Neurologic features of chronic minamata disease (organic mercury poisoning) and incidence of complications with aging

Abstract

To elucidate the neurologic features of chronic Minamata disease, and the incidence of complications with aging, we studied 80 patients with documented Minamata disease (organic mercury poisoning) from 1986 to 1994 (mean age: 63 years). Of the cardinal neurologic findings, sensory impairment was seen with highest frequency in 98.8% of patients limited to the extremities in 86.3%. Impairment of lower extremity coordination was observed in 60%, constriction of the visual field in 51.9%, and retrocochlear hearing loss in 41%. To assess age‐related complications, patients were separated into three groups by age: Group I (10 to 39 years); Group II (40 to 69 years); Group III (≥7 0 years). The incidences of hypertension and cerebrovascular diseases, organic ophthalmologic disorders (including cataracts), presbyacusis, and cervical spondylosis deformans increased significantly with age. Compared with a preceding survey (1981 to 1985, 171 patients, mean age: 63.5 years), the incidences of complicated hypertension and cataracts had decreased, whereas those of cerebrovascular disease and retinitis pigmentosa remained unchanged. The incidences of abnormal brain computed tomography (CT), presbyacusis, cervical spondylosis deformans, and positive tests for urine sugar also increased. The incidences of these complications other than retinitis pigmentosa were similar to those in the general population. These results accurately reflect the recent epidemiological disease tendencies in Japan toward a decreased incidence of hypertension and an increased incidence of diabetes.     

三峡水库175 m蓄水运行后鱼类汞污染风险研究

三峡水库的生态安全受到高度关注,三峡水库成库后是否会出现汞等重金属生态风险增加的“水库效应”,不仅是需要论证的科学命题,也是关系到库区人民身体健康的重要问题。2011年在三峡库区忠县至秭归段选择“湖沼化”特征最为显著的8条支流采集了鲤、鲢、鳙、鲇、鳜等常见经济鱼类标本,系统分析了库区鱼类标本肌肉中的总汞含量。研究结果表明,三峡库区支流鱼类肌肉中总汞含量最高为109.6 μg/kg,最低为30.5 μg/kg,平均含量为56.4 μg/kg。与蓄水前的调查结果相比,蓄水运用10 a后库区鱼类肌肉总汞水平尚未明显增加。但是,不同营养等级鱼类之间,肌肉总汞浓度水平随营养等级增加有明显增高,三峡水库水生食物链表现出显著的汞的生物累积。值得注意的是,底层鱼类汞的生物累积强度明显高于上层鱼类,暗示水库底栖过程的“汞活化”依然是需要关注的潜在生态风险     

PS-TMT树脂的合成及其对水溶液中Hg(Ⅱ)的吸附性能

以氯甲基聚苯乙烯树脂为载体与三聚硫氰酸反应,合成了功能化的螯合树脂PS-TMT,并对其进行了元素分析、红外光谱以及比表面表征。通过静态吸附实验研究了其对水溶液中Hg(Ⅱ)的吸附性能,结果表明,PS-TMT螯合树脂在pH值1～7范围内对Hg(Ⅱ)具有良好的吸附能力,在25℃、pH 7条件下对Hg(Ⅱ)的最大吸附容量为344 mg/g;动力学研究显示树脂对Hg(Ⅱ)的吸附在240 min内可达到吸附平衡,吸附动力学过程符合准二级动力学模型;吸附等温线则符合Langmuir吸附等温线模型。     

微波消解-原子荧光光谱法同时测定土壤中痕量砷和汞

建立了微波消解—原子荧光光谱法同时测定土壤中痕量砷和汞的方法。通过对消解体系以及灯电流、载气流量、屏蔽气流量等仪器参数进行优化,确定了最佳实验条件。在优化的实验条件下,采用原子荧光光谱法同时测定砷和汞的检出限分别为0.02μg/L和0.01μg/L,线性范围分别为0～40μg/L和0～4μg/L,两元素的加标回收率在92%～102%之间,相对标准偏差砷为0.9%～3.1%,汞为1.5%～3.4%,完全适用于土壤环境样品的检测。     

MA-2000型测汞仪直接测定环境水体中的汞

介绍了MA-2000型测汞仪测定环境水体中的汞,以氯化亚锡为还原剂,0．001％半胱氨酸为汞固定剂,在一定浓度范围内被测汞蒸汽在波长253．7nm紫外光下的吸收值与汞蒸汽浓度成正比。方法检出限0．006ng,精密度和准确度均满足水质监测实验室质量控制的要求。     

用于气态零价汞转化的催化剂研究

零价汞的高效去除是燃煤烟气汞污染控制过程中的关键环节。为了促进烟气中的零价汞转化为易于去除的氧化态汞,分别考察了在有HCl存在时,几种过渡金属氧化物(Cu、Fe、Mn、Co和Zr)对零价汞氧化的催化作用,以筛选出性能较好的催化组分;为提高催化剂的抗SO2性能,分别尝试了利用几种金属元素(Sr、Ce、W和Mo)对催化剂进行掺杂改性的方法。结果表明,锰氧化物的催化作用最好,其最佳使用温度在573 K左右;SO2对零价汞的催化氧化有明显抑制作用,在无SO2及1 400 mg/m3SO2时锰催化剂对零价汞催化氧化效率分别为93%和78%。而Mo改性的锰氧化物催化剂的抗硫性能大幅提高,在1 400 mg/m3SO2存在的情况下其对零价汞的催化氧化效率可达到90%以上,较其他改性元素高。     

Periphyton as a bioindicator of mercury pollution in a temperate torrential river ecosystem

Mercury presents a potential risk to the environment and humans, especially in its methylated form. It is among the highest priority environmental pollutants. River Idrijca (Slovenia) is highly contaminated with mercury due to past mercury mining. The aim of this work was to investigate whether the periphyton community in rivers such as Idrijca is a suitable indicator of Hg pollution and of changes in mercury methylation and could serve as an early warning system of increased input of MeHg in the food chain. Periphyton is the only site of primary production in temperate torrential rivers such as Idrijca and is therefore an important link in the food chain. It is also a potential site of Hg accumulation and its introduction to higher trophic levels. Our aim was to assess the response of the periphyton to seasonal and spatial variations in mercury levels and to evaluate its potential as an early warning system of changes in mercury reactivity and mobilization The results indicate that periphyton in a torrential river is too complex and unpredictable to be used as a sole indicator of mercury concentrations and changes in the river. Nevertheless, it can complement environmental measurements due to its importance in the riverine food web.     

微波消解-氢化物发生原子荧光光度法测定土壤中的汞

建立了微波消解-氢化物发生原子荧光光度法测定土壤中汞的方法。对微波消解条件、样品粒度等进行了优化,用3 mL硝酸和2 mL盐酸的混合酸作消解溶剂,在设定的微波条件下汞提取完全。用3%的盐酸作为反应载流,0.01%硼氢化钾与0.5%氢氧化钠的混合液为还原剂,直接定容后应用HG-AFS测定,通过测定国家标准参考物质和加标回...     

废水中汞离子去除方法的研究进展

基于国内外研究文献结合自身最新研究工作,论述了去除工业废水中汞离子的化学沉淀法、微电解混凝沉淀法、吸附法等方法及其作用原理,并分析了各种方法的优缺点;指出了吸附法对含极低浓度汞离子废水的深度处理具有明显的优势。近年来合成的新型导电性聚芳香胺对汞离子初始质量浓度为十至数百mg／L的溶液中汞的去除率在99．99％以上,在含汞工业废水处理中显示出了广阔的应用前景。     

Mercury in Tree Swallow Food, Eggs, Bodies, and Feathers at Acadia National Park, Maine, and an EPA Superfund Site, Ayer, Massachusetts

We monitored nest boxes during 1997–1999 at Acadia National Park, Mt. Desert Island, ME and at an old-field site in Orono, ME to determine mercury (Hg) uptake in tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) eggs, tissues, and food boluses. Also, in 1998–1999 we monitored nest boxes at Grove Pond and Plow Shop Pond at a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Superfund site in Ayer, MA. We recorded breeding success at all locations. On average among locations, total mercury (THg) biomagnified 2 to 4-fold from food to eggs and 9 to 18-fold from food to feathers. These are minimum values because the proportion of transferable methyl mercury (MeHg) of the THg in insects varies (i.e., 35%–95% of THg) in food boluses. THg was highest in food boluses at Aunt Betty Pond at Acadia, whereas THg in eggs was highest at the Superfund site. A few eggs from nests at each of these locations exceeded the threshold (i.e., 800–1,000 ng/g, wet wt.) of embryotoxicity established for Hg. Hatching success was 88.9% to 100% among locations, but five eggs failed to hatch from 4 of the 11 clutches in which an egg exceeded this threshold. MeHg in feathers was highest in tree swallows at Aunt Betty Pond and the concentration of THg in bodies was related to the concentration in feathers. Transfer of an average of 80%–92% of the Hg in bodies to feathers may have enhanced nestling survival. Residues of Hg in tissues of tree swallows in the Northeast seem higher than those of the Midwest.