Unidad de Investigación Médica Yucatán, Unidad Médica de Alta Especialidad, Centro Médico Ignacio García Téllez, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Calle 41 No. 439, Col. Industrial, Mérida, Yucatán 97150, Mexico; Unidad de Química Sisal, Facultad de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Puerto de Abrigo S/N, Sisal 97355, Yucatán, Mexico.
Unidad de Química Sisal, Facultad de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Puerto de Abrigo S/N, Sisal 97355, Yucatán, Mexico.
Sci Total Environ. 2016 Feb 1;543(Pt A):187-196. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.10.152. Epub 2015 Nov 12.
Mercury (Hg) is a global pollutant that is released into the environment from geologic and anthropogenic sources. Once it enters an organism, it generates several toxicity mechanisms and oxidative stress has been proposed as the main one. Metal susceptibility is greater in children, which is a result of their physiology and behavior. In Yucatan, Mexico, burning of unregulated garbage dumps and household trash, ingestion of top marine predators, and pottery manufacturing are among the conditions that could promote Hg exposure. However, for Yucatan, there are no published studies that report Hg levels and associated oxidative stress status in children. Therefore, this study aimed to assess Hg levels in blood and urine and oxidative stress biomarkers levels in a sample of 107 healthy children from three localities in Yucatan, Mexico, as well as investigate the relationship between these parameters. Hg was detected in 11 (10.28%) of blood samples and 38 (35.51%) of urine samples collected from the participating children. Fourteen subjects showed Hg above recommended levels. The oxidative stress biomarkers were slightly elevated in comparison with other studies and were statistically different between the sampling sites. No linear correlation between Hg levels and oxidative stress biomarkers was found. Nevertheless, exploratory univariate and multivariate analysis showed non-linear relations among the measured variables. Globally, the study provides, for the first time, information regarding Hg levels and their relationship with oxidative stress biomarkers in a juvenile population from Mexico's southeast (Yucatan) region. In agreement with worldwide concern about Hg, this study should stimulate studies on metal monitoring in humans (especially children) among scientists working in Mexico, the establishment of polices for its regulation, and the reduction of human health risks.
汞（Hg）是一种全球性污染物，它从地质和人为来源释放到环境中。一旦进入生物体，它会产生几种毒性机制，氧化应激被认为是主要机制。儿童对金属的敏感性更高，这是由于他们的生理和行为。在墨西哥尤卡坦，燃烧未经监管的垃圾场和家庭垃圾、摄入顶级海洋捕食者以及陶器制造都是可能导致汞暴露的因素。然而，对于尤卡坦来说，没有发表的研究报告过该地区儿童的汞水平和相关氧化应激状况。因此，本研究旨在评估墨西哥尤卡坦三个地区 107 名健康儿童的血液和尿液中的汞水平以及氧化应激生物标志物水平，并调查这些参数之间的关系。在参与研究的儿童的血液样本中，有 11 份（10.28%）和尿液样本中 38 份（35.51%）检测到汞。14 名儿童的汞含量超过推荐水平。与其他研究相比，氧化应激生物标志物略有升高，并且在采样地点之间存在统计学差异。未发现汞水平与氧化应激生物标志物之间存在线性相关。然而，探索性单变量和多变量分析表明，所测量的变量之间存在非线性关系。总的来说，该研究首次提供了墨西哥东南部（尤卡坦）地区青少年人群的汞水平及其与氧化应激生物标志物关系的信息。与全球对汞的关注一致，本研究应激发墨西哥科学家在人类（特别是儿童）中进行金属监测、制定其监管政策以及减少人类健康风险方面的研究。
