MethylmercuryIngestion and Illness

My report today will be largely restricted to consideration of the relationship of environmental mercury intake to body burden, and to the onset of symptoms. A trace of mercury occurs naturally in the water, soil, and air around us(1,2). Elemental and inorganic mercury released in the environment are transformed into methylmercury by microbiological action(3). Through dietary intake, skin contact, and respira-tion, some of the environmental mercury gains entrance into our bodies. The average daily adult human food intake of mercury in North American441 has been estimated to be 25 pg. For example, the FDA(5) reported levels in some common foods average from less than.001 pg/g (whole milk) to.:014 pglg (shrimp). Many foods such as beef, chicken, flour, and eggs average.003. The extent of epithelial absorption i s not known but considered to be highly variable depending on