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. 2024 Mar 9;12(3):208.
doi: 10.3390/toxics12030208.

Mercury in Fish and Human Hair and Estimated Dietary Intake in a Riverside Community of the Madeira River Basin in the Brazilian Amazon

Thayson Araujo Canela  1 , Lucas Cabrera Monteiro  2 , Cássio da Silva Cabral  1   3 , Fábio da Silva Ximenes  1   3 , Iuri Aparecida da Silva Oliveira  1   3 , José Vicente Elias Bernardi  4 , Ronaldo de Almeida  1   3 , Wanderley Rodrigues Bastos  1   3
Affiliations

Mercury in Fish and Human Hair and Estimated Dietary Intake in a Riverside Community of the Madeira River Basin in the Brazilian Amazon

Thayson Araujo Canela et al. Toxics. .

Abstract

Mercury (Hg) is a chemical element that poses risks to human health due to its high toxicity and environmental persistence. We determined the total Hg (THg) and methyl Hg (MeHg) concentrations in hair samples from residents of the Demarcação District (Porto Velho, Rondônia) in the Brazilian Amazon, as well as in water and fish samples, to evaluate factors influencing human exposure. The average THg concentration in human hair was 7.86 ± 6.78 mg kg-1 and it was significantly higher in men, with an increasing trend related to age. There was no significant difference between female age groups. Human exposure to Hg through water was negligible compared to fish consumption. The average weekly intake estimates in the community varied between 1.54 and 4.62 μg kg-1, substantially higher than the recommended limit. The fish species with the highest amounts safe for daily consumption were herbivores and detritivores. Our results contribute to an understanding of how exposure to Hg affects the health of riverside populations and provide insights for new research to develop methods to mitigate such exposure and thus improve the quality of life of Amazonian people.

Keywords: ASGM; EDI; Hg emissions; PTWI; hazard quotient; water.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
A location map of the study area representing (a) South America, Brazil, and the Brazilian “Legal Amazon”, (b) the urban area of Porto Velho, and (c) the Demarcação District.
Figure 2
Figure 2
(a) Difference in THg concentrations between women and men. The dashed line indicates the safe limit recommended by the WHO. The central line represents the medians and horizontal limits of the rectangles, which are the first and third quartiles. The dashes at the tips of the vertical lines represent the maximum and minimum values, and the average is represented by +. (b) Proportions of THg concentrations in all individuals evaluated.
Figure 3
Figure 3
THg concentrations in different age classes in (a) men and (b) women (** p < 0.005; *** p < 0.0005). The dashed line indicates the safe limit recommended by the WHO (6.0 mg kg−1).
Figure 4
Figure 4
Estimated daily intake (EDI) in nine species among the species most mentioned by the population of the Demarcação District (n = 513 specimens). Graph (a) represents all the EDI values, while graph (b) is a cutout of the EDI values to better visualize their distribution in relation to the PTWI (PTWI/7 = 0.23 μg kg−1), indicated by the dashed line. Different colors are used to differentiate the species by feeding habits.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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