Toxicological Effects of Methylmercury

Toxicological Effects of Methylmercury
Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 365
Release: 2000-10-27
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 0309071402

Mercury is widespread in our environment. Methylmercury, one organic form of mercury, can accumulate up the aquatic food chain and lead to high concentrations in predatory fish. When consumed by humans, contaminated fish represent a public health risk. Combustion processes, especially coal-fired power plants, are major sources of mercury contamination in the environment. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is considering regulating mercury emissions from those plants. Toxicological Effects of Methylmercury reviews the health effects of methylmercury and discusses the estimation of mercury exposure from measured biomarkers, how differences between individuals affect mercury toxicity, and appropriate statistical methods for analysis of the data and thoroughly compares the epidemiological studies available on methylmercury. Included are discussions of current mercury levels on public health and a delineation of the scientific aspects and policy decisions involved in the regulation of mercury. This report is a valuable resource for individuals interested in the public health effects and regulation of mercury. The report also provides an excellent example of the implications of decisions in the risk assessment process for a larger audience.

Toxic Effects of Mercury

Toxic Effects of Mercury
Author: Shabnum Nabi
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 265
Release: 2014-07-25
Genre: Science
ISBN: 8132219228

Mercury is widespread in our environment. Methylmercury, an organic form of mercury, can accumulate in the aquatic food chain and lead to high concentrations in predatory fish. When consumed by humans, contaminated fish represent a public health risk. Toxic Effects of Mercury intends to facilitate among its readers the understanding of the importance of mercury pollution in the environment and the health consequences associated with exposure to this metal. The knowledge on methylmercury (MeHg) toxicity collected over the years is undoubtedly robust creating an impression all that is to be learnt about this metal has already been accomplished. However, in large measure, past knowledge has merely laid the ground for interesting questions that have yet to be fully addressed and concepts have yet to be deciphered. One of my major goals was to make a valiant attempt to include state-of-the-art information on the mechanisms of mercury toxicity, describing its effects on cultured cellular systems as well as in whole living organisms, starting from the lessons learned from the tragic events in Minamata Bay, Japan. A special focus of the book is on the neurotoxic effects of MeHg. An understanding at the cellular level is necessary to gather information on the structural and functional alterations induced by MeHg and how they possibly become unmasked and evident at the behavioral level, 32 chapters of the book have been organised having these considerations in mind. This book will provide state-of-the-art information to the graduate students training in toxicology, risk assessors, researchers and medical providers at large. It is aimed to bring the readers updated information on contemporary issues associated with exposure to methylmercury, from its effects on stem cells and neurons to population studies. It is a valuable resource for individuals interested in the public health effects and regulation of mercury. The report provides an excellent example of the implications of decisions in the risk assessment process for a larger audience and is written with the hope that the information will provide better understanding of the mercury problems which confront us.

Environmental Medicine

Environmental Medicine
Author: Committee on Curriculum Development in Environmental Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 988
Release: 1995-05-12
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 0309568722

People are increasingly concerned about potential environmental health hazards and often ask their physicians questions such as: "Is the tap water safe to drink?" "Is it safe to live near power lines?" Unfortunately, physicians often lack the information and training related to environmental health risks needed to answer such questions. This book discusses six competency based learning objectives for all medical school students, discusses the relevance of environmental health to specific courses and clerkships, and demonstrates how to integrate environmental health into the curriculum through published case studies, some of which are included in one of the book's three appendices. Also included is a guide on where to obtain additional information for treatment, referral, and follow-up for diseases with possible environmental and/or occupational origins.

Mercury as a Global Pollutant

Mercury as a Global Pollutant
Author: Donald B. Porcella
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2014-08-23
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 9789401040693

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS xiv PART I MERCURY AND HUMAN HEALTH B. WHEATLEY and S. PARADIS I Exposure of Canadian Aboriginal Peoples to Methylmercury 3-11 M. GIRARD and C. DUMONT I Exposure of James Bay Cree to Methylmercury during Pregnancy for the Years 1983-91 13-19 M. RICHARDSON, M. MITCHELL, S. COAD and R. RAPHAEL I Exposure to Mercury in Canada: A Multimedia Analysis 21-30 M. RICHARDSON, M. EGYED and D. J. CURRIE I Human Exposure to Mercury may Decrease as Acidic Deposition Increases 31-39 L. E. FLEMING, S. WATKINS, R. KADERMAN, B. LEVIN, D. R. AVYAR, M. BIZZIO, D. STEPHENS and J. A. BEAN I Mercury Exposure in Humans through Food Consumption from the Everglades of Florida 41-48 J. M. GEARHART, H. J. CLEWELL III, K. S. CRUMP, A. M. SHIPP and A. SILVERS I Pharmacokinetic Dose Estimates of Mercury in Children and Dose-Response Curves of Performance Tests in a Large Epidemiological Study 49-58 I. SKARE I Mass Balance and Systemic Uptake of Mercury Released from Dental Amalgam Fillings 59-67 J. DELLINGER, N. KMIECIK, S. GERSTENBERGER and H. NGU I Mercury Contamina tion of Fish in the Ojibwa Diet: I. Walleye Fillets and Skin-On versus Skin-Off Sampling 69-76 J. DELLINGER, L. MALEK and M. BEATTIE I Mercury Contamination of Fish in the Ojibwa Diet: II. Sensory Evoked Responses in Rats Fed Walleye 77-83 H. AKAGI, O. MALM, F. J. P. BRANCHES, Y. KINJO, Y. KASHIMA, J. R. D. GUIMARAES, R. B. OLIVEIRA, K. HARAGUCHI, W. C. PFEIFFER, Y.

Mercury Poisoning

Mercury Poisoning
Author: David John Hammond
Publisher: CreateSpace
Total Pages: 342
Release: 2014-01
Genre: Health & Fitness
ISBN: 9781494747893

Lupus, rheumatic fever, colitis, arthritis, dermatitis, insomnia, depression, hallucinations – what do all these illnesses have in common? They were all experienced by a 12-year-old girl in a case study in an American journal of child psychiatry. The cause? – mercury vapor she inhaled from mercury that had been spilled on the carpet in the room she slept in. After removing the carpet and treatment with chelation drugs, the girl returned to good health. Mercury poisoning can cause a variety of illnesses such as chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, ADHD, bipolar disorder, sinusitis, tinnitus, balance problems, tremor, insomnia, inflammatory bowel disease, dermatitis, excessive thirst, salivation and a host of other symptoms. Is mercury from dental amalgams affecting your health? Dental associations claim the mercury in fillings is perfectly safe, but the mercury inhaled from “silver” fillings is 15 times more toxic than lead. The World Health Organization report states that people with amalgams have a daily mercury intake of 4 to 21 micrograms of mercury per day. For many people this exceeds the Environmental Protection Agencies limit of just 7 micrograms per day. Yet there are no Government warnings about this exposure. Those who grind their teeth or chew gum will have even higher exposure. If you eat 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of tuna, that adds another 35 micrograms. Even if your mercury blood level is within the so-called “normal” range, if you don't excrete mercury efficiently it can build up in your brain, liver, kidney, thyroid and other organs over years of continuous exposure. The effects of prolonged exposure to mercury can be delayed for years, making it difficult to determine the cause of your illness. Diseases such as chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia affect millions of people around the world. Doctors say the causes of these illnesses are unknown and there is no cure. This book provides cases histories of many diseases which were caused by mercury and subsequently cured using chelation therapy. It also takes you step by step through the process of safely chelating heavy metals from your body.

Methylmercury and Neurotoxicity

Methylmercury and Neurotoxicity
Author: Sandra Ceccatelli
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 375
Release: 2012-03-23
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 146142383X

Mercury (Hg) is a global pollutant that knows no environmental boundaries. Even the most stringent control of anthropogenic Hg sources will not eliminate exposure given its ubiquitous presence. Exposure to Hg occurs primarily via the food chain due to MeHg’s accumulation in fish. Latest US statistics indicate that 46 States have fish consumption advisories. In addition, Hg is a common pollutant in hazardous waste sites, with an estimated 3-4 million children living within one mile of at least one of the 1,300+ active hazardous waste sites in the US. The effects on intellectual function in children prenatally exposed to MeHg via maternal fish consumption have been the subject of two on-going major, prospective, longitudinal studies in the Seychelles and the Faroe Islands. It is important to recognize that the risk for MeHg exposure is not limited only to islanders with high fish consumption. This book will provide state-of-the-art information to the graduate student training in toxicology, risk assessors, researchers and medical providers at large. It is aimed to bring the reader up to date on contemporary issues associated with exposure to methylmercury, from its effects on stem cells and neurons to population studies.

Chelation Therapy in the Treatment of Metal Intoxication

Chelation Therapy in the Treatment of Metal Intoxication
Author: Jan Aaseth
Publisher: Academic Press
Total Pages: 390
Release: 2016-04-18
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 0128030739

Chelation Therapy in the Treatment of Metal Intoxication presents a practical guide to the use of chelation therapy, from its basic chemistry, to available chelating antidotes, and the application of chelating agents. Several metals have long been known to be toxic to humans, and continue to pose great difficulty to treat. These challenges pose particular problems in industrial settings, with lead smelting known to be associated with hemopoietic alterations and paralyses, and the inhalation of mercury vapor in mercury mining being extremely detrimental to the central nervous system. Clinical experience has demonstrated that acute and chronic human intoxications with a range of metals can be treated efficiently by administration of chelating agents. Chelation Therapy in the Treatment of Metal Intoxication describes the chemical and biological principles of chelation in the treatment of these toxic metal compounds, including new chelators such as meso-2,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) and D,L-2,3-dimercapto-1-propanesulfonic acid (DMPS). - Presents all the current findings on the potential for chelation as a therapy for metal intoxication - Presents practical guidelines for selecting the most appropriate chelating agent - Includes coverage on radionuclide exposure and metal storage diseases - Describes the chemical and biological principles of chelation in the treatment of toxic metal compounds

Diagnosis

Diagnosis
Author: Jane Marie Hightower
Publisher: Island Press
Total Pages: 325
Release: 2013-02-22
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 1597264539

One morning in 2000, Dr. Jane Hightower walked into her exam room to find a patient with disturbing symptoms she couldn’t explain. The woman was nauseated, tired, and had difficulty concentrating, but a litany of tests revealed no apparent cause. She was not alone. Dr. Hightower saw numerous patients with similar, inexplicable ailments, and eventually learned that there were many more around the nation and the world. They had little in common—except a healthy appetite for certain fish. Dr. Hightower’s quest for answers led her to mercury, a poison that has been plaguing victims for centuries and is now showing up in seafood. But this “explanation” opened a Pandora’s Box of thornier questions. Why did some fish from supermarkets and restaurants contain such high levels of a powerful poison? Why did the FDA base its recommendations for “safe” mercury consumption on data supplied by Saddam Hussein’s Ba’athist extremists? And why wasn’t the government warning its citizens? In Diagnosis: Mercury, Dr. Hightower retraces her investigation into the modern prevalence of mercury poisoning, revealing how political calculations, dubious studies, and industry lobbyists endanger our health. While mercury is a naturally occurring element, she learns there’s much that is unnatural about this poison’s prevalence in our seafood. Mercury is pumped into the air by coal-fired power plants and settles in our rivers and oceans, and has been dumped into our waterways by industry. It accumulates in the fish we eat, and ultimately in our own bodies. Yet government agencies and lawmakers have been slow to regulate pollution or even alert consumers. Why? The trail of evidence leads to Canada, Japan, Iraq, and various U.S. institutions, and as Dr. Hightower puts the pieces together, she discovers questionable connections between ostensibly objective researchers and industries that fear regulation and bad press. Her tenacious inquiry sheds light on a system in which, too often, money trumps good science and responsible government. Exposing a threat that few recognize but that touches many, Diagnosis: Mercury should be required reading for everyone who cares about their health.

Elemental Mercury and Inorganic Mercury Compounds

Elemental Mercury and Inorganic Mercury Compounds
Author: J. Risher
Publisher: WHO
Total Pages: 72
Release: 2003
Genre: Medical
ISBN:

On cover: IPCS International Programme on Chemical Safety. Published under the joint sponsorship of WHO, the United Nations Environment Programme, and the International Labour Organization and produced within the framework of the Inter-organization Programme for the Sound Management of Chemicals (IPCS).