ABSTRACT
Mercury is a global pollutant of public environmental health concern due to its long-range atmospheric distribution, environmental distribution, and neurotoxic effects. Following biological methylation, methylmercury (MeHg) can be un-evenly bioaccumulated within aquatic food chains. Fish consumption can be a significant route of human exposure to MeHg. MeHg exposure in the prenatal stage, at relatively low levels, has recently been established as harmful during neurological development, potentially leading to intellectual disability. The Minamata Convention on Mercury is a global agreement, currently under ratification, to protect human health and the environment from anthropogenic emissions and releases of mercury and mercury compounds. The resolution regarding the role of the World Health Organization and ministries of health in the implementation of the Convention includes protection of human health from critical exposures to MeHg. Riverside populations living in areas with artisanal small-scale gold mining, and relying heavily on fish consumption, have been identified as the most vulnerable population in terms of MeHg exposure and developmental neurotoxicity. This article focuses on the proper design and dissemination of fish advisories within the context of implementation of the Convention.
El mercurio es un contaminante global motivo de preocupación en materia de salud pública ambiental como consecuencia de su amplia distribución atmosférica, su distribución ambiental y sus efectos neurotóxicos. Tras su metilación biológica, el metilmercurio (MeHg) se puede bioacumular de manera desigual en las cadenas alimentarias acuáticas. El consumo de pescado puede ser una ruta significativa de exposición humana al MeHg. Recientemente, se ha establecido que la exposición a niveles relativamente bajos de MeHg en la etapa prenatal es perjudicial para el neurodesarrollo, pudiendo ocasionar discapacidad intelectual. El Convenio de Minamata sobre el Mercurio es un acuerdo a escala mundial, actualmente en fase de ratificación, cuyo objeto es proteger la salud humana y el medio ambiente de las emisiones antropogénicas y los vertidos de mercurio y sus compuestos. La resolución referente a la función de la Organización Mundial de la Salud y los ministerios de salud en la aplicación del Convenio incluye la protección de la salud humana de exposiciones importantes al MeHg. Se ha establecido que las poblaciones ribereñas que residen en zonas de extracción artesanal de oro a pequeña escala, y que dependen en gran medida del consumo de pescado, son las más vulnerables en términos de exposición al MeHg y neurotoxicidad durante el desarrollo. Este artículo se centra en el diseño y la difusión adecuados de las recomendaciones relativas al consumo de pescado en el contexto de la aplicación del Convenio.
Subject(s)
Prenatal Diagnosis , Nerve Agents/toxicity , Methylmercury Compounds/toxicityABSTRACT
ObjectiveTo analyze the neurological manifestations of chronic mercury poisoning for the improvement of clinical understanding of this disease.MethodsThe clinical data of 8 cases diagnosed as chronic mercury poisoning admitted in the department of neurology of Xuanwu hospital during the past 5 years were collected and analysed.Results Neurological manifestations of chronic mercury poisoning involved psychological problems,sleep disorders,ataxia,extremities weakness and atrophy,tremor,peripheral neuropathy and paresthesia.ConclusionsThere are various kinds of neurological manifestations of chronic mercury poisoning.Identification of these manifestations in clinical practice and early diagnosis are beneficial for the relief of pains in the patients.
ABSTRACT
Objective To study the effects of methylmercury chloride(MMC) on protein kinase C(PKC) activities in rat developing cerebellum.Methods The animals in experimental groups were fed standard rat chow with(0.75 mg) MMC(ExpⅠ),1.5 mg MMC(ExpⅡ) and 3.0 mg MMC(ExpⅢ)respectively for 90 d before gestation to(30 d) post parturition.Cerebella of pups from each group on postnatal days(PND) 3,7,17,21 and 30 were dissected. All the samples were separated into cytosol and membrane subcellular fractions and assayed for PKC activity by the improved method from Takai′s.Results Membrane and cytosolic PKC activities of pups′ cerebella from certain experimental groups were significantly higher than those of corresponding control group,PKC activities of rats from ExpⅡ,ExpⅢ and PND 3,7,14 in ExpⅠwere significantly higher than those in control group((P