Total mercury and methylmercury levels in eggs from laying hens in a mining area in Bajo Cauca, Antioquia, Colombia
Thanks to their unique nutritional components, eggs constitute the source of nourishment for many people. Yet they can also absorb concentrations of several environmental contaminants. This study sought to assess the total mercury (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) levels in eggs of laying hens from one...
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| Format: | Article |
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KeAi Communications Co., Ltd.
2023-09-01
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| Series: | Emerging Contaminants |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405665023000288 |
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| author | Dubán González-Álvarez Azucena Cabrera Jaramillo Natalia Cadavid Muñoz Diana María Agudelo-Echavarría Alejandro Soto-Ospina Álvaro Arango Ruiz |
| author_facet | Dubán González-Álvarez Azucena Cabrera Jaramillo Natalia Cadavid Muñoz Diana María Agudelo-Echavarría Alejandro Soto-Ospina Álvaro Arango Ruiz |
| author_sort | Dubán González-Álvarez |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Thanks to their unique nutritional components, eggs constitute the source of nourishment for many people. Yet they can also absorb concentrations of several environmental contaminants. This study sought to assess the total mercury (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) levels in eggs of laying hens from one of the areas with the highest gold mining activity in Colombia. THg and MeHg concentrations were processed in a Direct Mercury Analyzer (DMA) and by gas chromatograph respectively. Risk assessment was conducted based on a dietary survey. The geometric mean Hg concentrations in egg samples were between 3.50 and 10.55 μg g−1 and the highest concentrations of these contaminants were found in the whole egg, followed by the white and the yolk. Mercury showed the highest levels of exposure, which exceeded the safe dose by one unit approximately. Its risk ratio was 2.3. Therefore, daily exposure is likely to cause non-cancer adverse effects during an individual's lifetime. It is critical that this research field continues to investigate risk-mitigation strategies involving the optimization of resources used in mining and agricultural techniques to avoid negative consequences to human health and threats to food security. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T18:28:02Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-87b0c0d8f4da42dd880cffe86c08ae30 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2405-6650 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T18:28:02Z |
| publishDate | 2023-09-01 |
| publisher | KeAi Communications Co., Ltd. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Emerging Contaminants |
| spelling | doaj.art-87b0c0d8f4da42dd880cffe86c08ae302023-10-13T13:55:07ZengKeAi Communications Co., Ltd.Emerging Contaminants2405-66502023-09-0193100230Total mercury and methylmercury levels in eggs from laying hens in a mining area in Bajo Cauca, Antioquia, ColombiaDubán González-Álvarez0Azucena Cabrera Jaramillo1Natalia Cadavid Muñoz2Diana María Agudelo-Echavarría3Alejandro Soto-Ospina4Álvaro Arango Ruiz5Faculty of Pharmaceutical and Food Sciences, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia; Research Group on Foods (GRIAL), Faculty of Engineering, Unilasallista Corporación Universitaria, Caldas, Antioquia, Colombia; Corresponding author. Mercury Studies Network, Corporación Universitaria Lasallista, Caldas, Antioquia, Colombia.Research Group on Veterinary Medicine GIVET, Faculty of Agrarian Sciences, Colombia; Applied Environmental Research Group – GAMA, Faculty of Engineering, Unilasallista Corporación Universitaria, Caldas, Antioquia, ColombiaFaculty of Pharmaceutical and Food Sciences, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia; Applied Environmental Research Group – GAMA, Faculty of Engineering, Unilasallista Corporación Universitaria, Caldas, Antioquia, ColombiaResearch Group Engineering, Environmental Sciences and Innovation, Northern Catholic University Foundation, Medellín, ColombiaHead of the Research Group on Foods (GRIAL) Faculty of Engineering, Unilasallista Corporación Universitaria, Caldas, Antioquia, ColombiaApplied Environmental Research Group – GAMA, Faculty of Engineering, Unilasallista Corporación Universitaria, Caldas, Antioquia, ColombiaThanks to their unique nutritional components, eggs constitute the source of nourishment for many people. Yet they can also absorb concentrations of several environmental contaminants. This study sought to assess the total mercury (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) levels in eggs of laying hens from one of the areas with the highest gold mining activity in Colombia. THg and MeHg concentrations were processed in a Direct Mercury Analyzer (DMA) and by gas chromatograph respectively. Risk assessment was conducted based on a dietary survey. The geometric mean Hg concentrations in egg samples were between 3.50 and 10.55 μg g−1 and the highest concentrations of these contaminants were found in the whole egg, followed by the white and the yolk. Mercury showed the highest levels of exposure, which exceeded the safe dose by one unit approximately. Its risk ratio was 2.3. Therefore, daily exposure is likely to cause non-cancer adverse effects during an individual's lifetime. It is critical that this research field continues to investigate risk-mitigation strategies involving the optimization of resources used in mining and agricultural techniques to avoid negative consequences to human health and threats to food security.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405665023000288EggMercuryMethylmercuryHeavy metalHealth |
| spellingShingle | Dubán González-Álvarez Azucena Cabrera Jaramillo Natalia Cadavid Muñoz Diana María Agudelo-Echavarría Alejandro Soto-Ospina Álvaro Arango Ruiz Total mercury and methylmercury levels in eggs from laying hens in a mining area in Bajo Cauca, Antioquia, Colombia Emerging Contaminants Egg Mercury Methylmercury Heavy metal Health |
| title | Total mercury and methylmercury levels in eggs from laying hens in a mining area in Bajo Cauca, Antioquia, Colombia |
| title_full | Total mercury and methylmercury levels in eggs from laying hens in a mining area in Bajo Cauca, Antioquia, Colombia |
| title_fullStr | Total mercury and methylmercury levels in eggs from laying hens in a mining area in Bajo Cauca, Antioquia, Colombia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Total mercury and methylmercury levels in eggs from laying hens in a mining area in Bajo Cauca, Antioquia, Colombia |
| title_short | Total mercury and methylmercury levels in eggs from laying hens in a mining area in Bajo Cauca, Antioquia, Colombia |
| title_sort | total mercury and methylmercury levels in eggs from laying hens in a mining area in bajo cauca antioquia colombia |
| topic | Egg Mercury Methylmercury Heavy metal Health |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405665023000288 |
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