Abstract
The aim of this study was to assess the total concentration and health risk to infants of breast milk mercury in urban mothers and mothers married to fishermen in relation to fish intake in Taiwan. A total of sixty-eight healthy mothers were recruited for the study. The breast milk mercury geometric mean concentration was 2.02 μg l -1 (n = 56, range: 0.24-9.45 μg l -1) for the city group and 2.04 μg l -1 (n = 12, range: 0.26-8.62 μg l -1) for the fishermen's group. Of the three sources of mercury exposure (i.e., ingestion (breast milk), inhalation (ambient air), and dermal exposure (shower)), breast-feeding was found to be the largest (96.3-99.6% of the total). From a Monte Carlo simulation, in which methyl mercury accounted for about 50% of total mercury, the hazard quotient (exposure estimate/oral minimal risk level or target organ toxicity dose) exceeded 1.0 for 12.9% of urban babies and 18.8% of fishermen's babies (chronic oral minimal risk level and target organ toxicity dose: 3 × 10 -4 mg kg -1 d -1). The calculated mercury exposure was 3.02 × 10 -1 μg kg -1 d -1 for a 3.49 kg urban baby boy and 3.06 × 10 -1 μg kg -1 d -1 for a 3.44 kg urban baby girl. These results suggest the life style of mothers (eating raw fish and shellfish such as used in "Sashimi" and "Sushi," and vitamin supplementation) may influence the mercury concentration in breast milk.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 79-85 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Chemosphere |
| Volume | 64 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Jun 2006 |
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Keywords
- Breast milk
- Hazard quotient
- Mercury
- Monte Carlo simulation
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Environmental Chemistry
- Environmental Science(all)
Cite this
Analysis of the health risk of exposure to breast milk mercury in infants in Taiwan. / Chien, Ling Chu; Han, Bor Cheng; Hsu, Chun-Sen; Jiang, Cheun Bin; You, Hung Jiun; Hsieh, Ming-Che; Yeh, Ching-Ying.
In: Chemosphere, Vol. 64, No. 1, 06.2006, p. 79-85.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Analysis of the health risk of exposure to breast milk mercury in infants in Taiwan
AU - Chien, Ling Chu
AU - Han, Bor Cheng
AU - Hsu, Chun-Sen
AU - Jiang, Cheun Bin
AU - You, Hung Jiun
AU - Hsieh, Ming-Che
AU - Yeh, Ching-Ying
PY - 2006/6
Y1 - 2006/6
N2 - The aim of this study was to assess the total concentration and health risk to infants of breast milk mercury in urban mothers and mothers married to fishermen in relation to fish intake in Taiwan. A total of sixty-eight healthy mothers were recruited for the study. The breast milk mercury geometric mean concentration was 2.02 μg l -1 (n = 56, range: 0.24-9.45 μg l -1) for the city group and 2.04 μg l -1 (n = 12, range: 0.26-8.62 μg l -1) for the fishermen's group. Of the three sources of mercury exposure (i.e., ingestion (breast milk), inhalation (ambient air), and dermal exposure (shower)), breast-feeding was found to be the largest (96.3-99.6% of the total). From a Monte Carlo simulation, in which methyl mercury accounted for about 50% of total mercury, the hazard quotient (exposure estimate/oral minimal risk level or target organ toxicity dose) exceeded 1.0 for 12.9% of urban babies and 18.8% of fishermen's babies (chronic oral minimal risk level and target organ toxicity dose: 3 × 10 -4 mg kg -1 d -1). The calculated mercury exposure was 3.02 × 10 -1 μg kg -1 d -1 for a 3.49 kg urban baby boy and 3.06 × 10 -1 μg kg -1 d -1 for a 3.44 kg urban baby girl. These results suggest the life style of mothers (eating raw fish and shellfish such as used in "Sashimi" and "Sushi," and vitamin supplementation) may influence the mercury concentration in breast milk.
AB - The aim of this study was to assess the total concentration and health risk to infants of breast milk mercury in urban mothers and mothers married to fishermen in relation to fish intake in Taiwan. A total of sixty-eight healthy mothers were recruited for the study. The breast milk mercury geometric mean concentration was 2.02 μg l -1 (n = 56, range: 0.24-9.45 μg l -1) for the city group and 2.04 μg l -1 (n = 12, range: 0.26-8.62 μg l -1) for the fishermen's group. Of the three sources of mercury exposure (i.e., ingestion (breast milk), inhalation (ambient air), and dermal exposure (shower)), breast-feeding was found to be the largest (96.3-99.6% of the total). From a Monte Carlo simulation, in which methyl mercury accounted for about 50% of total mercury, the hazard quotient (exposure estimate/oral minimal risk level or target organ toxicity dose) exceeded 1.0 for 12.9% of urban babies and 18.8% of fishermen's babies (chronic oral minimal risk level and target organ toxicity dose: 3 × 10 -4 mg kg -1 d -1). The calculated mercury exposure was 3.02 × 10 -1 μg kg -1 d -1 for a 3.49 kg urban baby boy and 3.06 × 10 -1 μg kg -1 d -1 for a 3.44 kg urban baby girl. These results suggest the life style of mothers (eating raw fish and shellfish such as used in "Sashimi" and "Sushi," and vitamin supplementation) may influence the mercury concentration in breast milk.
KW - Breast milk
KW - Hazard quotient
KW - Mercury
KW - Monte Carlo simulation
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=33646833294&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=33646833294&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2005.11.059
DO - 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2005.11.059
M3 - Article
C2 - 16442149
AN - SCOPUS:33646833294
VL - 64
SP - 79
EP - 85
JO - Chemosphere
JF - Chemosphere
SN - 0045-6535
IS - 1
ER -