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September 1, 1975, Vol 233, No. 9 >
ARTICLE | September 1, 1975

Mercury in Fish FREE

Thomas H. Jukes, PhD, DSc
[+] Author Affiliations

If you wish to suggest a topic or write an answer for this feature, write to William H. Crosby, MD, Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation, La Jolla, CA 92037.

Reprint requests to Division of Medical Physics, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 (Dr. Jukes).


JAMA. 1975;233(9):1001-1002. doi:10.1001/jama.1975.03260090067031
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References

POLLUTION and contamination with mercury is an interesting and complex story, for in a toxicological sense there are "two mercurys." On the one hand, mercuric chloride and methylmercury are highly poisonous. Compounds of mercury, especially in fish and shellfish, have caused widely publicized incidents of poisoning in human beings. On the other hand, mercurous chloride was used as a laxative, and mercury and its compounds are employed in chemotherapy, in diuretics, and by dentists.

All of the poisonings with mercury were tragic; some were caused by flagrant and inexcusable neglect by industry; others by illiteracy or even stupidity. The uproar over mercury in swordfish and canned tuna was unnecessary and somewhat ludicrous. The discovery of the protective effect of selenium was fascinating, and did much to clear the air.

"All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come,

REFERENCES

1 +
Schroeder HA:  Mercury as a cause of national paranoia , in The Poisons Around Us . Bloomington, Indiana University Press, 1974;, p 59.
2 +
Mercury in Food, A Scientific Status Summary . Chicago, Institute of Food Technologists, 1973;.
3 +
 Tuna scare: Was pollution to blame?  editorial. Marine Pollution Bull 2:2, 1971;.
4 +
Ganther HE, Goudie C, Sunde ML, et al:  Selenium: Relation to decreased toxicity of methylmercury added to diets containing tuna . Science 175:1122-1124, 1972;.
5 +
Parizek J, Ostadalova I:  The protective effect of small amounts of selenite in sublimate intoxication . Experientia 23:142-143, 1967;.
6 +
Koeman JH, Peeters WHM, Koudstaal-Hol CHM, et al:  Mercury-selenium correlations in marine mammals . Nature 245:385-386, 1973;.
7 +
Selenium in Nutrition . National Academy of Sciences, 1971;.
8 +
Wood JM, Kennedy FS, Rosen CG:  Synthesis of methylmercury compounds by extracts of a methanogenic bacterium . Nature 220:173-174, 1968;.
9 +
Kosta L, Byrne AR, Zelenko V:  Correlation between selenium and mercury in man following exposure to inorganic mercury . Nature 254:238-239, 1975;.

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Country-Specific Mortality and Growth Failure in Infancy and Yound Children and Association With Material Stature

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1 +
Schroeder HA:  Mercury as a cause of national paranoia , in The Poisons Around Us . Bloomington, Indiana University Press, 1974;, p 59.
2 +
Mercury in Food, A Scientific Status Summary . Chicago, Institute of Food Technologists, 1973;.
3 +
 Tuna scare: Was pollution to blame?  editorial. Marine Pollution Bull 2:2, 1971;.
4 +
Ganther HE, Goudie C, Sunde ML, et al:  Selenium: Relation to decreased toxicity of methylmercury added to diets containing tuna . Science 175:1122-1124, 1972;.
5 +
Parizek J, Ostadalova I:  The protective effect of small amounts of selenite in sublimate intoxication . Experientia 23:142-143, 1967;.
6 +
Koeman JH, Peeters WHM, Koudstaal-Hol CHM, et al:  Mercury-selenium correlations in marine mammals . Nature 245:385-386, 1973;.
7 +
Selenium in Nutrition . National Academy of Sciences, 1971;.
8 +
Wood JM, Kennedy FS, Rosen CG:  Synthesis of methylmercury compounds by extracts of a methanogenic bacterium . Nature 220:173-174, 1968;.
9 +
Kosta L, Byrne AR, Zelenko V:  Correlation between selenium and mercury in man following exposure to inorganic mercury . Nature 254:238-239, 1975;.

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