Trasande Leonardo, Schechter Clyde B, Haynes Karla A, Landrigan Philip J
Department of Community and Preventive Medicine, Center for Children's Health and the Environment, Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, One Gustave K. Levy Place, Box 1043, New York, NY 10029, USA.
Am J Ind Med. 2006 Mar;49(3):153-8. doi: 10.1002/ajim.20268.
Methylmercury (MeHg) is a developmental neurotoxicant; exposure results principally from consumption of seafood contaminated by mercury (Hg). In this analysis, the burden of mental retardation (MR) associated with methylmercury exposure in the 2000 U.S. birth cohort is estimated, and the portion of this burden attributable to mercury (Hg) emissions from coal-fired power plants is identified.
The aggregate loss in cognition associated with MeHg exposure in the 2000 U.S. birth cohort was estimated using two previously published dose-response models that relate increases in cord blood Hg concentrations with decrements in IQ. MeHg exposure was assumed not to be correlated with native cognitive ability. Previously published estimates were used to estimate economic costs of MR caused by MeHg.
Downward shifts in IQ resulting from prenatal exposure to MeHg of anthropogenic origin are associated with 1,566 excess cases of MR annually (range: 376-14,293). This represents 3.2% of MR cases in the US (range: 0.8%-29.2%). The MR costs associated with decreases in IQ in these children amount to $2.0 billion/year (range: $0.5-17.9 billion). Hg from American power plants accounts for 231 of the excess MR cases/year (range: 28-2,109), or 0.5% (range: 0.06%-4.3%) of all MR. These cases cost $289 million (range: $35 million-2.6 billion).
Toxic injury to the fetal brain caused by Hg emitted from coal-fired power plants exacts a significant human and economic toll on American children.
甲基汞（MeHg）是一种发育性神经毒物；接触主要源于食用受汞（Hg）污染的海鲜。在本分析中，估计了2000年美国出生队列中与甲基汞接触相关的智力迟钝（MR）负担，并确定了该负担中可归因于燃煤电厂汞（Hg）排放的部分。
使用两个先前发表的剂量反应模型估计2000年美国出生队列中与甲基汞接触相关的认知能力总体损失，这两个模型将脐血汞浓度的增加与智商的降低联系起来。假设甲基汞接触与先天认知能力无关。使用先前发表的估计值来估计甲基汞导致的智力迟钝的经济成本。
人为来源的甲基汞产前接触导致的智商下降每年与1566例额外的智力迟钝病例相关（范围：376 - 14293例）。这占美国智力迟钝病例的3.2%（范围：0.8% - 29.2%）。这些儿童因智商下降而产生的智力迟钝成本每年达20亿美元（范围：0.5 - 179亿美元）。美国电厂的汞导致每年231例额外的智力迟钝病例（范围：28 - 2109例），占所有智力迟钝病例的0.5%（范围：0.06% - 4.3%）。这些病例的成本为2.89亿美元（范围：3500万美元 - 26亿美元）。
燃煤电厂排放的汞对胎儿大脑造成的毒性损伤给美国儿童带来了巨大的人力和经济损失。
