Exposure assessment for methyl and total mercury from seafood consumption in Korea, 2005 to 2008.

Autor: Hyo-Bang Moon1, Sang-Jo Kim2, Hyejin Park1, Yun Sun Jung1, Suuggyu Lee1, Yun-Hee Kim1, Minkyu Choi3
Předmět:
Zdroj: Journal of Environmental Monitoring. Aug2011, Vol. 13 Issue 9, p2400-2405. 6p.
Abstrakt: Reports on the occurrence and intake assessment of mercury for Korean seafood are currently not available. This is the first report to estimate the intake of methyl (Me-Hg) and total mercury (T-Hg) from seafood consumption in Korea. The concentrations of Me-Hg and T-Hg in seafood ranged from 1.02 to 780 (mean: 55.6) ng g−1wet weight and 4.89 to 1008 (mean: 100) ng g−1wet weight, respectively. The residue levels of Me-Hg and T-Hg in Korean seafood were moderate compared with those found in other countries. The methylation ratios of fish, cephalopods and crustaceans were similar, but shellfish had lower values compared with other species. The intakes of Me-Hg and T-Hg from seafood consumption for the general population were estimated to be 38.8 and 73.8 ng kg−1body weight per day, respectively. Mackerel, tuna and squid made the highest contributions to the total intake of these contaminants. Among eight age groups, 30–49 year and 3–6 year age groups had the highest exposure to Me-Hg and T-Hg. The concentrations and intakes of Me-Hg and T-Hg from Korean seafood were less than the allowable residue levels and threshold intake levels suggested by Korean and international authorities. The present study may be useful for risk management of mercury in Korean seafood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Databáze: GreenFILE