Trace Elements in Medicine (Moscow)
2018, 19(4): 31-35
ORIGINAL PAPERS

REGIONAL ASSESSMENT OF THE IMPACT OF MERCURY ON THE CHILD POPULATION HEALTH

S.F. Fomina, N.V. Stepanova

Kazan Federal University, K. Marx str., 76, Kazan, 420008, Russia

DOI: 10.19112/2413-6174-2018-19-4-31-35 

ABSTRACT. The total level of Hg in human hair is a major biomarker characterizing exposure to methylmercury (MeHg), which is mainly due to fish intake. Analysis of Hg intake with the diet and its content in the hair of children aged 3-6 years old from the city of Kazan was carried out. The study of child nutrition was carried out in two directions: individual and family nutrition (questionnaire method) and assessment of public catering (time-weight method). The Hg content was determined by means of inductively-coupled (argon) plasma mass-spectrometry (ICP-MS) on the ELAN-9000 instrument (PerkinElmer, USA). The Hg concentration in the hair was higher in 23% of children, whose parents reported about frequent fish intake (geometric mean (GM) - 0.40 μg/g) compared with those, who ate fish less frequently (0.19 μg/g) or very seldom (0.07 μg/g). The indices of geometric mean (GM) and the 95th percentile in all children were significantly below the limit values recommended by US-EPA (1 μg/g) and JECFA / WHO (1.9 μg/g of hair) for the most vulnerable population group. The frequency of fish intake (sea and freshwater) made from 2-3 to 4 times and more a week. The value of MeHg exposure in children at the level of the 95th perc (0.33 µg/kg of body weight a week) did not exceed an acceptable weekly intake (ТWI) of 1.3 µg/kg of body weight. Our study showed that the Hg content in the hair depended on the frequency of intake and the amount of fish entering with the diet of children from the city of Kazan.

KEYWORDS: human biomonitoring, dietary exposure, mercury, children, hair.