Methylmercury cycling in the Pacific Ocean has garnered significant attention in recent years, especially with regard to rising mercury emissions from Asia. Uncertainty exists concerning whether increases in anthropogenic emissions over time may have caused increased mercury bioaccumulation in the biota. To address this, we measured total mercury and, for a subset of samples, methylmercury (the...

Outbreaks of methylmercury poisoning in Japan and Iraq have demonstrated the sensitivity of the fetus to neurotoxic effects. Based on toxicokinetics and considerations of practicability, the optimal biomarker of methylmercury exposure is the hair concentration, but whole-blood measurements of mercury are also useful. Dose-response relations are still incompletely known, especially concentrating...

Heavy metals, such as methylmercury, are key environmental pollutants that easily reach human beings by bioaccumulation through the food chain. Several reports have demonstrated that endocrine organs, and especially the pituitary gland, are potential targets for mercury accumulation; however, the effects on the regulation of hormonal release are unclear. It has been suggested that serum prolact...

This study was designed to evaluate the protective effect of N-acetyl cysteine in reducing methylmercury (MeHg)-induced oxidative stress, lipid peroxidation, DNA damage in liver, kidney, and brain, and their ability to restore altered hepatic, renal, and other biochemical variables. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (150±10 g) were randomly divided into three groups. Group 1 served as the control. Group...

Toxic elements are extensively distributed in the Earth’s crust and individuals may be exposed to several of them. Indeed, exposure toxic such as mercury (Hg) can a potential health risk factor health, mainly by ingestion fish containing methylmercury (MeHg). On other hand, essential manganese (Mn) play an important role physiological process human body. In this regard, it is well known that Me...

Developmental exposure to methylmercury has behavioral effects that extend into adulthood and aging. In this study, methylmercury's prolonged effects on the acquisition of choice and sensitivity to changes in reinforcement rates were studied. Pregnant female rats were exposed to drinking water containing 0, 0.5, or 6.4 ppm Hg as methylmercury, resulting in about 40 and 500 microg/kg/day of merc...

Human activities such as mining, smelting, and coal combustion dis­ perse mercury that can be methylated by bacteria to produce methyl­ mercury, a potent neurotoxicant. Methylating bacteria thrive in aquatic sediments rich in organic matter, and methylmercury biomagnification eventually leads to heavy contamination of top predators, including fish consumed by humans. Although fish and seafood a...

Fish is a valuable source of nutrition, and many people would benefit from eating fish regularly. But some people eat a lot of fish, every day or several meals per week, and thus can run a significant risk of overexposure to methylmercury. Current advice regarding methylmercury from fish consumption is targeted to protect the developing brain and nervous system but adverse health effects are in...