Hair mercury content in an adult population of Merida, Yucatan, Mexico, as a function of anthropometric measures and seafood consumption

Abstract

Acute or chronic mercury exposure may cause adverse effects to health and development. Total mercury concentration in hair of a general population (n = 90) between 18 and 45 years of age was studied in the city of Merida, Yucatan, Mexico. Subjects provided data on age, sex, body weight, height, body mass index (BMI), and seafood consumption frequency. Mean mercury concentration ranged from 0.136 to 4.383 µg/g, with a mean of 1.119 ± 0.854 µg/g. Forty-two percent of the sampled individuals had total mercury hair concentration over 1 µg/g which corresponds to the U.S. EPA reference dose. No statistically significant differences were found regarding age, weight, body fat percentage, and BMI. Women had lower total mercury than men, although the difference was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). There was a positive correlation between height and hair mercury concentration (p < 0.05). A multiple linear regression analysis showed a significant correlation of total mercury content in hair with respect to the frequency of seafood consumption per month (p < 0.001). Mercury exposure can be dangerous; there is a critical need to understand mercury distribution in the environment and its human health impacts under prevailing cultural and social conditions, to mitigate the potential effect of pollutants on health of all living beings. Seafood consumption advisory should be developed for the region, especially for women in childbearing age.