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Health Risk Assessment of Mercury Exposure from Fish Consumption in Munduruku Indigenous Communities in the Brazilian Amazon

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  • Ana Claudia Santiago de Vasconcellos

    (Laboratory of Professional Education in Health Surveillance, Joaquim Venâncio Polytechnic School of Health, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, 21040-900 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)

  • Gustavo Hallwass

    (Laboratory of Human Ecology, Fish, Fisheries and Conservation, Postgraduate Program in Biosciences, Federal University of West Para, 68270-000 Oriximiná, Brazil)

  • Jaqueline Gato Bezerra

    (Laboratory of Human Ecology, Fish, Fisheries and Conservation, Postgraduate Program in Biosciences, Federal University of West Para, 68270-000 Oriximiná, Brazil)

  • Angélico Nonato Serrão Aciole

    (Laboratory of Human Ecology, Fish, Fisheries and Conservation, Postgraduate Program in Biosciences, Federal University of West Para, 68270-000 Oriximiná, Brazil)

  • Heloisa Nascimento de Moura Meneses

    (Laboratory of Molecular Epidemiology, Postgraduate Program in Health Sciences, Federal University of West Para, 68040-470 Santarém, Brazil)

  • Marcelo de Oliveira Lima

    (Environment Section, Evandro Chagas Institute, Health Surveillance Secretariat, Ministry of Health, 67030-000 Ananindeua, Brazil)

  • Iracina Maura de Jesus

    (Environment Section, Evandro Chagas Institute, Health Surveillance Secretariat, Ministry of Health, 67030-000 Ananindeua, Brazil)

  • Sandra de Souza Hacon

    (Samuel Pessoa Department of Endemics, National School of Public Health, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, 21041-210 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)

  • Paulo Cesar Basta

    (Samuel Pessoa Department of Endemics, National School of Public Health, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, 21041-210 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)

Abstract

Fish serves as the principal source of animal protein for the indigenous people of the Amazon, ensuring their food and nutritional security. However, gold mining causes mercury (Hg) contamination in fish, and consequently increases health risks associated with fish consumption. The aim of this study was to assess the health risk attributed to the consumption of mercury-contaminated fish by Munduruku indigenous communities in the Middle-Tapajós Region. Different fish species were collected in the Sawré Muybu Indigenous Land to determine mercury levels. The health risk assessment was carried out according to the World Health Organization (WHO 2008) methodology and different scenarios were built for counterfactual analysis. Eighty-eight fish specimens from 17 species and four trophic levels were analyzed. Estimates of Hg ingestion indicated that the methylmercury daily intake exceeds the U.S. EPA (United States Environmental Protection Agency) (2000) reference dose from 3 to 25-fold, and up to 11 times the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization)/WHO (2003) dose recommendation. In all situations analyzed, the risk ratio estimates were above 1.0, meaning that the investigated Munduruku communities are at serious risk of harm as a result of ingestion of mercury-contaminated fish. These results indicate that, at present, fish consumption is not safe for this Munduruku population. This hazardous situation threatens the survival of this indigenous population, their food security, and their culture.

Suggested Citation

  • Ana Claudia Santiago de Vasconcellos & Gustavo Hallwass & Jaqueline Gato Bezerra & Angélico Nonato Serrão Aciole & Heloisa Nascimento de Moura Meneses & Marcelo de Oliveira Lima & Iracina Maura de Jes, 2021. "Health Risk Assessment of Mercury Exposure from Fish Consumption in Munduruku Indigenous Communities in the Brazilian Amazon," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(15), pages 1-16, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:15:p:7940-:d:602463
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    3. Paulo Cesar Basta & Paulo Victor de Sousa Viana & Ana Claudia Santiago de Vasconcellos & André Reynaldo Santos Périssé & Cristina Barroso Hofer & Natalia Santana Paiva & Joseph William Kempton & Danie, 2021. "Mercury Exposure in Munduruku Indigenous Communities from Brazilian Amazon: Methodological Background and an Overview of the Principal Results," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(17), pages 1-32, September.
    4. Nathália Santos Serrão de Castro & Marcelo De Oliveira Lima, 2018. "Hair as a Biomarker of Long Term Mercury Exposure in Brazilian Amazon: A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-16, March.
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    Cited by:

    1. Paulo Cesar Basta & Paulo Victor de Sousa Viana & Ana Claudia Santiago de Vasconcellos & André Reynaldo Santos Périssé & Cristina Barroso Hofer & Natalia Santana Paiva & Joseph William Kempton & Danie, 2021. "Mercury Exposure in Munduruku Indigenous Communities from Brazilian Amazon: Methodological Background and an Overview of the Principal Results," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(17), pages 1-32, September.
    2. Adriano Teixeira de Oliveira & Paloma de Almeida Rodrigues & Alexandre Mendes Ramos Filho & Maria Fernanda da Silva Gomes & Ariany Rabello da Silva Liebl & Júlia Vianna de Pinho & Paulo Henrique Rocha, 2023. "Levels of Total Mercury and Health Risk Assessment of Consuming Freshwater Stingrays (Chondrichthyes: Potamotrygoninae) of the Brazilian Amazon," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(21), pages 1-12, October.
    3. Joeseph William Kempton & André Reynaldo Santos Périssé & Cristina Barroso Hofer & Ana Claudia Santiago de Vasconcellos & Paulo Victor de Sousa Viana & Marcelo de Oliveira Lima & Iracina Maura de Jesu, 2021. "An Assessment of Health Outcomes and Methylmercury Exposure in Munduruku Indigenous Women of Childbearing Age and Their Children under 2 Years Old," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(19), pages 1-23, September.
    4. Rogério Adas Ayres de Oliveira & Bruna Duarte Pinto & Bruno Hojo Rebouças & Daniel Ciampi de Andrade & Ana Claudia Santiago de Vasconcellos & Paulo Cesar Basta, 2021. "Neurological Impacts of Chronic Methylmercury Exposure in Munduruku Indigenous Adults: Somatosensory, Motor, and Cognitive Abnormalities," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(19), pages 1-20, September.
    5. Heloisa do Nascimento de Moura Meneses & Marcelo Oliveira-da-Costa & Paulo Cesar Basta & Cristiano Gonçalves Morais & Romulo Jorge Batista Pereira & Suelen Maria Santos de Souza & Sandra de Souza Haco, 2022. "Mercury Contamination: A Growing Threat to Riverine and Urban Communities in the Brazilian Amazon," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(5), pages 1-12, February.
    6. Leonardo Barcellos de Bakker & Pedro Gasparinetti & Júlia Mello de Queiroz & Ana Claudia Santiago de Vasconcellos, 2021. "Economic Impacts on Human Health Resulting from the Use of Mercury in the Illegal Gold Mining in the Brazilian Amazon: A Methodological Assessment," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(22), pages 1-26, November.

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