A longitudinal study of mercury exposure associated with consumption of freshwater fish from a reservoir in rural south central USA.

ABSTRACT: Methylmercury (MeHg) exposure through fish consumption is a worldwide health concern. Saltwater fish account for most dietary MeHg exposure in the general U.S. population, but less is known about seasonal variations in MeHg exposure and fish consumption among millions of freshwater anglers. This longitudinal study examined associations between MeHg exposure and fish consumption in a rural, low-income population relying on a freshwater reservoir (Oklahoma, USA) for recreational and subsistence fishing. We interviewed 151 participants, primarily anglers and their families, seasonally for one year using 90-day recall food frequency questionnaires to assess general and species-specific fish consumption, and tested hair biomarker samples for total mercury (THg hair). Mean THg hair was 0.27 μg/g

SUBMITTER: Dong Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4348364 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature