Kumar et al. 2025 — Mercury in Lactating Women and Infants, Bihar
This 2025 cross-sectional study from the Bihar Gangetic plains documents extensive mercury contamination in lactating women’s breast milk, with 74% of samples exceeding WHO guideline limits. The study uses geospatial analysis to map exposure clusters.
Key numbers
Key finding: 74% of lactating mothers had breast milk mercury levels exceeding WHO guideline limits.
Sample sizes: 224 lactating mothers; 172 infants.
Matrices measured: breast milk, maternal blood, maternal urine, dietary food samples from the study region.
(Detailed concentration values, means, and ranges were not fully extractable from the Marker-converted file; see raw/markdown/FM_11971891/FM_11971891.md for full tables.)
Methods
BMC Public Health cross-sectional study design. Total mercury (tHg) by AAS or ICP-MS (method not specified in excerpt). Geospatial mapping of Hg contamination clusters.
Bihar Gangetic plains note: the same region was documented in Kumar 2024 (FM_11415992) for extreme arsenic exposure. Mercury contamination in this area likely reflects industrial discharge and artisanal gold mining activities along tributaries.
Implications
Health: 74% exceedance of WHO breast milk Hg guidelines in this population is a serious finding. Maternal dietary mercury exposure — likely from contaminated fish in the Ganges tributaries — appears to be the primary driver.