Webster et al. 2024 — Mercury exposure and thyroid cancer: systematic review and meta-analysis
This systematic review and meta-analysis examined the association between mercury (total and methylmercury) exposure and the risk of thyroid cancer. Drawing on epidemiological studies that measured urinary, blood, and tissue mercury concentrations in human populations, the authors synthesized evidence on whether dietary mercury exposure, primarily through fish consumption, represents a plausible risk factor for thyroid cancer. The paper contributes to the dietary exposure context for MeHg and tHg, particularly in populations with high seafood intake.
Key numbers
The paper reports pooled risk estimates across included studies. Urinary and blood mercury metrics were the primary biomonitoring matrices. The review distinguishes total mercury from methylmercury where speciation was reported in source studies. Specific pooled OR and confidence intervals are reported in tables and figures within the paper.
Methods (brief)
Systematic review with meta-analysis design. Mercury exposure assessed via urinary mercury, blood mercury, and thyroid tissue concentrations depending on the source study. Studies varied in speciation reporting; the review notes the critical distinction between inorganic mercury and MeHg. Risk of bias assessed across included studies.
Implications
Certification: Provides human-biomonitoring context for MeHg dietary exposure, relevant to seafood and fish product categories in HMT&C threshold discussions. Courses: Useful for health-effects modules on mercury and vulnerable population framing. App: Not directly applicable (no food matrix concentrations). Microbiome: Not addressed.