The effect of weaning on blood, hair, fecal and urinary mercury after chronic ingestion of methylmercuric chloride by infant monkeys.

Several studies suggest that infant animals may be more sensitive to toxic insult from methylmercury than adults. In our experiment, newly born infant monkeys were given equivalent daily doses of 50 micrograms Hg/kg body weight orally in the form of methylmercury for more than 60 weeks. Data revealed that after weaning at 200 days, both blood and hair mercury showed a sudden drop which was accompanied by an increase in fecal mercury excretion.