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Journal Article 2015; 36(Suppl 1): 68-72 PubMed PMID: 26757118 Citation  Keywords:  Animal Feed:analysis, Animals, Dogs, Food Contamination:analysis, Hair:chemistry, Mercury:analysis,.   

OBJECTIVES: The present work is aimed at assessing the mercury contamination of dogs through the analysis of hair. For the determination of the total mercury in dogs, we chose skin derivatives--hair. The content of total mercury was also measured in the pelleted feed.

METHODS: Dogs were divided into two groups. The first group (group A) was fed granular feed containing fish and the second group (group B) granular feed free of fish. A total of 131 hair and granular feed samples were collected. The total mercury in hair and granular feed samples was measured using atomic absorption spectrophotometry on AMA 254.

RESULTS: The values of the total mercury content in the hair of dogs had a median value of 0.0375 mg.kg(-1) in group A and of 0.0336 mg.kg(-1) in group B. No statistically significant difference was found between the groups (p>0.05). The median values of the total mercury were 0.0048 mg.kg(-1) in group A and 0.0017 mg.kg(-1) in group B, respectively. A highly statistically significant difference between the groups was found (p<0.01).

CONCLUSIONS: No correlation was obtained between the total mercury content in the hair of dogs and granulated feed (rs=0.2069, p>0.05). The reason may be a content of various mercury species in feed samples or a human failure (nonobservance of the prescribed diet)....

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Journal Article 2015; 36(Suppl 1): 126-132 PubMed PMID: 26757111 Citation  Keywords:  Animals, Cadmium:analysis, Chromium:analysis, Czech Republic, Fishes, Geologic Sediments:chemistry, Lead:analysis, Mercury:analysis, Metals, Heavy:analysis, Muscle, Skeletal:chemistry, Poisoning, Rivers, Water Pollutants, Chemical:analysis, Zinc:analysis,.   

OBJECTIVES: The monitoring survey to assess the environmental pollution status of the river Morava--was carried out in 2014.

DESIGN: This study presents the concentrations of heavy metals (Hg, Cr, Zn, Pb and Cd) in the water, sediment and muscle tissue of fish from the middle and lower reaches of the Morava river basin (Bečva, Dřevnice, Haná, Kyjovka and Morava rivers), in the Czech Republic. Atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) was used for the analysis of toxic metals. European chub (Squalius cephalus) was chosen as a reference fish species for the comparison of monitored localities.

RESULTS: Results showed a positive significant correlation between concentration of Hg, Pb, Cd, Cr and Zn in muscles and age of fishes (p<0.05). The contents of the analyzed metals in European chub muscles were low Hg 0.049-0.402, Pb 0.005-0.035, Cd 0.006-0.026, Cr 0.016-0.042 and Zn 5.59-64.31 mg.kg(-1) wet weight basis and did not exceed the values of limits admissible in the Czech Republic.

CONCLUSIONS: The contents of the analyzed metals in European chub muscles were low at monitoring sites and did not exceed the values of limits admissible in the Czech Republic....

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Comment 2014; 35(3): 204-205 PubMed PMID: 24977969 Citation  Keywords:  Animals, Dogs, Female, Hair:chemistry, Male, Mercury:analysis, Preservatives, Pharmaceutical:adverse effects, Thimerosal:adverse effects, Vaccines:administration & dosage,.   

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Comment 2014; 35(3): 202-203 PubMed PMID: 24977968 Citation  Keywords:  Animals, Dogs, Female, Hair:chemistry, Male, Mercury:analysis, Preservatives, Pharmaceutical:adverse effects, Thimerosal:adverse effects, Vaccines:administration & dosage,.   

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Journal Article 2013; 34(Suppl 2): 90-94 PubMed PMID: 24362099 Citation  Keywords:  Animal Feed, Animals, Dogs, Female, Fishes, Food Contamination, Hair:chemistry, Male, Mercury:analysis, Preservatives, Pharmaceutical:administration & dosage, Thimerosal:administration & dosage, Vaccines:administration & dosage,.   

OBJECTIVES: Thiomersal is ethylmercury containing compound. It has been used as a preservative in vaccines since the 1930s because it is very effective in preventing bacterial contamination. Ethylmercury penetrates into growing hair in a similar manner as methylmercury.

DESIGN: A total of 48 hair samples were collected from vaccinated dogs. Each sample was accompanied with a questionnaire including data on age, gender, vaccinations. Total mercury content in hair, granules and vaccines was determined by the direct method of cold vapours using an AMA 254 (advance mercury analyser; Altec Ltd., Czech Republic).

RESULTS: At first we performed two pre-experiments. In first pre-experiment, the highest value of total mercury content was 0.732 mg.kg-1. The content of total mercury ranged from 0.022 to 0.092 mg.kg-1 in the second pre-experiment. The results were not statistically significant in the pre-experiments. In the main experiment the lowest concentration of total mercury in dog's hair was 0.002 mg.kg-1 and the highest value was 0.560 mg.kg-1. The median value of total mercury ranged from 0.023 to 0.033 mg.kg-1. The results were not statistically significant in the main experiment. Total mercury content in vaccines corresponded with the declared quantity. Rather, results showed mercury content to be correlated with the consumption of feed containing fish.

CONCLUSIONS: Thiomersal preservative, contained in vaccine, does not increase content of total mercury in canine hair. Our results have shown that content of mercury in hair depends on fish consumption (fish granules, fish treats and fresh fish)....

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Journal Article 2009; 30(Suppl 1): 177-181 PubMed PMID: 20027167 Citation  Keywords:  Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Aging, Animals, Child, Child, Preschool, Dental Amalgam, Diet, Environmental Exposure:analysis, Female, Fishes, Hair:chemistry, Humans, Male, Mercury:analysis, Middle Aged, Sex Characteristics, Young Adult,.   

OBJECTIVES: Exposure to mercury, a risk factor for neuro-developmental toxicity, was evaluated in the Czech Republic by performing mercury determination using human hair as an indicator.

METHODS: Hair samples from Czechs (n=311; 2-66 years old) were analyzed for mercury content. Total mercury was analysed by mercury analyzer AMA 254.

RESULTS: The highest total mercury content found in sampled hair was 3.55 microg/g and the lowest content was 0.015 microg/g. No correlation was found between the mercury levels in the sampled hair and the subject's age, gender, and the amount of amalgam fillings. A total of 38 hair samples were analyzed for methylmercury content.

CONCLUSION: The results show a positive correlation between the total mercury content in human hair and the consumption of marine and freshwater fish. Hair are a very good indicator of fish consumption....

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Journal Article 2009; 30(Suppl 1): 156-162 PubMed PMID: 20027164 Citation  Keywords:  Animals, Capsules, Chromatography, Gas, Cod Liver Oil:analysis, Dietary Supplements:analysis, Fish Oils:analysis, Food Contamination, Gadiformes, Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry, Humans, Liver:chemistry, Mercury:analysis, Methylmercury Compounds:anal.   

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to determine the content of mercury, methylmercury and persistent organic pollutants in the capsules filled with fish oil from marine fish and in the canned cod liver and find out, whether analyse products are safe and suitable for human consumption.

METHODS: Total mercury was determined by cold vapour atomic absorption spectroscopy on an AMA-254 (Altec Ltd., Czech Republic) single-purpose mercury analyzer. Methylmercury in the cod liver in the form of chlorid methylmercury was determined by gas chromatography. Seven indicator congeners of PCB (PCB 28, 52, 101, 118, 138, 153, 180), HCH, HCB, DDT and its degradation products DDE and DDD, were determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

RESULTS: In capsules filled with fish oil (n=19) total Hg levels were in the range of 0.013 to 2.03 ng/g. All the capsule oil samples analyzed for MeHg were below the detection limit. The highest concentration of total Hg was found in cod liver - can A (0.223 ng/g). The maximum percentage of MeHg in total Hg concentration was found in a liver sample - can B. The values of alpha-, beta-, gamma-, delta- HCH and of HCB were found below the detection limits in all the capsule samples analyzed. In eight capsules, the presence of highly lipophilic PCB congeners was demonstrated. DDT and its important DDE metabolite were found in ten samples. In canned cod liver the highest concentration of all PCB congeners was demonstrated in can D. The lowest congener concentrations, however, were found in smoked cod liver - can C. DDT with its main metabolite DDE was detected in can C. No additional DDT and DDD persistent pollutants were detected.

CONCLUSIONS: The consumption of fish oil in capsules, and canned cod liver is safe and healthy and should be encouraged....

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Journal Article 2008; 29(5): 675-679 PubMed PMID: 18987591 Citation  Keywords:  Adolescent, Age Factors, Animals, Child, Czech Republic:epidemiology, Dental Amalgam, Dental Restoration, Permanent, Diet, Female, Fishes:metabolism, Hair:chemistry, Humans, Male, Meat, Mercury:analysis, Poland:epidemiology, Sex Factors,.   

OBJECTIVES: Mercury and most of its compounds are extremely toxic and should be handled with care. It can be inhaled and absorbed through the skin and mucous membranes. The most toxic forms of mercury are its organic compounds such as dimethylmercury and methylmercury. Fish have a natural tendency to accumulate mercury. Methylmercury is produced by microbial methylation of inorganic mercury in water sediment then it infiltrates the food chain and it consequently accumulates in fish. Fish are the main source of methylmercury in human food. Mercury is transferred into a hair; and this can be than used to monitor the long-term exposure to mercury. The content of mercury in hair depends on the frequency of fish consumption. The aim of our study was to compare mercury content in the hair of children that had various amounts of fish consumption (increased or reduced).

DESIGN: Total mercury content in hair was determined by direct method of cold vapors using an AMA 245 analyzer. A total of 174 hair samples from the children (9-17 years old) were analyzed. In this study, the following localities were compared: Neratovice (n=42), Jeseníky (n=44), Prague (n=59) in Czech Republic and Olsztyn in Poland (n=29). Every sample was accompanied with questionnaire about age, gender, regions, amalgam fillings and fish consumption.

RESULTS: We did not find a correlation between the content of mercury in hair with age, gender or amalgam fillings. We did find a correlation between fish consumption and the amount of mercury found in the hair samples.

CONCLUSION: The amount of mercury in hair increases with more frequent consumption of freshwater and marine fish....

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