Another reason for those who still eat fish to stop

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Another warning on methylmercury contaminated fish

 

Adults who regularly eat contaminated fish could find that their

concentration, dexterity and verbal memory are impaired.

 

05/06/2003

 

Warnings about methylmercury contaminated fish are not just for young

children and expectant mothers, according to new research published today in

Environmental Health: A Global Access Science Source. Adults who regularly eat

contaminated fish could find that their concentration, dexterity and verbal

memory

are impaired. The major source of methylmercury is diet, particularly large fish

like shark and swordfish. The authors of this new research concluded:

" methylmercury exposure at levels often encountered by adults in North America

may be

inducing adverse effects on neurobehavioral performance. "  Methylmercury

damages or destroys nerve tissue. It affects the visual cortex and the

cerebellum,

the part of the brain responsible for controlling complex movements and

maintaining balance. This new research challenges the assumption that adults are

much less sensitive to its toxic effects than children.  Ellen Silbergeld, of

John Hopkins University, and her colleagues conducted the first major study on

the effects of long-term exposure to small amounts of methylmercury in adults

using sensitive neuropsychological tests.  The team, which included researchers

from The University of Rio de Janeiro and the University of Maryland, studied

a group of 129 men and women living in fishing communities of the Pantanal

region of Brazil. They took samples of recent hair growth and analysed them for

mercury. Because hair grows constantly, these values reflect the exposure of

individuals to methylmercury within the previous three months. About one out of

four of the participants were found to have mercury levels that exceeded the

`safe` level set by the World Health Organization (WHO) for women and

children. WHO will decide next week whether the current exposure limit should be

decreased.  The researchers also used a number of tests to assess mental

functions

such as learning, attention, memory, accuracy, manual speed and dexterity.

Those individuals with higher levels of mercury in their hair fared worse on the

tests for motor skills, memory and concentration.  Mercury is used in

small-scale gold-mining. A gold-rush began in the Patanal region of Brazil in

the

early 1980`s, leading to an increased concentration of mercury in the

environment

in the mid-1980`s. Once mercury gets into the water system, it is converted to

methylmercury by bacteria found in sediment. Fish ingest it as they feed, and

the concentration increases up the food chain. Larger fish species with long

life-spans will contain much higher levels of methylmercury.  Methyl mercury

levels are a global concern, with the major source of exposure being fish

consumption. Women who have eaten grossly contaminated fish may give birth to

children with severe disabilities including cerebral palsy and mental

retardation.

The United States Food and Drug Administration issued an advisory in 2001,

warning women who were pregnant or of child-bearing age to restrict their intake

of shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish. Governmental advisories in

the United Kingdom and other countries also warn that the diet of children

should not include contaminated fish species.  This study suggests that this

advice

should now be extended to everyone, although the effects seen in adults are

less severe than in children exposed to methylmercury before birth.  

 

Source: Eurekalert.org

 

 

 

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