Norwegian Institute for Water Research, Oslo, Norway.
Environ Toxicol Chem. 2012 Nov;31(11):2431-44. doi: 10.1002/etc.1980. Epub 2012 Aug 29.
Mercury is a global pollutant that can be transported over long distances and can bioaccumulate. Currently, China is the country that contributes most to atmospheric Hg emissions and has the greatest intentional (industrial) use of Hg. Mercury in the Chinese environment is generally elevated, particularly in air and water bodies. Remote areas in China also show elevated Hg levels in air and water bodies compared to other rural regions in the world. Large river estuaries are often heavily affected by upstream industrial sources. Mercury is also elevated in sediments, a direct result of contamination in river systems. Regardless of the few heavily polluted sites, the urban environment in Chinese cities is comparable to that of other megacities in terms of Hg pollution, considering the size and rapid development of Chinese cities. Studies on Hg in fish showed generally low levels of contamination resulting from low bioaccumulation of Hg in the mostly short food chains. Mercury in rice has recently received increased research interest; elevated concentrations have been reported from rice grown in contaminated areas and may pose a threat to people dependent on such locally grown food. For the general population, Hg exposure from rice is, however, small. In addition, Hg hair concentration in the Chinese population showed generally low levels of exposure to Hg, except for people with special occupational exposure.
汞是一种全球性污染物，能够长距离传输，并在生物体内累积。目前，中国是大气汞排放的主要贡献国，也是汞的最大有意（工业）用途国。中国环境中的汞含量普遍较高，特别是在空气和水体中。与世界其他农村地区相比，中国偏远地区的空气和水体中的汞含量也较高。大型河口经常受到上游工业源的严重影响。汞在沉积物中的含量也很高，这是河流系统污染的直接结果。尽管有少数污染严重的地点，但考虑到中国城市的规模和快速发展，其城市环境的汞污染与其他特大城市相当。鱼类中汞的研究表明，由于大部分食物链较短，汞的生物累积较低，污染程度普遍较低。大米中的汞最近受到了更多的关注；据报道，在受污染地区种植的大米中汞浓度升高，可能对依赖当地种植的食物的人群构成威胁。对于一般人群来说，大米中的汞暴露量很小。此外，除了有特殊职业暴露的人群外，中国人群的头发汞浓度显示出对汞的暴露水平普遍较低。
