Fish as a source of exposure to mercury and selenium

• Published in: The Science of the total environment Vol. 126; no. 1-2; p. 61
• Main Authors: Svensson, B.G. (University Hospital, Lund (Sweden). Dept. of Occupational and Environmental Medicine), Schuetz, A, Nilsson, A, Aakesson, I, Aakesson, B, Skerfving, S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands 11.09.1992
• Subjects: ACIDE GRAS SATURE; ACIDOS GRASOS SATURADOS; Adult; Aged; Animals; BLOOD; BLOOD PLASMA; Cohort Studies; Dental Amalgam - chemistry; DIET; DIETA; Fatty Acids, Unsaturated - blood; Female; FISH; Fishes; Food Contamination; Humans; Male; MERCURE; MERCURIO; MERCURY; Mercury - analysis; Mercury - blood; Mercury - pharmacokinetics; Middle Aged; PESCADO; PLASMA SANGUIN; PLASMA SANGUINEO; POISSON (ALIMENT); REGIME ALIMENTAIRE; SANG; SANGRE; SATURATED FATTY ACIDS; SELENIO; SELENIUM; Selenium - blood; Selenium - pharmacokinetics; SUECIA; SUEDE; SWEDEN; Water Pollutants, Chemical - pharmacokinetics
• ISSN: 0048-9697
• DOI: 10.1016/0048-9697(92)90484-A

In a total of 395 subjects with varying fish consumption habits, mercury levels in whole blood (B-Hg), and selenium levels in plasma (P-Se) were studied. Also, in subcohorts, mercury levels in blood cells (Ery-Hg; n = 79), plasma (P-Hg; n = 158) and urine (U-Hg; n = 125) were analysed. There were statistically significant associations between fish intake on the one hand, and B-Hg, Ery-Hg and P-Hg, on the other, but not so with U-Hg. In subjects who never had fish, the average B-Hg was 1.8 ng/g, in subjects who had at least two fish meals each week, 6.7 ng/g. Ery-Hg, and to a less extent P-Hg, were associated with levels of marine n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in serum phosphatidylcholine. P-Hg and U-Hg were associated with numbers of teeth with amalgam fillings. P-Se also correlated with fish intake. In subjects who never had fish, P-Se averaged 80 micrograms/l, in subjects who had at least two fish meals per week, 91 micrograms/l. There was an association between PUFA and P-Se. Further, there were statistically significant associations between P-Se on the one hand, and B-Hg, Ery-Hg and P-Hg on the other. The data clearly demonstrate the importance of fish for the exposure to methylmercury and selenium in the Swedish diet, and the impact of amalgam as a source of exposure to inorganic mercury.