Mercury: What can we learn from the Amazon?
Mercury is among the ten most dangerous chemicals for public health, and is a priority concern for the 128 signatory countries of the Minamata Convention. Mercury emissions to the atmosphere increased 20% between 2010 and 2015, with South America, Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia as the main co...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2021-01-01
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| Series: | Environment International |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412020321784 |
| _version_ | 1818666449900666880 |
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| author | Maria Elena Crespo-Lopez Marcus Augusto-Oliveira Amanda Lopes-Araújo Leticia Santos-Sacramento Priscila Yuki Takeda Barbarella de Matos Macchi José Luiz Martins do Nascimento Cristiane S.F. Maia Rafael R. Lima Gabriela P. Arrifano |
| author_facet | Maria Elena Crespo-Lopez Marcus Augusto-Oliveira Amanda Lopes-Araújo Leticia Santos-Sacramento Priscila Yuki Takeda Barbarella de Matos Macchi José Luiz Martins do Nascimento Cristiane S.F. Maia Rafael R. Lima Gabriela P. Arrifano |
| author_sort | Maria Elena Crespo-Lopez |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Mercury is among the ten most dangerous chemicals for public health, and is a priority concern for the 128 signatory countries of the Minamata Convention. Mercury emissions to the atmosphere increased 20% between 2010 and 2015, with South America, Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia as the main contributors. Approximately 80% of the total mercury emissions in South America is from the Amazon, where the presence of the metal is ubiquitous and highly dynamic. The presence of this metal is likely increasing, with global consequences, due to events of the last two years including extensive biomass burning and deforestation, as well as mining activities and the construction of large-scale projects, such as dams. Here we present a concise profile of this mobilization, highlighting the human exposure to this metal in areas without mining history. Mercury reaches the food chain in its most toxic form, methylmercury, intoxicating human populations through the intake of contaminated fish. Amazonian populations present levels over 6 ppm of hair mercury and, according to the 175:250:5:1 ratio for methylmercury intake : mercury hair : mercury brain : mercury blood, consume 2–6 times the internationally recognized reference doses. This exposure is alarmingly higher than that of other populations worldwide. A possible biphasic behavior of the mercury-related phenomena, with consequences that may not be observed in populations with lower levels, is hypothesized, supporting the need of improving our knowledge of this type of chronic exposure. It is urgent that we address this serious public health problem in the Amazon, especially considering that human exposure may be increasing in the near future. All actions in this region carry the potential to have global repercussions. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-17T06:04:43Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4aa5cc4c4e1b4be7b5fdb2298093ab68 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0160-4120 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-17T06:04:43Z |
| publishDate | 2021-01-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environment International |
| spelling | doaj.art-4aa5cc4c4e1b4be7b5fdb2298093ab682022-12-21T22:00:47ZengElsevierEnvironment International0160-41202021-01-01146106223Mercury: What can we learn from the Amazon?Maria Elena Crespo-Lopez0Marcus Augusto-Oliveira1Amanda Lopes-Araújo2Leticia Santos-Sacramento3Priscila Yuki Takeda4Barbarella de Matos Macchi5José Luiz Martins do Nascimento6Cristiane S.F. Maia7Rafael R. Lima8Gabriela P. Arrifano9Laboratório de Farmacologia Molecular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, PA 66075-110, Brazil; Corresponding author.Laboratório de Farmacologia Molecular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, PA 66075-110, BrazilLaboratório de Farmacologia Molecular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, PA 66075-110, BrazilLaboratório de Farmacologia Molecular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, PA 66075-110, BrazilLaboratório de Farmacologia Molecular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, PA 66075-110, BrazilLaboratório de Neuroquímica Molecular e Celular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, PA 66075-110, BrazilLaboratório de Neuroquímica Molecular e Celular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, PA 66075-110, Brazil; Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Amapá (UNIFAP), 68903-419 Macapá, AP, BrazilLaboratório de Farmacologia da Inflamação e do Comportamento, Instituto de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, PA 66075-110, BrazilLaboratório de Biologia Estrutural e Funcional, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, PA 66075-110, BrazilLaboratório de Farmacologia Molecular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, PA 66075-110, BrazilMercury is among the ten most dangerous chemicals for public health, and is a priority concern for the 128 signatory countries of the Minamata Convention. Mercury emissions to the atmosphere increased 20% between 2010 and 2015, with South America, Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia as the main contributors. Approximately 80% of the total mercury emissions in South America is from the Amazon, where the presence of the metal is ubiquitous and highly dynamic. The presence of this metal is likely increasing, with global consequences, due to events of the last two years including extensive biomass burning and deforestation, as well as mining activities and the construction of large-scale projects, such as dams. Here we present a concise profile of this mobilization, highlighting the human exposure to this metal in areas without mining history. Mercury reaches the food chain in its most toxic form, methylmercury, intoxicating human populations through the intake of contaminated fish. Amazonian populations present levels over 6 ppm of hair mercury and, according to the 175:250:5:1 ratio for methylmercury intake : mercury hair : mercury brain : mercury blood, consume 2–6 times the internationally recognized reference doses. This exposure is alarmingly higher than that of other populations worldwide. A possible biphasic behavior of the mercury-related phenomena, with consequences that may not be observed in populations with lower levels, is hypothesized, supporting the need of improving our knowledge of this type of chronic exposure. It is urgent that we address this serious public health problem in the Amazon, especially considering that human exposure may be increasing in the near future. All actions in this region carry the potential to have global repercussions.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412020321784IntoxicationBrazilCentral nervous systemDamForest fireASGM |
| spellingShingle | Maria Elena Crespo-Lopez Marcus Augusto-Oliveira Amanda Lopes-Araújo Leticia Santos-Sacramento Priscila Yuki Takeda Barbarella de Matos Macchi José Luiz Martins do Nascimento Cristiane S.F. Maia Rafael R. Lima Gabriela P. Arrifano Mercury: What can we learn from the Amazon? Environment International Intoxication Brazil Central nervous system Dam Forest fire ASGM |
| title | Mercury: What can we learn from the Amazon? |
| title_full | Mercury: What can we learn from the Amazon? |
| title_fullStr | Mercury: What can we learn from the Amazon? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mercury: What can we learn from the Amazon? |
| title_short | Mercury: What can we learn from the Amazon? |
| title_sort | mercury what can we learn from the amazon |
| topic | Intoxication Brazil Central nervous system Dam Forest fire ASGM |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412020321784 |
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