The Effects of the Frequency of Fish Consumption on the Blood Mercury Levels in Koreans

Kim, Chan Woo; Kim, Young Wook; Chae, Chang Ho; Son, Jun Seok; Park, Seung Hyun; Koh, Jae Chul; Kim, Dae Seon

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
We studied two districts in Korea in order to investigate if the frequency of fish consumption has an effect on the blood mercury levels.
METHODS
This survey was conducted on 164 fishing district residents in Geoje city and 219 agricultural district residents in Changwon city from July to August in 2008. The data on the demographic characteristics, the living environment, lifestyle habits and the frequency of fish consumption was collected by interviewers. We used ANOVA to estimate the particular relevance between the frequency of fish consumption and the blood mercury concentration, and other various factors.
RESULTS
The mean total blood mercury level was 6.54+/-4.01 microgram/L for the total study population. Our results were even higher than that of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (USA) in, 2001~2002 and the German Environmental Survey in, 1998. In this study, there was a significant difference for the frequency of eating fish between the groups. (p<0.01, The level of the groups that ate fish 3 to 4 times per week was significantly higher as compared with the level of the other groups that ate fish 2 to 3 times per month and 1 to 2 times per week, respectively). As the frequency of fish consumption increased, so did the blood mercury concentration.
CONCLUSIONS
We found that the blood mercury concentration increases along with fish consumption and this was statistically significant and this fact reveals that fish consumption is positively related to the blood levels of mercury. Accordingly, we need systematic and periodic research on the general population to prevent mercury poisoning, which can be caused by low-level mercury exposure from dietary intake such as chronic fish consumption.