hg biomonitoring data from government surveillance programs (1970–1997). Data from 162 children/youth (5–17 years of age), whose mothers ( ) had provided information on themselves, their parents, and children, were retained for analyses. Direct and indirect indicators of Hg exposure included a ) grandfather had worked as a fishing guide, and b ) mother’s measured and estimated umbilical cord blood and childhood hair Hg and her fish consumption during pregnancy with this child. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to examine significant links from grandparents (G0) to mothers’ exposure and mental health (G1) and children/youth (G2) risk for attempted suicide. Results: Mothers’ (G1) median age was 33 y, 86.3% of grandmothers (G0) had lived in Grassy Narrows territory during their pregnancy, and 52.5% of grandfathers (G0) had worked as fishing guides. Sixty percent of children (G2) were years of age. Mothers reported that among teenagers (G2: 12–17 years of age), 41.2% of girls and 10.7% of boys had ever attempted suicide. The SEM suggested two pathways that significantly linked grandparents (G0) to children’s (G2) attempted suicides: a ) through mothers’ (G1) prenatal and childhood Hg exposure and psychological distress, and b ) through maternal fish consumption during pregnancy (G1/G2), which is an important contributor to children’s emotional state and behavior. Discussion: Despite minimal individual information on G0 and G1 past life experiences, the findings support the hypothesis that Hg exposure over three generations contributes to the mental health of today’s children and youth. The prevalence of Grassy Narrows youth ever having attempted suicide is three times that of other First Nations in Canada. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP11301

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Contribution across Three Generations of Mercury Exposure to Attempted Suicide among Children and Youth in Grassy Narrows First Nation, Canada: An Intergenerational Analysis

Mergler

Philibert

Fillion

et al. 2023

Environ Health Perspect

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“…where C Hg-B is in µg/L, and C Hg-H is in mg/kg (or what is the same ppm). After Packull-McCormick et al [57], using the 250:1 ratio derived by the World Health Organisation to estimate blood mercury concentrations from hair mercury concentrations substantially overestimates blood mercury concentrations. However, geometric mean site-specific hair-to-blood mercury ratios can estimate central tendency measures for blood mercury concentrations from hair mercury concentrations at a population level.…”

Section: Biological Markersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Health and Safety Protocol for the Management of Building Demolition Waste with High Mercury Contamination

Rodríguez,

Garcia-Gonzalez,

Pastrana

et al. 2023

Buildings

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The LIFE-funded European research project SUBproducts4LIFE seeks to demonstrate the use of industrial subproducts for the large-scale remediation of contaminated soils and industrial building debris connected to Hg mining. The main purpose of the present research was to ensure worker health and safety by creating a protocol for working in a highly mercury-contaminated demolition debris. A methodology consisting of sampling campaigns with a Lumex RA-915 mercury analyser, evaluating the accuracy of an empirical Hg emission model, evaluating each working task, providing recommendations for minimising the workers’ exposure and calculating the maximum work period in each area was proposed. It was also shown to forecast Hg biological markers. As a result, a work protocol was developed with three scenarios which allow planning the work and forecasting the workers’ mercury exposure as a function of the daily temperature, ensuring that the workers’ mercury exposure is below occupational mercury levels. The working protocol allows planning the works safely with minimum exposure to gaseous mercury and working fulfilling standard requirements. Plans for restoration or new use of industrial mercury-contaminated sites have increased in recent years, and the research improves the knowledge of Hg gas distribution and worker Hg exposure.

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“…Á límbandið var teiknuð ör svo haegt vaeri að greina rótarendann. Fyrstu þrír cm frá rót voru notaðir við greiningar, sem byggist á þeirri nálgun að hár vex um rúman einn cm á mánuði 16 og endurspeglar sá hluti sýnis því útsetningu síðastliðna þrjá til fjóra mánuði, sem er það tímabil sem spurningar okkar um fiskneyslu náðu yfir. Miðað var við að seinni sýnataka faeri fram eigi skemur en að fjórum mánuðum liðnum.…”

Section: Maelingar á Kvikasilfriunclassified

Levels of mercury in hair among pregnant women in Iceland

Dufthaksdóttir

Jacobsen

Eiríksdóttir

et al. 2023

LBL

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INTRODUCTION: To limit exposure to methylmercury several countries have implimented specific advice on fish intake to pregnant women as well a measuring compliance through regular human biomonitoring. Despite fish intake being relatively high in Iceland, human biomonitoring data on mercury is scarce. MATERIALS AND MEHODS: We measured mercury in hair from 120 pregnant women recruited in 2021 from the the Reykjavik Capital area. At recruitment, information on fish intake during the past four months was recorded. Hair mercury concentrations were compared to existing health based guidance values and associatons with fish intake was explored. RESULTS: Mean (standard deviation) mercury concentration in hair was 0.48 µg/g (0.33). All participants had concentrations in hair below 1.8 µg/g, which corresponds to the hair value that the tolerable daily intake set by the European Food Safety Authority is derived from, while 5% had concentrations above 1.1 µg/g, which corresponds to the hair value that the US-EPA reference dose is derived from. Mean mercury concentrations in hair increased in a dose dependent manner (p for trend <0.001) from 0.25 µg/g among women who consumed fish ≤ 3/month (n=24) and up to 0.80 mg/g among those consuming fish 3-4/ week (n=16). The few (n=3) women who reported to have eaten shark (<1/month) were all at the higher end of the exposure distribution. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that exposure is generally below the tolerable daily intake set by EFSA but may in some women exceed the reference dose established by the US-EPA.

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Hair to blood mercury concentration ratios and a retrospective hair segmental mercury analysis in the Northwest Territories, Canada

Cited by 15 publications

References 46 publications

The Contribution across Three Generations of Mercury Exposure to Attempted Suicide among Children and Youth in Grassy Narrows First Nation, Canada: An Intergenerational Analysis

The Contribution across Three Generations of Mercury Exposure to Attempted Suicide among Children and Youth in Grassy Narrows First Nation, Canada: An Intergenerational Analysis

Health and Safety Protocol for the Management of Building Demolition Waste with High Mercury Contamination

Levels of mercury in hair among pregnant women in Iceland

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