Abstract
During winter 1971-72 massive poisoning occurred throughout rural Iraq due to ingestion of homemade bread prepared from seed wheat treated with a methylmercury(CH3Hg) fungicide. Thousands of children and adults were poisoned and hundreds of deaths occurred (Science181:230,1973). Prenatal and early postnatal exposure were documented(Ped.54:5,1974!AJDC130:1070,1976)and long term followup studies of exposed fetuses and infants are in progress. Using a mouse model to determine potentially significant variables relating to CH3Hg toxicity in the developing mammal, we have observed that compared to adults, suckling mice excrete minimal amounts of their body burdens of mercury. Groups of young mice were exposed to a single non-toxic dose of CH3203Hg(0.4 mg/Kg. per os)at 2,4,6.., or 28 days of age. Whole body counts and urinary and fecal excretion were followed for each exposure group. From birth to 15 days, elimination half-times of mercury ranged from 2500 to 200 days. Between 16 and 18 days an abrupt increase to the adult elimination half-time of 8 days occurred. Decreases in whole body counts were accurately reflected in counts recovered in excreta. Studies are underway to determine whether a similar developmental change in excretion occurs in the exposed human infant. Since elimination half-time has been shown to be directly related to cumulative body burden as a function of duration of exposure, these observations are of importance in estimating exposure risks of human fetuses and infants.
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Doherty, R., Gates, A. & Landry, T. METHYLMERCURY EXCRETION: DEVELOPMENTAL CHANGES IN MOUSE AND MAN. Pediatr Res 11, 416 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197704000-00279
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197704000-00279
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