Global fishing patterns amplify human exposures to methylmercury.

ABSTRACT: Global pollution has exacerbated accumulation of toxicants like methylmercury (MeHg) in seafood. Human exposure to MeHg has been associated with long-term neurodevelopmental delays and impaired cardiovascular health, while many micronutrients in seafood are beneficial to health. The largest MeHg exposure source for many general populations originates from marine fish that are harvested from the global ocean and sold in the commercial seafood market. Here, we use high-resolution catch data for global fisheries and an empirically constrained spatial model for seafood MeHg to examine the spatial origins and magnitudes of MeHg extracted from the ocean. Results suggest that tropical and subtropical fisheries account for >70% of the MeHg extracted from the ocean because they are the major fishin

SUBMITTER: Li ML 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11459155 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature