Regional Aspects of Assessing Dietary Effect of Mercury on Vulnerable Populations

Abstract

© 2019 IOP Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved. Analysis of mercury (Hg) and methyl mercury (MeHg) intake with the diet of children aged 3-6 years old from the city of Kazan was carried out. Meat and meat products, poultry, eggs (36.86 % and 28.84 % correspondingly), cereals and bakery goods (18.45 % and 42.74 % correspondingly), fish, non-finfish (28.79 % and 19.80 %) contributed most to Hg exposure at the median and the 95th perc levels. The value of exposure to MeHg in children at the median (0.1 μg / kg of body weight per week) and the 95th perc (0.33 μg / kg of body weight per week) levels did not exceed the recommendations of USEPA and the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA). Non-carcinogenic risk from exposure to Hg with the main food groups at the median and the 95th perc levels was acceptable (HQ<1). Non-carcinogenic risk in children on MeHg intake at the level of the 95th perc made 2.29, that fact being unacceptable (HQ >1) and indicating the risk of neuropsychological disorders for younger children from the city of Kazan due to fish and seafood consumption.