Environmental exposure to mercury and the risk management for the future
2004
Murata, K. (Akita Univ. (Japan). School of Medicine) | Nakai, K. | Satoh, H.
Abstract Health effects of methylmercury exposure observed in disasters of Minamata Disease and methylmercury poisoning in Iraq has been long concerned. Thereafter, cohort studies in fish eating populations have been conducted to assess the risk involved and now the stage of risk management has come. Because of the insufficient scientific data, large uncertainty factors perhaps politically determined are applied to derive standards or guideline levels of methylmercury intake issued from international organizations and US government agencies. The results of major cohort studies conflict each other and health effects of low dose methylmercury exposure has been still argued among the scientists. It is questionable that food culture of each country or region was taken into consideration when the standards or guideline levels were derived under large uncertainty factors. This report describes and discusses issues to be considered when reference dose (RfD) or provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI) were derived and propose the direction of risk management in Japan concerning methylmercury in fish.
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