Hair mercury levels in Amazonian populations: spatial distribution and trends

Table 10 Hair mercury levels in the Madeira River Basin

Studied population	Location	N	Hg mean μg/g (median) [SD]	Range μg/g	> 10 μg/g^a	Fish consumption
General population
Bastos et al. 2006	Various populations along the Madeira River	713	15.2 (12.5) [9.6]	0.36-150.0	>50%	7 meals/week
Boischio & Barbosa 1993	Near Porto Velho	311	≈ (10)	?-303.1	51%	200 g/day^b
Mothers and their infants
Barbosa & Dorea 1998	Near Porto Velho
	Mothers	98	14.1 (12.8) [10.7]	2.6-94.7	>50%
	Infants	71	10.8 (7.8) [8.5]	0.8-44.4
Boschio & Cernichiari 1998	Near Porto Velho
	Mothers	12		4.0-41.0
	Infants	12		8.2-50.4
Boischio & Henshel 2000	Near Porto Velho
	Mothers	90	12.6 [6.5]	15.0-45.0
	Infants	89	10.2 [7.2]	1.0-34.2
Marques et al. 2007	Porto Velho city
	Mothers	82	(5.4)	0.4-62.4		1 meal/week
	Infants	82	(1.8)	0.02-32.9

^aPercentage of the population with hair mercury levels higher than 10 μg/g. ^bFrom the Letter to the Editor Boischio Environ Research 2000; 82:91-92

ISSN: 1476-072X