Neurotoxic and genotoxic effects of methylmercury
2014
Aggarwal, Priyanka | Gaur, Smriti | Gauba, Pammi
The toxic form of methylmercury is of concern in terms of its neurotoxicity, genotoxicity and reproductive toxicity. Extensive research has been carried out on the effects of exposure to high levels of this toxic compound, but this is not true for research on exposure to lower levels. The harmful effects of methylmercury are a cause for concern irrespective of the exposure levels. The problem becomes more serious because of biomagnifications of methylmercury. Disorders may develop during neonatal stage and then develop further during the lifetime. The common effects which can be seen are retarded brain development and permanent disorders like cerebral palsy. This can also cause neurogenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Research on animals has also shown toxicity. Inorganic Hg was found to be present in brains of neonatal rats, in monkeys prenatal exposure to MeHg resulted in a reduced number of births, and birds laid a lesser number of eggs and the infant mortality rate was higher.
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