Risk of Mercury exposure during childhood: a review of Sri Lankan situation

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 229-232
Author(s):  
Himan K. A. Galappaththi ◽  
Inoka Suraweera
Keyword(s):  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Health Effects ◽  
Fish Consumption ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Mercury Level ◽  
Fluorescent Light ◽  
Aquatic Life ◽  
Hair Mercury ◽  
Coastal Belt ◽  
High Mercury

AbstractSri Lanka had ratified the Minamata convention in the year 2017 and is planning to phase out Mercury by 2020. Mercury thermometers and compact fluorescent light bulbs are abundant at hospitals, households and schools. Limitations in safe disposal and containment mechanisms have enhanced the unregulated e-waste collection and extraction. Sri Lanka has plentiful lagoons, fishing bays, and inland irrigation systems. Fish consumption is high, especially around the coastal belt. Mercury can bioaccumulate in humans by the consumption of fish from contaminated sources. Children are at risk of exposure in their living environments and via food. A multicountry study done across three oceans on Mercury threat to women & children revealed, lagoon pollution from industrial Mercury emissions in Sri Lanka, possessing high Mercury among local females who consume fish from that lagoon. The mean hair Mercury level in coastal areas with high fish consumption exceeded the reference dose even among children. Aquatic life and crop studies revealed a mixed picture of Mercury levels which some are lower and some are higher than the permissible levels. Studies on environmental Mercury levels and correlations with health effects among children will help to fill the data gap. Public awareness of the health effects of Mercury and mechanisms of Mercury disposal should be established.

scholarly journals Hair mercury level of coastal communities in Malaysia: a linkage with fish consumption

2008 ◽  
Vol 227 (5) ◽  
pp. 1349-1355 ◽  
Author(s):  
Parvaneh Hajeb ◽  
Jinap Selamat ◽  
Ahmad Ismail ◽  
Fatimah Abu Bakar ◽  
Jamilah Bakar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fish Consumption ◽  
Mercury Level ◽  
Coastal Communities ◽  
Hair Mercury

scholarly journals Blood and hair mercury concentrations among Cree First Nations ofEeyou Istchee(Quebec, Canada): time trends, prenatal exposure and links to local fish consumption

2018 ◽  
Vol 77 (1) ◽  
pp. 1474706 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susannah Ripley ◽  
Elizabeth Robinson ◽  
Louise Johnson-Down ◽  
Anne Andermann ◽  
Pierre Ayotte ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
First Nations ◽  
Prenatal Exposure ◽  
Fish Consumption ◽  
Time Trends ◽  
Hair Mercury

scholarly journals A Study on Schoolchildren's Mercury Exposure and Related Health Effects in High Mercury Exposure Areas in Korea

2015 ◽  
Vol 41 (4) ◽  
pp. 268-276
Author(s):  
Dae Seon Kim ◽  
Seung Chul Ahn ◽  
Hee-Ung Chung ◽  
Young Min Kwon ◽  
Kyunghee CHOI
Keyword(s):  
Health Effects ◽  
Mercury Exposure ◽  
High Mercury

scholarly journals Mercury Levels in Human Hair and Farmed Fish near Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining Communities in the Madre de Dios River Basin, Peru

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aubrey L. Langeland ◽  
Rebecca D. Hardin ◽  
Richard L. Neitzel
Keyword(s):  
River Basin ◽  
Gold Mining ◽  
Total Mercury ◽  
Mercury Level ◽  
Mercury Exposure ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Farmed Fish ◽  
Mining Communities ◽  
Hair Mercury ◽  
Madre De Dios

Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) has been an important source of income for communities in the Madre de Dios River Basin in Peru for hundreds of years. However, in recent decades, the scale of ASGM activities in the region has increased dramatically, and exposures to a variety of occupational and environmental hazards related to ASGM, including mercury, are becoming more widespread. The aims of our study were to: (1) examine patterns in the total hair mercury level of human participants in several communities in the region and compare these results to the 2.2 µg/g total hair mercury level equivalent to the World Health Organization (WHO) Expert Committee of Food Additives (JECFA)’s Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intake (PTWI); and (2), to measure the mercury levels of paco (Piaractus brachypomus) fish raised in local aquaculture ponds, in order to compare these levels to the EPA Fish Tissue Residue Criterion of 0.3 µg Hg/g fish (wet weight). We collected hair samples from 80 participants in four communities (one control and three where ASGM activities occurred) in the region, and collected 111 samples from fish raised in 24 local aquaculture farms. We then analyzed the samples for total mercury. Total mercury levels in hair were statistically significantly higher in the mining communities than in the control community, and increased with increasing distance away from the Madre de Dios headwaters (as the crow flies), did not differ by sex, and frequently exceeded the reference level. Regression analyses indicated that higher hair mercury levels were associated with residence in ASGM communities. The analysis of paco fish samples found no samples that exceeded the EPA tissue residue criterion. Collectively, these results align with other recent studies showing that ASGM activities are associated with elevated human mercury exposure. The fish farmed through the relatively new process of aquaculture in ASGM areas appeared to have little potential to contribute to human mercury exposure. More research is needed on human health risks associated with ASGM to discern occupational, residential, and nutritional exposure, especially through tracking temporal changes in mercury levels as fish ponds age, and assessing levels in different farmed fish species. Additionally, research is needed to definitively determine that elevated mercury levels in humans and fish result from the elemental mercury from mining, rather than from a different source, such as the mercury released from soil erosion during deforestation events from mining or other activities.

scholarly journals Patient perspectives on hypertension management in health system of Sri Lanka: a qualitative study

BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. e031773
Author(s):  
Manuja Perera ◽  
Chamini Kanatiwela de Silva ◽  
Saeideh Tavajoh ◽  
Anuradhani Kasturiratne ◽  
Nathathasa Vihangi Luke ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Uncontrolled Hypertension ◽  
Hypertension Management ◽  
Antihypertensive Medications ◽  
Patient Pathways

IntroductionUncontrolled hypertension is the leading risk factor for mortality globally, including low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). However, pathways for seeking hypertension care and patients’ experience with the utilisation of health services for hypertension in LMICs are not well understood.ObjectivesThis study aimed to explore patients’ perspectives on different dimensions of accessibility and availability of healthcare for the management of uncontrolled hypertension in Sri Lanka.SettingPrimary care in rural areas in Sri Lanka.Participants20 patients with hypertension were purposively sampled from an ongoing study of Control of Blood Pressure and Risk Attenuation in rural Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka.MethodWe conducted in-depth interviews with patients. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed into local language (Sinhala) and translated to English. Thematic analysis was used and patient pathways on their experiences accessing care from government and private clinics are mapped out.ResultsOverall, most patients alluded to the fact that their hypertension was diagnosed accidentally in an unrelated visit to a healthcare provider and revealed lack of adherence and consuming alternatives as barriers to control hypertension. Referring to the theme ‘Accessibility and availability of hypertension care’, patients complained of distance to the hospitals, long waiting time and shortage of medicine supplies at government clinics as the main barriers to accessing health services. They often resorted to private physicians and paid out of pocket when they experienced acute symptoms attributable to hypertension. Considering the theme ‘Approachability and ability to perceive’, the majority of patients mentioned increasing public awareness, training healthcare professionals for effective communication as areas of improvement. Under the theme ‘Appropriateness and ability to engage’, few patients were aware of the names or purpose of their medications and reportedly missed doses frequently. Reminders from family members were considered a major facilitator to adherence to antihypertensive medications. Patients welcomed the idea of outreach services for hypertension and health education closer to home in the theme ‘Things the patients reported to improve the system’.ConclusionPatients identified several barriers to accessing hypertension care in Sri Lanka. Measures recommended improving hypertension management in Sri Lanka including public education on hypertension, better communication between healthcare professionals and patients, and efforts to improve access and understanding of antihypertensive medications.Trial registration numberNCT02657746.

scholarly journals Urban Watercourses in Peril: Implications of Phthalic Acid Esters on Aquatic Ecosystems Caused by Urban Sprawl

Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 519 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahesh Jayaweera ◽  
Gimhani Danushika ◽  
Nilanthi Bandara ◽  
Janith Dissanayake ◽  
Buddhika Gunawardana ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Urban Sprawl ◽  
Phthalic Acid ◽  
Phthalic Acid Esters ◽  
Aquatic Life ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Household Products ◽  
Butyl Phthalate ◽  
Acid Esters

Urban sprawl worldwide warrants the use of large quantities of industrial and household products containing phthalic acid esters (PAEs) resulting in adverse impacts on the quality of aquatic life in urban watercourses. The presence of six PAEs (dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), di(n-butyl) phthalate (DBP), benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP), bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), and di(n-octyl) phthalate (DnOP)) in 22 shallow urban watercourses in Colombo and suburbs of Sri Lanka was investigated. The average concentrations of DEP, DBP, BBP, and DEHP in all watercourses varied between 2.5–265.0, 1.0–32.0, 61–108, and 12–165 µg/L, respectively. DMP and DnOP were below the limits of quantification (DMP-0.5 µg/L, DnOP-1.0 µg/L) for all watercourses. DEHP was the most abundant PAE in many watercourses. The significant factors affecting the ubiquitous presence of PAEs in watercourses are the inherent properties of each PAE, presence of industrial and household products with great potential for the migration of PAEs in the sub-catchments, and quality of the receiving water. The contamination levels of PAEs in most of the watercourses are alarmingly high, as evidenced by higher concentrations of DEHP and DBP than those of Canadian permissible levels for the protection of aquatic life (16 and 19 µg/L). This study was the first effort in Sri Lanka to investigate the presence of PAEs in urban watercourses.

Fish consumption (Hair Mercury) and nutritional status of Amazonian Amer-Indian Children

2005 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 507-514 ◽  
Author(s):  
José G. Dórea ◽  
Antonio C. Barbosa ◽  
Íris Ferrari ◽  
Jurandir R. De Souza
Keyword(s):  
Nutritional Status ◽  
Fish Consumption ◽  
Indian Children ◽  
Hair Mercury
Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document