A new study has found that 96 percent of women of childbearing age living in four Pacific Island countries who were sampled have elevated levels of mercury in their bodies.
Hair samples from women aged 18-44 from Cook Islands, Marshall Islands, Tuvalu and Kiribati as well as the Asian countries of Tajikistan and Nepal were examined as part of a joint study by the interim secretariat of the Minamata Convention, Biodiversity Research Institute (BRI), and the global NGO network IPEN.
The Pacific Islands women were found to contain average mercury concentrations between 2ppm – 3.7ppm, much higher than the United States Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) maximum tolerable daily mercury intake of 1ppm.
In Tajikistan, the women sampled had the least amount of mercury overall with an average of .06ppm due to lower fish consumption. Women in Nepal on the other hand with a low fish diet, were found to have elevated mercury levels due to work where they use mercury to make gold-plated religious idols.
The effect of Mercury exposure is concerning because it can damage the nervous system, kidneys, and cardiovascular system. Developing organ systems in unborn children and infants are the most sensitive to the toxic effects of mercury.
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