The impact of mercury contamination on human health in the Arctic: A state of the science review

Basu, Niladri; Abass, Khaled; Dietz, Runé; Kruemmel, Eva; Rautio, Arja; Weihe, Pál

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.154793

Cited by 55 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 89 publications

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“…Rice contains copper, magnesium, and macronutrients [ 31 , 32 ]. The presence of macronutrients interferes with the ICA strip results.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

An Immunochromatographic Assay for the Rapid and Qualitative Detection of Mercury in Rice

Song

et al. 2022

Biosensors

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Mercury is a major pollutant in food crops. In this study, we synthesized an anti-mercury monoclonal antibody (mAb; IC50 was 0.606 ng mL−1) with high sensitivity and specificity and different immunogens and coating antigens and developed an immuno-chromatographic assay (ICA) for the detection of mercury in rice. The ICA strip had a visible detection limit of 20 ng g−1 and a cut-off value of 500 ng g−1 in rice. The performance of the ICA strip was consistent with that of ICP-MS and ic-ELISA. The recoveries of mercury in rice ranged from 94.5% to 113.7% with ic-ELISA and from 93.6% to 116.45% with ICP-MS. Qualitative analysis by ICA can be obtained with the naked eye. The ICA strip is an effective and practical method for the rapid and high-throughput determination of mercury in rice.

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“…Rice contains copper, magnesium, and macronutrients [ 31 , 32 ]. The presence of macronutrients interferes with the ICA strip results.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

An Immunochromatographic Assay for the Rapid and Qualitative Detection of Mercury in Rice

Song

et al. 2022

Biosensors

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“…The effects of prenatal mercury exposure have been studied in several communities in the Arctic as reviewed in the 2021 Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme report on mercury (Basu et al 2022 ). A study in Nunavik children at age 11 years showed that mercury exposure was associated with weaker early processing of visual information and memory functions, lower estimated IQ, poorer comprehension and perceptual reasoning, and increased risk of attention problems and ADHD behavior (Boucher et al 2009 , 2010 , 2011 ; Boucher et al 2012a , b ; Boucher et al 2012a , b ).…”

Section: To 2000: Toxicological Studies On Highly Exposed Populationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Our evolved understanding of the human health risks of mercury

Basu

Bastiansz

Dórea

et al. 2023

Ambio

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Mercury (Hg) is a chemical of health concern worldwide that is now being acted upon through the Minamata Convention. Operationalizing the Convention and tracking its effectiveness requires empathy of the diversity and variation of mercury exposure and risk in populations worldwide. As part of the health plenary for the 15th International Conference on Mercury as a Global Pollutant (ICMGP), this review paper details how scientific understandings have evolved over time, from tragic poisoning events in the mid-twentieth century to important epidemiological studies in the late-twentieth century in the Seychelles and Faroe Islands, the Arctic and Amazon. Entering the twenty-first century, studies on diverse source-exposure scenarios (e.g., ASGM, amalgams, contaminated sites, cosmetics, electronic waste) from across global regions have expanded understandings and exemplified the need to consider socio-environmental variables and local contexts when conducting health studies. We conclude with perspectives on next steps for mercury health research in the post-Minamata Convention era.

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“…Deeper and longer thaw stimulates microbial decomposition-the main driver of GHG release from the permafrost domain (Treat et al, 2015;Schädel et al, 2016;Natali et al, 2019;Voigt et al, 2020;Treharne et al, 2022). Nutrients, trace elements, and pollutants are also released during soil warming, affecting plant growth, microbial activity, and human health (Keuper et al, 2012;Chen et al, 2018;Hewitt et al, 2018;Carey et al, 2019;UNEP, 2019;Mu et al, 2020b;Yang et al, 2021;Basu et al, 2022). While increased nutrient availability and CO 2 fertilization have long been predicted to enhance plant uptake of atmospheric CO 2 , observed trends of primary productivity in the permafrost domain have been mixed because of vegetation shifts, droughts, and other disturbances (Forbes et al, 2010;Hayes et al, 2011;Abbott et al, 2016b;McGuire et al, 2018;Rocha et al, 2018;Myers-Smith et al, 2020;Bruhwiler et al, 2021;Mack et al, 2021;Zhao et al, 2021;Vitali et al, 2022).…”

Section: Unstable Footing: Terrestrial Permafrost Degradationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Riverine and coastal erosion is also releasing trace metals and semi-volatile contaminants from permafrost and active-layer soils (Loiko et al, 2017;Schuster et al, 2018;St. Pierre et al, 2018;Perryman et al, 2020;Basu et al, 2022). These toxic materials include mercury, organochlorines, PAHs, and other compounds that accumulate naturally or from human pollution such as coal combustion and mining (Fisher et al, 2012;AMAP, 2021).…”

Section: Miracle Curesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The permafrost domain's aquatic environments are especially vulnerable to these global contaminants largely due to efficient transport pathways and bio-accumulating and biomagnifying processes (Fahnestock et al, 2019). Mercury is of special concern because one of its neurotoxic forms, methylmercury, accumulates in food webs and is found at elevated levels in wildlife and human populations across the circumpolar north (AMAP, 2011;Basu et al, 2022). Because of its strong influence on redox state and bioavailability of metals, the release of terrestrial organic matter may also foster the production and transport of methylmercury in aquatic environments (Stern et al, 2012;Abbott et al, 2016a;Fahnestock et al, 2019).…”

Section: Miracle Curesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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We Must Stop Fossil Fuel Emissions to Protect Permafrost Ecosystems

Abbott

Brown²,

Carey

et al. 2022

Front. Environ. Sci.

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Climate change is an existential threat to the vast global permafrost domain. The diverse human cultures, ecological communities, and biogeochemical cycles of this tenth of the planet depend on the persistence of frozen conditions. The complexity, immensity, and remoteness of permafrost ecosystems make it difficult to grasp how quickly things are changing and what can be done about it. Here, we summarize terrestrial and marine changes in the permafrost domain with an eye toward global policy. While many questions remain, we know that continued fossil fuel burning is incompatible with the continued existence of the permafrost domain as we know it. If we fail to protect permafrost ecosystems, the consequences for human rights, biosphere integrity, and global climate will be severe. The policy implications are clear: the faster we reduce human emissions and draw down atmospheric CO2, the more of the permafrost domain we can save. Emissions reduction targets must be strengthened and accompanied by support for local peoples to protect intact ecological communities and natural carbon sinks within the permafrost domain. Some proposed geoengineering interventions such as solar shading, surface albedo modification, and vegetation manipulations are unproven and may exacerbate environmental injustice without providing lasting protection. Conversely, astounding advances in renewable energy have reopened viable pathways to halve human greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and effectively stop them well before 2050. We call on leaders, corporations, researchers, and citizens everywhere to acknowledge the global importance of the permafrost domain and work towards climate restoration and empowerment of Indigenous and immigrant communities in these regions.

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The impact of mercury contamination on human health in the Arctic: A state of the science review

Cited by 55 publications

References 89 publications

An Immunochromatographic Assay for the Rapid and Qualitative Detection of Mercury in Rice

An Immunochromatographic Assay for the Rapid and Qualitative Detection of Mercury in Rice

Our evolved understanding of the human health risks of mercury

We Must Stop Fossil Fuel Emissions to Protect Permafrost Ecosystems

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