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Mercury Exposure through Fish Consumption in Traditional Communities in the Brazilian Northern Amazon

Author

Listed:
  • Sandra de Souza Hacon

    (Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública Sérgio Arouca, Rio de Janeiro 21041-210, Brazil)

  • Marcelo Oliveira-da-Costa

    (WWF-Brasil, Brasília 70377-540, Brazil)

  • Cecile de Souza Gama

    (Instituto de Pesquisas Científicas e Tecnológicas do Amapá, Av. Feliciano Coelho, 1509. Trem, Amapá 68901-025, Brazil)

  • Renata Ferreira

    (Iepé-Instituto de Pesquisa e Formação Indígena, Macapá, Amapá 68908-120, Brazil)

  • Paulo Cesar Basta

    (Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública Sérgio Arouca, Rio de Janeiro 21041-210, Brazil)

  • Ana Schramm

    (Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública Sérgio Arouca, Rio de Janeiro 21041-210, Brazil)

  • Decio Yokota

    (Iepé-Instituto de Pesquisa e Formação Indígena, Macapá, Amapá 68908-120, Brazil)

Abstract

Artisanal small-scale gold mining (ASGM) is the main source of anthropogenic mercury emissions and contamination in Latin America. In the Brazilian northern Amazon, ASGM has contaminated the environment and people over the past century. The main contamination route is through fish consumption, which endangers the food security and livelihoods of traditional communities. Our study aims to assess the potential toxicological health risks caused by the consumption of Hg-contaminated fish across five regions in Amapá State. We sampled 428 fish from 18 sites across inland and coastal aquatic systems. We measured the total mercury content in fish samples, and the results were applied to a mercury exposure risk assessment targeting three distinct groups (adults, women of childbearing age, and children). Mercury contamination was found to exceed the World Health Organization’s safe limit in 28.7% of all fish samples, with higher prevalence in inland zones. Moreover, the local preference for carnivorous fish species presents a serious health risk, particularly for communities near inland rivers in the region. This is the first study to provide clear recommendations for reducing the mercury exposure through fish consumption in Amapá State. It builds scientific evidence that helps decision-makers to implement effective policies for protecting the health of riverine communities.

Suggested Citation

  • Sandra de Souza Hacon & Marcelo Oliveira-da-Costa & Cecile de Souza Gama & Renata Ferreira & Paulo Cesar Basta & Ana Schramm & Decio Yokota, 2020. "Mercury Exposure through Fish Consumption in Traditional Communities in the Brazilian Northern Amazon," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(15), pages 1-15, July.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:15:p:5269-:d:387858
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Sandra S. Hacon & José G. Dórea & Márlon De F. Fonseca & Beatriz A. Oliveira & Dennys S. Mourão & Claudia M. V. Ruiz & Rodrigo A. Gonçalves & Carolina F. Mariani & Wanderley R. Bastos, 2014. "The Influence of Changes in Lifestyle and Mercury Exposure in Riverine Populations of the Madeira River (Amazon Basin) near a Hydroelectric Project," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-19, February.
    2. Claudia M. Vega & Jesem D.Y. Orellana & Marcos W. Oliveira & Sandra S. Hacon & Paulo C. Basta, 2018. "Human Mercury Exposure in Yanomami Indigenous Villages from the Brazilian Amazon," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-13, May.
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    1. Paulo Cesar Basta & Paulo Victor de Sousa Viana & Ana Claudia Santiago de Vasconcellos & André Reynaldo Santos Périssé & Cristina Barroso Hofer & Natalia Santana Paiva & Joseph William Kempton & Danie, 2021. "Mercury Exposure in Munduruku Indigenous Communities from Brazilian Amazon: Methodological Background and an Overview of the Principal Results," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(17), pages 1-32, September.
    2. Faye Koenigsmark & Caren Weinhouse & Axel J. Berky & Ana Maria Morales & Ernesto J. Ortiz & Eric M. Pierce & William K. Pan & Heileen Hsu-Kim, 2021. "Efficacy of Hair Total Mercury Content as a Biomarker of Methylmercury Exposure to Communities in the Area of Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining in Madre de Dios, Peru," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(24), pages 1-16, December.
    3. Alycia K. Silman & Raveena Chhabria & George W. Hafzalla & Leahanne Giffin & Kimberly Kucharski & Katherine Myers & Carlos Culquichicón & Stephanie Montero & Andres G. Lescano & Claudia M. Vega & Luis, 2022. "Impairment in Working Memory and Executive Function Associated with Mercury Exposure in Indigenous Populations in Upper Amazonian Peru," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(17), pages 1-25, September.

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