Special Review Article

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  • Satoh Hiroshi
    Environmental Health Sciences, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai

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  • 魚介類等に含まれるメチル水銀の健康リスク評価
  • ギョカイルイ トウ ニ フクマレル メチル スイギン ノ ケンコウ リスク ヒョウカ

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Abstract

Methylmercury is a potent neurotoxic chemical compound and is known as the causal agent of Minamata Disease. Mercury naturally occurs in the environment and is methylated. Methylmercury thus generated is bioconcentrated through food chain to be accumulated in large carnivorous fish and sea mammals at high concentrations. Populations consuming such seafood may be exposed to an excess amount of methylmercury. Since fetuses are more susceptible than their mothers, possible neurodevelopmental effects have been concerned among these populations. Therefore, risk assessment of fetal methylmercury exposure is needed. The Food Safety Committee in Japan made the risk assessment based on large-scale cohort studies, the Faroe and the Seychelles studies. The reported TWI(tolerable weekly intake)of methylmercury is 2.0 μg/kg b.w. of pregnant women, since the fetuses are considered to be a high risk subpopulation and TWI should be applied to pregnant women and women possibley pregnant.

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