Fish, rice, and human hair mercury concentrations and health risks in typical Hg-contaminated areas and fish-rich areas, China
Human exposure to methylmercury (MeHg) from consuming contaminated fish has been a major concern for decades. Besides, human MeHg exposure through rice consumption has been recently found to be important in some Asian countries. China is the largest country on mercury (Hg) production, consumption, a...
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doaj-b1a4683639a4437199706bbba63c848c2021-06-15T04:13:23ZengElsevierEnvironment International0160-41202021-09-01154106561Fish, rice, and human hair mercury concentrations and health risks in typical Hg-contaminated areas and fish-rich areas, ChinaBo Wang0Min Chen1Li Ding2Yuhang Zhao3Yi Man4Lin Feng5Ping Li6Leiming Zhang7Xinbin Feng8State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550081, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, ChinaSchool of Public Health, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, ChinaSchool of Public Health, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, ChinaSchool of Resource and Environment, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550081, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, ChinaSchool of Public Health, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550081, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Quaternary Science and Global Change, Xi'an 710061, China; Corresponding author at: State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550081, China.Air Quality Research Division, Science and Technology Branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Toronto M3H 5T4, CanadaState Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550081, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Quaternary Science and Global Change, Xi'an 710061, ChinaHuman exposure to methylmercury (MeHg) from consuming contaminated fish has been a major concern for decades. Besides, human MeHg exposure through rice consumption has been recently found to be important in some Asian countries. China is the largest country on mercury (Hg) production, consumption, and anthropogenic emission. However, the health risks of human Hg exposure are not fully understood. A total of 624 fish, 299 rice, and 994 human hair samples were collected from typical Hg-contaminated areas and major fish-rich areas to assess the health risks from human Hg exposure in China. Fish and rice samples showed relatively low Hg levels, except the rice in the Wanshan Hg mining area (WMMA). Human hair total Hg (THg) and MeHg concentrations were significantly elevated in WMMA, Zhoushan (ZS), Xiamen (XM), Qingdao (QD), and zinc smelting area (ZSA), and 85% of hair samples in WMMA, 62% in ZS, 40% in XM, 26% in QD, and 17% in ZSA had THg concentrations exceeding the limit set by the USEPA (1 μg/g). Rice consumption was the main pathway (>85%) for human MeHg exposure in the studied Hg-contaminated areas. Meanwhile, fish was the primary human MeHg exposure source (>85%) in coastal cities. Therefore, soil remediation in typical Hg-contaminated areas and scientific guidance for fish consumption in coastal provinces are urgently needed to reduce the health risks from human Hg exposure in China.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412021001860MethylmercuryHuman exposureDose–responseHg-contaminated areaFish-rich area |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Bo Wang Min Chen Li Ding Yuhang Zhao Yi Man Lin Feng Ping Li Leiming Zhang Xinbin Feng |
spellingShingle |
Bo Wang Min Chen Li Ding Yuhang Zhao Yi Man Lin Feng Ping Li Leiming Zhang Xinbin Feng Fish, rice, and human hair mercury concentrations and health risks in typical Hg-contaminated areas and fish-rich areas, China Environment International Methylmercury Human exposure Dose–response Hg-contaminated area Fish-rich area |
author_facet |
Bo Wang Min Chen Li Ding Yuhang Zhao Yi Man Lin Feng Ping Li Leiming Zhang Xinbin Feng |
author_sort |
Bo Wang |
title |
Fish, rice, and human hair mercury concentrations and health risks in typical Hg-contaminated areas and fish-rich areas, China |
title_short |
Fish, rice, and human hair mercury concentrations and health risks in typical Hg-contaminated areas and fish-rich areas, China |
title_full |
Fish, rice, and human hair mercury concentrations and health risks in typical Hg-contaminated areas and fish-rich areas, China |
title_fullStr |
Fish, rice, and human hair mercury concentrations and health risks in typical Hg-contaminated areas and fish-rich areas, China |
title_full_unstemmed |
Fish, rice, and human hair mercury concentrations and health risks in typical Hg-contaminated areas and fish-rich areas, China |
title_sort |
fish, rice, and human hair mercury concentrations and health risks in typical hg-contaminated areas and fish-rich areas, china |
publisher |
Elsevier |
series |
Environment International |
issn |
0160-4120 |
publishDate |
2021-09-01 |
description |
Human exposure to methylmercury (MeHg) from consuming contaminated fish has been a major concern for decades. Besides, human MeHg exposure through rice consumption has been recently found to be important in some Asian countries. China is the largest country on mercury (Hg) production, consumption, and anthropogenic emission. However, the health risks of human Hg exposure are not fully understood. A total of 624 fish, 299 rice, and 994 human hair samples were collected from typical Hg-contaminated areas and major fish-rich areas to assess the health risks from human Hg exposure in China. Fish and rice samples showed relatively low Hg levels, except the rice in the Wanshan Hg mining area (WMMA). Human hair total Hg (THg) and MeHg concentrations were significantly elevated in WMMA, Zhoushan (ZS), Xiamen (XM), Qingdao (QD), and zinc smelting area (ZSA), and 85% of hair samples in WMMA, 62% in ZS, 40% in XM, 26% in QD, and 17% in ZSA had THg concentrations exceeding the limit set by the USEPA (1 μg/g). Rice consumption was the main pathway (>85%) for human MeHg exposure in the studied Hg-contaminated areas. Meanwhile, fish was the primary human MeHg exposure source (>85%) in coastal cities. Therefore, soil remediation in typical Hg-contaminated areas and scientific guidance for fish consumption in coastal provinces are urgently needed to reduce the health risks from human Hg exposure in China. |
topic |
Methylmercury Human exposure Dose–response Hg-contaminated area Fish-rich area |
url |
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412021001860 |
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