Risk-benefit analysis of methylmercury exposure and unsaturated fatty acids intake through fish intake

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26293146
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Hygiene and public health
• Research Institution: Tohoku University
• Principal Investigator: NAKAI Kunihiko 東北大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究院), 教授 (00291336)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 龍田 希 東北大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究院), 助教 (40547709) ; 木村 ふみ子 東北大学, (連合)農学研究科(研究院), 助教 (50321980) ; 上野 大介 佐賀大学, 農学部, 准教授 (60423604)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 社会医学 / 環境 / コホート / 有害化学物質 / 不飽和脂肪酸 / メチル水銀

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Fish intake has been shown to be the major exposure route to methylmercury, while n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) such as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is taken through fish intake, suggesting that fish intake includes the beneficial and risk sides. However, there is no epidemiological evidence of fish intake in Japanese pregnant women. Thus, beneficial effects of DHA had been examined in a cohort study. Cord blood progesterone was included as covariance in the analyses, since this sex hormone correlated with cord blood erythrocyte DHA, and DHA was influenced by the sex of infant. Multiple regression analyses showed positive effects of DHA on cognitive and attention regions of children at 7 months old, while the adverse effects of exposure to methylmercury was not consistent. There were no significant effects of DHA and methylmercury exposure in children of 24 months old. These results recommend the increase in fish intake in pregnant women with avoiding of methylmercury exposure.

Free Research Field

環境衛生学