Hair mercury levels in relation to fish consumption in a community of the Moroccan Mediterranean coast Hecham Elhamri a; Larbi Idrissi a; Marina Coquery b; Sabine Azemard c; Abdellah El Abidi a; Mohamed Benlemlih d; Mohamed Saghi e; Francesco Cubadda f a Department of Toxicology, National Institute of Health, Agdal, Rabat, Morocco b Département Milieux aquatiques, CEMAGREF, Groupement de Lyon, F-69336 Lyon cedex 09, France c IAEA, Marine Environment Laboratory, MC 98000, Monaco d Faculty of Science Dhar El Mahrez, Laboratory of Environmental Microbiology, Fes, Morocco e Laboratory of Pollution, Ecotoxicology and Sanitary Risk, Scientific institute, University Mohamed V, Rabat, Morocco f National Centre for Food Quality and Risk Assessment, Istituto Superiore di Sanitŕ, I-00161 Rome, Italy Abstract Coastal populations with high seafood consumption in the Mediterranean have a significant exposure to dietary methylmercury, and areas where environmental mercury pollution is an issue due to industrial activities are of special concern. The study was undertaken with the aim of assessing methylmercury exposure through fish consumption in a community of north Morocco and characterizing the relevant health risk. Concentrations of total mercury were determined in human hair, a biomarker of methylmercury exposure, and in locally consumed fish by cold vapour atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Based on consumption frequencies reported by the 108 subjects included in the study the weekly intake of methylmercury was estimated and biomarker data were evaluated in relation to the estimated intake and the sociodemographic characteristics of the population. Multiple regression analysis was employed for the interpretation of hair mercury data in relation to fish consumption frequency, gender and the age of individuals. Mercury concentrations in hair ranged from 0.22 to 9.56 µg g-1 (geometric mean = 1.79 µg g-1) and were closely related to fish intake. Fisherman and their families consumed fish three to five times per week and were the most exposed population subgroup. A high proportion of women of child-bearing age (50%) had relatively high levels of mercury in their hair (3.08-7.88 µg g-1). DOI: 10.1080/02652030701329611 Food Additives & Contaminants, Volume 24, Issue 11 January 2007 , pages 1 - 11 Remember we are NOT Doctors and have NO medical training. This site is like an Encylopedia - there are many pages, many links on many topics. Support our work with any size DONATION - see left side of any page - for how to donate. You can help raise awareness of CAM.