State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550081, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
School of Public Health, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, China.
Environ Int. 2021 Sep;154:106561. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2021.106561. Epub 2021 Apr 23.
Human exposure to methylmercury (MeHg) from consuming contaminated fish has been a major concern for decades. Besides, human MeHg exposure through rice consumption has been recently found to be important in some Asian countries. China is the largest country on mercury (Hg) production, consumption, and anthropogenic emission. However, the health risks of human Hg exposure are not fully understood. A total of 624 fish, 299 rice, and 994 human hair samples were collected from typical Hg-contaminated areas and major fish-rich areas to assess the health risks from human Hg exposure in China. Fish and rice samples showed relatively low Hg levels, except the rice in the Wanshan Hg mining area (WMMA). Human hair total Hg (THg) and MeHg concentrations were significantly elevated in WMMA, Zhoushan (ZS), Xiamen (XM), Qingdao (QD), and zinc smelting area (ZSA), and 85% of hair samples in WMMA, 62% in ZS, 40% in XM, 26% in QD, and 17% in ZSA had THg concentrations exceeding the limit set by the USEPA (1 μg/g). Rice consumption was the main pathway (>85%) for human MeHg exposure in the studied Hg-contaminated areas. Meanwhile, fish was the primary human MeHg exposure source (>85%) in coastal cities. Therefore, soil remediation in typical Hg-contaminated areas and scientific guidance for fish consumption in coastal provinces are urgently needed to reduce the health risks from human Hg exposure in China.
人体通过食用受污染鱼类摄入甲基汞（MeHg）已引起关注数十年。此外，最近在一些亚洲国家发现，人体通过食用大米摄入甲基汞也很重要。中国是汞（Hg）生产、消费和人为排放的最大国家。然而，人体 Hg 暴露的健康风险尚未完全了解。共采集了 624 条鱼、299 份大米和 994 份人发样本，这些样本分别来自典型 Hg 污染区和主要产鱼区，以评估中国人体 Hg 暴露的健康风险。除万山汞矿区（WMMA）的大米外，鱼类和大米样本的 Hg 含量相对较低。万山汞矿区（WMMA）、舟山（ZS）、厦门（XM）、青岛（QD）和锌冶炼区（ZSA）的人发总汞（THg）和 MeHg 浓度显著升高，WMMA 中有 85%的发样、ZS 中有 62%的发样、XM 中有 40%的发样、QD 中有 26%的发样和 ZSA 中有 17%的发样的 THg 浓度超过美国环保署（USEPA）规定的限量（1μg/g）。在研究的 Hg 污染区，大米消费是人体 MeHg 暴露的主要途径（>85%）。同时，鱼类是沿海城市人体 MeHg 暴露的主要来源（>85%）。因此，需要对典型 Hg 污染区进行土壤修复，并对沿海省份的鱼类消费进行科学指导，以降低中国人体 Hg 暴露的健康风险。
