Fish and other aquatic organisms are important source of dietary proteins for the human population. Fish meat, however, is contaminated with methyl mercury (MeHg), a potent neurotoxin. The well known Minamata and Niigata epidemic outcomes in Japan have raised the awareness of the health risk resulting from consumption of fish (and shellfish) from water basins polluted with industrial wastes containing mercury. In the present study, pregnant rat dams were exposed to environmental toxic elements--methyl mercury, 1000-1200 h, daily from the fifth gestation day (GD5) till parturition. Three groups of animals were given, by gavages, MeHg (0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 mg/kg/day) and control group received 0.9% saline at the same time. All animals were allowed to deliver and wean their offspring. Pups were evaluated for early development effects. There was a significant effect of treatment on somatic growth such as reduction in percentage of maternal weight gain (20.62%) at higher dose level whereas there was no change in percentage of live birth (100.00%) with 0.5 and 1.0 mg/kg dose treatment groups. There was a significant increase in the percentage of resorption (100.00%) per litter with 2.0 mg/kg/day MeHg dose. Average gestation length (days) and percentage resorption per litter or percentage foetuses/malformations per litter were not affected at 0.5 and 1.0 mg/kg/day dose level. The results of the study confirmed the high-teratogenic potential of MeHg and the need of payng increased attention to MeHg concerning its exogenous use during pregnancy.
- MeSH
- Pregnancy Complications MeSH
- Rats MeSH
- Maternal Exposure * MeSH
- Methylmercury Compounds toxicity MeSH
- Rats, Wistar growth & development MeSH
- Growth and Development drug effects MeSH
- Pregnancy MeSH
- Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects * MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Check Tag
- Rats MeSH
- Pregnancy MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
FAO fisheries and aquaculture report, ISSN 2070-6987 No. 978
x, 50 s. : il.
- MeSH
- Food Contamination prevention & control MeSH
- Methylmercury Compounds toxicity MeSH
- Mercury Poisoning MeSH
- Fish Products analysis toxicity MeSH
- Fishes MeSH
- Conspectus
- Potravinářský průmysl
- NML Fields
- zemědělství a potravinářství
- toxikologie
- NML Publication type
- publikace WHO
A simple method for methylmercury (MeHg+) determination in human venous blood is described using GCICP- MS. The blood sample preparation consists in the extraction with a mixture of 6M HCl and NaCl, pH adjustment, derivatization of mercury species using NaBPh4 with simultaneous extraction of products into hexane. The detection limits for MeHg+ were 86 ppt (as Hg) in the optimized method. The sample volume for repeated measurements was 150 l. The total Hg level in blood was determined by AAS using the amalgamation technique.
Environmental health perspectives, ISSN 0091-6765 vol. 108, suppl. 1, March 2000
154 s. : il., tab. ; 30 cm
- MeSH
- Food Contamination analysis prevention & control MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Methylmercury Compounds * isolation & purification adverse effects toxicity MeSH
- Mercury Poisoning, Nervous System * complications metabolism MeSH
- Spectrophotometry, Atomic * methods utilization MeSH
- Statistics as Topic MeSH
- Water Pollution analysis prevention & control adverse effects MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
