Hair mercury levels in Amazonian populations: spatial distribution and trends

Table 1 Hair mercury levels in Andean Amazonian Countries

Studied population	Study	N	Hg mean μg/g	Range	> 10 μg/g^a	Fish
Country, River Basin			(median) [SD]	μg/g
General population
Barbieri et al. 2009	Cachuela Esperanza	150	3.76 (3.01) [2.52]	0.42-15.65	3%	10.5 meals/week
Bolivia, Beni River
Monrroy et al. 2008	Upper Beni River	556	5.3 (4.0) [4.3]	0.08-34.	≈ 14.0%
Bolivia, Beni River	Children	393	5.2 (3.9) [4.4]	0.08-34.1
	Mothers	163	5.5 (4.4) [4.1]	0.15-20.0
	Pregnant women	18	3.2 (3.3) [2.1]	0.2-7.8
	Breastfeeding (BF)	57	6.2 (5.5) [4.1]	0.5-18.3
	Non pregnant, non BF	93	5.4 (4.1) [4.1]	0.15-20.0
Maurice-Bourgoin et al. 2000	Rurrenabaque	80
Bolivia, Beni River	Esse-Ejjas indigenous	37	9.8	4.3-19.5
Webb et al. 2004	Coca	45	1.9(1.5)	0.03-10.0		7.5 meals/month
Ecuador, Napo River	Añangu	27	8.7 (7.8)	2.2-20.5		17.2 meals/month
	Pañacocha	27	5.3 (5.0)	1.5-13.6		33.9 meals/month
Children
Counter et al. 2005	Nambija gold-mining	80	2.8^b (2.0) [17.5]	1.0-135.0	<10%
Ecuador, Nambija River	settlement

^aPercentage of the population with hair mercury levels higher than 10 μg/g. ^bGeometric mean.

ISSN: 1476-072X