Overview
This cross-sectional biomonitoring study measured total mercury (tHg) in scalp hair of 301 residents of the Gulf of Trieste coastal area in Italy, a region historically contaminated by mercury from the Idrija cinnabar mining district (Slovenia) via the Isonzo/Soča river system. The mean hair Hg concentration was 1.63 mg/kg, slightly above the 1.0 mg/kg WHO reference for pregnant women and children, though well below the NOAEL of 10 mg/kg. Shellfish/crayfish/mollusk preference was the strongest positive predictor of elevated hair Hg (adjusted RC = 0.35; 95% CI: 0.16, 0.55), and preference for frozen fish was protective (adjusted RC = -0.23), consistent with the dominance of MeHg from aquatic food chain exposure.
Key numbers
- Mean hair Hg: 1.63 ± 1.50 mg/kg; median 1.2 mg/kg (IQR: 0.78, 1.86)
- Male mean: 1.85 ± 1.79 mg/kg; female mean: 1.48 ± 1.23 mg/kg
- 55.6% of participants had hair Hg > 1.0 mg/kg (WHO threshold for pregnant women/children)
- 22.9% had hair Hg > 2.0 mg/kg
- 2 participants (0.7%) had hair Hg > 10 mg/kg (NOAEL)
- LOD: 0.004 mg/kg by Direct Mercury Analyzer DMA-80 (EPA Method 7473)
- CRM recovery 98–106%
- n = 301; recruited September 2021
Methods (brief)
Hair samples (~100 mg) from occipital scalp; analyzed by Direct Mercury Analyzer (DMA-80, Milestone) per EPA Method 7473. Total Hg measured (no speciation to MeHg vs inorganic Hg). Questionnaire on diet including fish consumption frequency and type. Multiple linear regression on log-transformed hair Hg. LOD = 0.004 mg/kg.
Implications
Certification: Demonstrates shellfish and small/medium fish consumption as primary MeHg exposure pathway for coastal populations; relevant to seafood product risk framing. Courses: Strong example of dietary biomonitoring establishing fish-type specificity of MeHg exposure. App: Supports MeHg risk elevation for shellfish and mixed-fish dietary patterns.
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Update history
The five most recent substantive edits to this page, classified major (evidence or structure moved), correction (a published value or statement was wrong and has been fixed), or minor (narrative rewritten without changing the underlying evidence). Each description is derived from what the edit did to this page; the linked commit is the authoritative record, routine regeneration passes are excluded, and the full version history lives in git. When DOI minting comes online (see schema docs), each entry below will also link to a version-pinned DataCite DOI.
| Commit | Date | Change | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| e317189 | 2026-08-11 | correction | 6 sections added; narrative text revised |