Total, organic, and inorganic mercury in human breast milk: levels and maternal factors of exposure, systematic literature review, 1976-2017

Cherkani-Hassani, A. and Ghanname, I. and Mouane, N.

Critical Reviews in Toxicology (2019) 49: 110–121

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10408444.2019.1571010

Abstract

This systematic review summarizes the finding of 58 studies from 33 countries, which assessed mercury concentrations in breast milk and the factors related to the level of contamination. We performed a literature search in Pubmed, Science Direct, and Google Scholar databases for studies published between 1976 and 2017 that are monitoring and measuring mercury in human breast milk and investigating the associated factors. Then, we extracted more information about the aim of the study, the country, samples size, time of lactation, mercury concentration, and other data. Most of the studies used mature milk or colostrum for analysis and in about 60% of them, the concentrations exceed significantly the limit set by the World Health Organization (WHO) of 1.7 micro g/l; In addition, many factors and parameters were related to the level of mercury contamination in breast milk. Periodic monitoring surveys are recommended in each country to evaluate the level of mercury in milk of lactating women and to estimate the level of exposure of newborns.

Citation

Cherkani-Hassani, A., Ghanname, I., & Mouane, N. (2019). Total, organic, and inorganic mercury in human breast milk: levels and maternal factors of exposure, systematic literature review, 1976-2017. Critical Reviews in Toxicology, 49(2), 110–121. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1080/10408444.2019.1571010 neonates, man, systematic reviews, literature reviews, milk, Milk and Dairy Produce [QQ010], food safety, food contaminants, food contamination, food hygiene, milk hygiene, risk factors, toxicity, human milk, mercury, breast feeding, infants, heavy metals, Nutrition related Disorders and Therapeutic Nutrition [VV130], Pollution and Degradation [PP600], breast milk, Food Contamination, Residues and Toxicology [QQ200], women, Human Toxicology and Poisoning [VV810], Physiology of Human Nutrition [VV120], poisoning, toxicosis, breastfeeding, human colostrum, Industrial Wastes and Effluents [XX400], lactating women

Keywords

• neonates
• man
• systematic reviews
• literature reviews
• milk
• Milk and Dairy Produce [QQ010]
• food safety
• food contaminants
• food contamination
• food hygiene
• milk hygiene
• risk factors
• toxicity
• human milk
• mercury
• breast feeding
• infants
• heavy metals
• Nutrition related Disorders and Therapeutic Nutrition [VV130]
• Pollution and Degradation [PP600]
• breast milk
• Food Contamination
• Residues and Toxicology [QQ200]
• women
• Human Toxicology and Poisoning [VV810]
• Physiology of Human Nutrition [VV120]
• poisoning
• toxicosis
• breastfeeding
• human colostrum
• Industrial Wastes and Effluents [XX400]
• lactating women