Prenatal Mercury Exposure and Postnatal Outcome: A Case Series in Bogotá, Colombia

We report fourteen cases with high mercury (Hg) levels. The intake of certain river fish species (catfish, tuna and tilapia) could be related with the exposure. We evaluate exposure biomarkers and susceptibility biomarkers; these last ones, are novel and can guide new studies in environmental toxicology.

These results are significant because we found some similarities with the literature, among them, the relation of Hg ratio in maternal blood and umbilical cord, a possible exposure factor is fish consumption during pregnancy. High levels of Hg may be related with susceptibility biomarkers such as GSTs gene polymorphisms. This case series highlights the need to develop studies that evaluate the interactions between environmental factors and individual genetic susceptibility. Additionally, the importance of evaluating which Colombian fish species present the highest levels of Hg.