An overview of worldwide and regional time trends in total
mercury levels in human blood and breast milk from 1966 to 2015
and their associations with health effects

J 2019

An overview of worldwide and regional time trends in total mercury levels in human blood and breast milk from 1966 to 2015 and their associations with health effects

SHARMA, Brij Mohan, Ondřej SÁŇKA, Jiří KALINA and Martin SCHERINGER

Basic information

Original name

An overview of worldwide and regional time trends in total mercury levels in human blood and breast milk from 1966 to 2015 and their associations with health effects

Authors

SHARMA, Brij Mohan (356 India, belonging to the institution), Ondřej SÁŇKA (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution), Jiří KALINA (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution) and Martin SCHERINGER (756 Switzerland, guarantor, belonging to the institution)

Edition

Environment International, Oxford, PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD, 2019, 0160-4120

Other information

Language

English

Type of outcome

Článek v odborném periodiku

Field of Study

10511 Environmental sciences

Country of publisher

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Confidentiality degree

není předmětem státního či obchodního tajemství

References:

Full Text

Impact factor

Impact factor: 7.577

RIV identification code

RIV/00216224:14310/19:00110374

Organization unit

Faculty of Science

DOI

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2018.12.016

UT WoS

000459005200031

Keywords in English

Mercury exposure; Mercury blood levels; Mercury breast milk levels; Worldwide trends; Human health

Abstract

V originále

Background: Mercury is a pollutant of global concern. To protect human health and environment from mercury pollution, the Minamata Convention on mercury entered into force in 2017. Objectives: To support a future effectiveness evaluation of the convention, this study assesses worldwide and regional time trends of total mercury levels in human blood and breast milk across different population sub-groups in the last half-century prior to entry-into-force of the Minamata Convention. This study also provides an overview of the epidemiological literature showing evidence of associations between mercury exposure (in terms of total mercury levels in whole blood, cord blood, and breast milk) and human health. Methods: We searched electronic databases to identify articles published prior to June 14, 2017 and reported total mercury levels in any of three biological matrices (whole blood, cord blood, or breast milk) and/or associations with human health. Temporal trends of total mercury levels in the selected biological matrices across different population sub-groups were estimated using a linear fit of the log-transformed data. In parallel, statistical methods were employed to assess any possible effect of sources of inhomogeneity (i.e. study and population characteristics such as age, sex, ethnicity, source of exposure, sampling period, and geographical region) in the collected studies. Furthermore, a summary of significant and relevant associations between mercury exposure and human health conditions in children and adults was prepared. Findings: We found significant declines in total mercury levels in whole blood, cord blood, and breast milk between 1966 and 2015. A regional overview of total mercury levels in whole blood, cord blood, and breast milk suggests the highest levels in South America, followed by Africa or Asia whereas the population groups from Europe or North America displayed the lowest levels of total mercury in the selected biological matrices. We observed conclusive consistent associations of mercury exposure with selected health conditions, especially neurodevelopment and neurotoxicity in children and adults. For several other health conditions, reported findings in the collected studies do not support conclusive associations. We also found that several studies demonstrated significant associations between mercury exposure below the USEPA reference level and various health conditions. Conclusions: This study provides a worldwide and regional overview of trends in total mercury levels in human blood and breast milk and associated health risks prior to entry-into-force of the Minamata Convention and calls for further epidemiological investigations from across the globe to fully understand the health implications of mercury exposure.

Links

EF15_003/0000469, research and development project

Name: Cetocoen Plus

LM2015051, research and development project

Name: Centrum pro výzkum toxických látek v prostředí (Acronym: RECETOX RI)

Investor: Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the CR

Citovat

SHARMA, Brij Mohan, Ondřej SÁŇKA, Jiří KALINA and Martin SCHERINGER. An overview of worldwide and regional time trends in total mercury levels in human blood and breast milk from 1966 to 2015 and their associations with health effects. Environment International. Oxford: PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD, 2019, vol. 125, April, p. 300-319. ISSN 0160-4120. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2018.12.016.

@article{1549002,
   author = {Sharma, Brij Mohan and Sáňka, Ondřej and Kalina, Jiří and Scheringer, Martin},
   article_location = {Oxford},
   article_number = {April},
   doi = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2018.12.016},
   keywords = {Mercury exposure; Mercury blood levels; Mercury breast milk levels; Worldwide trends; Human health},
   language = {eng},
   issn = {0160-4120},
   journal = {Environment International},
   title = {An overview of worldwide and regional time trends in total mercury levels in human blood and breast milk from 1966 to 2015 and their associations with health effects},
   url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412018318816?via%3Dihub},
   volume = {125},
   year = {2019}
}

TY  - JOUR
ID  - 1549002
AU  - Sharma, Brij Mohan - Sáňka, Ondřej - Kalina, Jiří - Scheringer, Martin
PY  - 2019
TI  - An overview of worldwide and regional time trends in total mercury levels in human blood and breast milk from 1966 to 2015 and their associations with health effects
JF  - Environment International
VL  - 125
IS  - April
SP  - 300-319
EP  - 300-319
PB  - PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
SN  - 01604120
KW  - Mercury exposure
KW  - Mercury blood levels
KW  - Mercury breast milk levels
KW  - Worldwide trends
KW  - Human health
UR  - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412018318816?via%3Dihub
L2  - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412018318816?via%3Dihub
N2  - Background: Mercury is a pollutant of global concern. To protect human health and environment from mercury pollution, the Minamata Convention on mercury entered into force in 2017. Objectives: To support a future effectiveness evaluation of the convention, this study assesses worldwide and regional time trends of total mercury levels in human blood and breast milk across different population sub-groups in the last half-century prior to entry-into-force of the Minamata Convention. This study also provides an overview of the epidemiological literature showing evidence of associations between mercury exposure (in terms of total mercury levels in whole blood, cord blood, and breast milk) and human health. Methods: We searched electronic databases to identify articles published prior to June 14, 2017 and reported total mercury levels in any of three biological matrices (whole blood, cord blood, or breast milk) and/or associations with human health. Temporal trends of total mercury levels in the selected biological matrices across different population sub-groups were estimated using a linear fit of the log-transformed data. In parallel, statistical methods were employed to assess any possible effect of sources of inhomogeneity (i.e. study and population characteristics such as age, sex, ethnicity, source of exposure, sampling period, and geographical region) in the collected studies. Furthermore, a summary of significant and relevant associations between mercury exposure and human health conditions in children and adults was prepared. Findings: We found significant declines in total mercury levels in whole blood, cord blood, and breast milk between 1966 and 2015. A regional overview of total mercury levels in whole blood, cord blood, and breast milk suggests the highest levels in South America, followed by Africa or Asia whereas the population groups from Europe or North America displayed the lowest levels of total mercury in the selected biological matrices. We observed conclusive consistent associations of mercury exposure with selected health conditions, especially neurodevelopment and neurotoxicity in children and adults. For several other health conditions, reported findings in the collected studies do not support conclusive associations. We also found that several studies demonstrated significant associations between mercury exposure below the USEPA reference level and various health conditions. Conclusions: This study provides a worldwide and regional overview of trends in total mercury levels in human blood and breast milk and associated health risks prior to entry-into-force of the Minamata Convention and calls for further epidemiological investigations from across the globe to fully understand the health implications of mercury exposure.
ER  -

SHARMA, Brij Mohan, Ondřej SÁŇKA, Jiří KALINA and Martin SCHERINGER. An overview of worldwide and regional time trends in total mercury levels in human blood and breast milk from 1966 to 2015 and their associations with health effects. \textit{Environment International}. Oxford: PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD, 2019, vol.~125, April, p.~300-319. ISSN~0160-4120. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2018.12.016.

Detailed Information on Publication Record