Hair mercury levels in Amazonian populations: spatial distribution and trends

Table 2 Hair mercury levels in French Guyana

Studied population	River basin	Location	N	Hg mean μg/g (median) [SD]	Range μg/g	> 10 μg/g^a	Fish consumption
General population
BASAG 2007	Maroni River	Sinnamary	285	1.8		5%
	Oyapok River	Lower Maroni River	740	1.7-3.6		2.4%
		Lower Oyapok	144	1.5-3.4		1 person
		River	181	4.6-7.2		7.6-18.2%
		Upper Oyapok River
Cordier et al. 1998	Maroni River Oyapok River	11 health centers
		Adults	255	3.4^b	0.2-22.0	12.2%
		Pregnant women	109	1.6^b	0.2-13.0	4.6%
		Children	136	2.5^b	0.2-31.0	11.8
Fréry et al. 2001	Maroni River	Cayodé, Twenké, Taluhen and Antécume-Pata	235	11.4 [4.2]	1.9-27.2	57.4%	20-317 g/day
Mothers and their infants
Cordier et al. 2002	Maroni River Oyapok River	Upper Maroni River
		Children	156	10.2^b		79%	2 meals/day
		Mothers	90	12.7^b
		Oyapok River
		Children	69	6.5^b
		Mothers	63	6.7^b
		Lower Maroni River
		Children	153	1.4^b
		Mothers	77	2.8^b

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

ISSN: 1476-072X