Investigation of methylmercury content in fish for the comparison between habitat sea area and depth and the risk assessment in fish dietary intake

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K15387
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Hygiene and public health
• Research Institution: Osaka Institute of Public Health
• Principal Investigator: Kakimoto Sachiko 地方独立行政法人 大阪健康安全基盤研究所, 企画部, 主任研究員 (80291219)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 総水銀 / メチル水銀 / ベニズワイガニ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, we investigated the total mercury (T-Hg) and methylmercury (MeHg) concentrations in red snow crabs (Chionoecetes japonicus) caught off the coast of Japan. The mean ratio of MeHg to T-Hg was 0.88. According to our data, the intake of MeHg from eating red snow crab was estimated to be lower than 0.013 mg/week, which was less than one-sixth of the tolerable MeHg intake (0.08 mg/week). It indicated that no adverse effect on health immediately. To verify the use of red snow crab as an indicator of MeHg contamination, further studies are required to unify and expand the sample properties of size, number, and catch area.

Free Research Field

社会医学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

一般的な日本人の食事を介してのベニズワイガニのメチル水銀摂取量は、0.013 mg/週未満となり、暫定耐容一週間摂取量の約1/6であり、直ちに健康に悪影響を与える量ではなかった。
今回調査した生ベニズワイガニ中の総水銀濃度とメチル水銀濃度との関係を検証した結果、ベニズワイガニでは水銀は概ねメチル水銀の形態（存在比=0.88）で蓄積されていることがわかった。また、体重と総水銀およびメチル水銀濃度に相関が認められた。