Mercury Levels and Their Determinants in Women of Reproductive Age in the Brazilian Amazon: A Cross-Sectional Study

Mercury exposure remains a public health concern in Amazonian populations. This study assessed hair total mercury levels and associated determinants in 205 women of reproductive age from riverine communities in the Lower Tocantins and Xingu regions, Pará,Brazil. Hair Hg concentrations were measured using cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry. Multivariable linear regression was used to identify predictors of log-transformed mercury total levels. Median concentration was 0.332 µg/g, with 85.4% below 1 µg/g. Women from the Lower Tocantins had significantly higher levels than those from the Xingu (p < 0.001). Region (β = -0.516; p < 0.001) and high fish consumption (> 4 times/week; β = 0.207; p = 0.024) were significant predictors. Mercury levels were low, but regional differences and high fish consumption frequency were associated with exposure, highlighting the need for targeted biomonitoring strategies.

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Publication Details

Journal
Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology
Published
2026-08-20
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-026-04320-0
Primary Topic
Mercury impact and mitigation studies
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

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article

Mercury Levels and Their Determinants in Women of Reproductive Age in the Brazilian Amazon: A Cross-Sectional Study

Maria da Conceição Nascimento Pinheiro, Leonardo Breno do Nascimento de Aviz, Rayanne Vieira da Silva, Laura dos Santos Barros et al.
Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology
Mercury impact and mitigation studies
article

Mercury Levels and Their Determinants in Women of Reproductive Age in the Brazilian Amazon: A Cross-Sectional Study

Maria da Conceição Nascimento Pinheiro, Leonardo Breno do Nascimento de Aviz, Rayanne Vieira da Silva, Laura dos Santos Barros, Márcia Cristina Freitas da Silva, Saúl Rassy Carneiro, Renan Rocha Granato, Brena Karoline Ataíde Furtado, Fabiana Costa Cardoso, Carolina Fonte de Aviz
article en

Abstract

Mercury exposure remains a public health concern in Amazonian populations. This study assessed hair total mercury levels and associated determinants in 205 women of reproductive age from riverine communities in the Lower Tocantins and Xingu regions, Pará,Brazil. Hair Hg concentrations were measured using cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry. Multivariable linear regression was used to identify predictors of log-transformed mercury total levels. Median concentration was 0.332 µg/g, with 85.4% below 1 µg/g. Women from the Lower Tocantins had significantly higher levels than those from the Xingu (p < 0.001). Region (β = -0.516; p < 0.001) and high fish consumption (> 4 times/week; β = 0.207; p = 0.024) were significant predictors. Mercury levels were low, but regional differences and high fish consumption frequency were associated with exposure, highlighting the need for targeted biomonitoring strategies.

Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and ToxicologyVol. 117(3)
Amazon Research Foundation (BR), Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Pará (BR), Universidade Federal do Pará (BR)
Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior, Universidade Federal do Pará
Openalex Percentile: Top 11%
Mercury impact and mitigation studies
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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