Effect of Hemoglobin Adjustment on the Precision of Mercury Concentrations in Maternal and Cord Blood

Overview

Journal Environ Res

Publisher Elsevier

Specialty Environmental Health

Date 2014 May 24

PMID 24853977

Citations 21

Authors

Byung-Mi Kim

Anna L Choi

Eun-Hee Ha

Lise Pedersen

Flemming Nielsen

Pal Weihe

Yun-Chul Hong

Esben Budtz-Jorgensen

Philippe Grandjean

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The cord-blood mercury concentration is usually considered the best biomarker in regard to developmental methylmercury neurotoxicity. However, the mercury concentration may be affected by the binding of methylmercury to hemoglobin and perhaps also selenium. As cord-blood mercury analyses appear to be less precise than suggested by laboratory quality data, we studied the interrelationships of mercury concentrations with hemoglobin in paired maternal and cord blood samples from a Faroese birth cohort (N=514) and the Mothers and Children's Environmental Health study in Korea (n=797). Linear regression and structural equation model (SEM) analyses were used to ascertain interrelationships between the exposure biomarkers and the possible impact of hemoglobin as well as selenium. Both methods showed a significant dependence of the cord-blood concentration on hemoglobin, also after adjustment for other exposure biomarkers. In the SEM, the cord blood measurement was a less imprecise indicator of the latent methylmercury exposure variable than other exposure biomarkers available, and the maternal hair concentration had the largest imprecision. Adjustment of mercury concentrations both in maternal and cord blood for hemoglobin improved their precision, while no significant effect of the selenium concentration in maternal blood was found. Adjustment of blood-mercury concentrations for hemoglobin is therefore recommended.

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