Overview
This study characterized total mercury (tHg) and methylmercury (MeHg) exposure in 807 pregnant women across three geographic cohorts in Suriname: interior communities (Indigenous and Maroon populations with high freshwater fish consumption), Paramaribo (the capital), and Nickerie (a rice-growing agricultural region). Hair and blood mercury concentrations were measured; a subsample of 75 participants had MeHg speciation. Median tHg in hair was substantially higher in interior community women (3.64 µg/g) compared to Paramaribo (0.63 µg/g) and Nickerie (0.74 µg/g), reflecting marked geographic differences in fish consumption patterns. Artisanal gold mining activity in interior regions contributes additional inorganic mercury exposure. This study provides important baseline exposure data for a largely understudied Amazon-adjacent population and demonstrates that interior fish-dependent communities have MeHg exposures approaching or exceeding WHO guidance values during pregnancy.
Key numbers
n=807 total (807 pregnant women across 3 cohorts). MeHg speciation subsample n=75. Median hair tHg by cohort: interior communities 3.64 µg/g; Paramaribo 0.63 µg/g; Nickerie 0.74 µg/g. Primary exposure pathway: freshwater fish consumption in interior communities. Secondary pathway: artisanal gold mining mercury (interior). Method: hair and blood sampling with CV-AAS for tHg; subsample speciated for MeHg. Jurisdiction: Suriname (SR). Publication: J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol 2021 Feb;31(1):117-125.
Methods (brief)
Cross-sectional sampling of pregnant women at antenatal care visits across three geographic regions. Hair samples (approximately 3 cm from scalp, reflecting 3 months of exposure) analyzed for tHg by CV-AAS. Blood samples also collected. Subsample of 75 with paired hair/blood for MeHg speciation. Dietary intake data collected to characterize fish consumption patterns. Limitation: cross-sectional design at a single time point; interior communities represent very high fish consumption populations.
Implications
Certification: Documents geographic variation in fish consumption-driven MeHg exposure during pregnancy; interior Suriname communities approach or exceed WHO guidance values. Courses: Illustrates the fish consumption-MeHg exposure pathway and population-level geographic variation in a vulnerable population (pregnancy). App: Fish type (freshwater vs. marine) and frequency are key modifiers of MeHg exposure; geographic origin of fish matters.
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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 |