PARENT SESSION

4B - Human health and environmental connections
Hall 18
1:45 PM - 3:30 PM, Wednesday, 30 April 2003
Chair: Dietrich, D.¹, ¹
Co-chair: Oleniczak, K.², ²

(WE18/11) Fish-Hg and cardiovascular risk in Amazonian Indians.

Dorea, Jose¹, Souza, Jurandir², Rodrigues, Patricia³, Ferrari, Iris², Barbosa, Antonio⁴, ¹ Universidade de Brasilia, Brasilia, D.F., Brazil² UniversidadeBrasilia, Brasilia, D.F., Brazil³ FUNAI (Fundação Nacional do Indio), Brasilia, D.F., Brazil⁴ Universidade de Brasilia, Brasilia, D.F., Brazil

ABSTRACT- Fish is an important natural resource in the diet of inhabitants of the Amazon rain forest and a marker of its consumption (hair-Hg) was used to compare selected cardiovascular risk parameters between tribes of Eastern Amazonia. Three Munduruku (Terra Preta, Kaburua, Cururu) and one Kayabi villages at the banks of head rivers (Tapajos, Tropas, Kabitutu, Cururu, Curuzinho, Teles Pires) of the Tapajos Basin were studied in relation to fish-Hg concentrations, mercury in hair (fish consumption) and erythrocytes, body mass index (height/weight, kg/cm2), and blood pressure. The mean fish-Hg concentrations were higher in predatory (578.6 ng/g) than non-predatory species (52.8 ng/g). Overall only 26 % of fish-Hg were above 500 ng/g, and only 11% above 1,000 ng/g. There was no systematic trend in fish-Hg concentrations from rivers with history of gold mining activities. The biomarker of fish consumption (hair-Hg) was significantly associated with erythrocyte-Hg (r=0.5181; P=0.0001) and was significantly higher in Kayabi (12.7 ppm) than in the Munduruku (3.4 ppm). Biomarker-assessed fish consumption-rate was higher in Kayabi (127 g/day) than in the Munduruku villages (30 g/day). Although no significant differences in body mass index (BMI) were observed between tribes, there was a trend of lower increase in blood pressure with age among the higher fish consumers (Kayabi). Summary clinical evaluation did not detect neurologic complains compatible with Hg intoxication (paraparesis, numbness, tremor, balancing failure), but endemic tropical diseases like clinical history of malaria showed a high prevalence (55.4%). Fish is an abundant natural resource, important in the Indian diet that has been historically consumed without perceived problems. The exposure to naturally occurring fish-MMHg is less of an issue than endemic infectious diseases like malaria and lack of basic medical services

Key words: amazon, fish, mercury, indian