Department of Epidemiology, National Institute for Minamata Disease, Japan.
Environ Health Prev Med. 2006 Jul;11(4):171-6. doi: 10.1007/BF02905275.
Mercury is a metal that has long been used because of its many advantages from the physical and chemical points of view. However, mercury is very toxic to many life forms, including humans, and mercury poisoning has repeatedly been reported. The main chemical forms of mercury are elemental mercury (Hg(0)), divalent mercury (Hg(2+)) and methylmercury (CH(3)-Hg(+)), the toxicities and metabolisms of which differ from each other. Methylmercury is converted from divalent mercury and is a well-known neurotoxicant, having been identified as the cause of Minamata disease. It bioaccumulates in the environment and is biomagnified in the food web. Human exposure to methylmercury is mainly through fish and seafood consumption. Methylmercury easily penetrates the blood-brain barrier and causes damage to the central nervous system, particularly in fetuses. In this paper, we summarize the global mercury cycle and mercury metabolism, toxicity and exposure evaluation, and the thresholds for the onset of symptoms after exposure to different chemical forms of mercury, particularly methylmercury.
汞是一种金属，由于其在物理和化学方面的诸多优势，长期以来一直被使用。然而，汞对许多生命形式，包括人类，都具有很强的毒性，汞中毒的报道屡见不鲜。汞的主要化学形态有金属汞（Hg(0)）、二价汞（Hg(2+)）和甲基汞（CH(3)-Hg(+)），它们的毒性和代谢途径各不相同。甲基汞是由二价汞转化而来的，是一种众所周知的神经毒物，已被确定为水俣病的病因。它在环境中不断积累，并在食物网中发生生物放大。人类接触甲基汞主要通过食用鱼类和海鲜。甲基汞很容易穿透血脑屏障，对中枢神经系统造成损害，尤其是对胎儿。本文总结了全球汞循环和汞代谢、毒性和暴露评估，以及不同化学形态汞（特别是甲基汞）暴露后症状出现的阈值。
