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2010年1月11日星期一

水銀中毒和症狀


Tile fish is high in mercury. What is mercury poisoning? What are the symptoms of mercury poisoning?
瓦魚是高水銀的。什麼是水銀中毒?什麼是水銀中毒的症狀?



為什麼水銀危險?什麼是水銀中毒?什麼是水銀中毒的症狀?
Why is mercury dangerous? What is mercury poisoning? What are the symptoms of mercury poisoning?
January 10, 2:22 PMDisease Prevention ExaminerPeggy Kraus

Also known as "mad hatter's disease," mercury poisoning was widespread in the 19th century. Hat makers used large amounts of mercury-containing compounds to treat felt and fur, and suffered the consequences and went "mad."

Simply said, mercury poisoning occurs when you are exposed to high levels of mercury, a heavy metal. High levels of mercury are found in certain fish, such as shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and tile fish. Shrimp, canned light tuna, salmon, pollock, and catfish contain lower levels of mercury and do not pose the same risk.

Heavy metals, such as mercury, denature or alter the three-dimensional structure of proteins by disrupting the protein's stable bonds. When proteins are denatured, they can no longer carry out important bodily functions, which include the transport of substances around the body, the regulation of fluid balance, the support and movement of the skeleton, and the communication between tissues and organs. Once proteins are denatured, they cannot resume their original shape.

High levels of mercury exposure can cause numbness, hearing loss, visual probelms, difficulty walking, and severe emotional and cognitive difficulties. People who consume serveral servings of canned albacore tuna each week may be at risk for mercury poisoning.


http://www.examiner.com/x-672-Disease-Prevention-Examiner~y2010m1d10-Why-is-mercury-dangerous-What-is-mercury-poisoning-What-are-the-symptoms-of-mercury-poisoning
歐盟在2008年承認水银的健康風險
EU Acknowledged Health Risks of Mercury in 2008
Sunday, 17 January 2010 14:29
News - Highlighted News

Accepting the scientific evidence that mercury is a health risk, the European Commission ordered the export of mercury to be banned in the European Union from 2011 in September 2008.

If the European Commission accepts the scientific evidence for mercury toxicity is strong enough to effect an export ban, why mercury it allowed to be used inside the European Union, specifically in the swine flu jab by the European drug regulator, the EMEA?

The fact that the EMEA has allowed the use of mercury in the swine flu jab in spite of the overwhelming evidence that it must have in its possession that merury poses a serious health risk strongly suggests an intention to cause damage and death.


歐盟約在2011年禁止水銀出口
EU to ban mercury exports by 2011
援引衛生理由
Health cited as reason
AFP
Published: Thursday, September 25, 2008

BRUSSELS - The export of mercury will be banned in the European Union from 2011 in order to reduce health risks, the European Commission announced Thursday.

Alongside the ban, which includes mixtures of metallic mercury with other substances, the new rules to be introduced in March 2011 will oblige all mercury already in Europe to be "safely stored" so as not to cause a hazard.

"Mercury poses a threat to human health and the environment in the European Union and globally," said EU Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas.

"This important piece of legislation will protect citizens by significantly reducing exposure to this highly toxic metal.

"Let us hope that other countries will follow our example," he added.

A commission spokeswoman said that the 27 EU member states would in January consider whether a ban on mercury imports is also required.

The EU ended all mercury extraction in 2001 but remains the world's biggest exporter, supplying around a quarter of global consumption of mercury.

Mercury and its compounds are highly toxic to humans and high doses can be fatal.

The use of mercury is declining worldwide but it is still used in small-scale gold mining, the chlor-alkali industry and production of vinyl-chloride monomer, the basis of PVC plastic.

It has also been used in dental amalgam for fillings.

(AFP)

Environment: Commission welcomes adoption of legislation to ban EU mercury exports

European Union

09/25/2008
europa.eu

The European Commission welcomes the final adoption by the Council today of legislation banning all exports of mercury from the European Union. The export ban is a key part of the EU’s strategy for reducing the global supply of mercury and thereby limiting emissions of the highly toxic heavy metal into the environment. The legislation requires mercury that is no longer used in the chlor-alkali industry – the chemical industry sector responsible for chlorine and caustic soda production – or that is produced in certain other industrial operations, to be put into safe storage once the export ban takes effect in March 2011.

Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas said: “Mercury poses a threat to human health and the environment in the European Union and globally. This important piece of legislation will protect citizens by significantly reducing exposure to this highly toxic metal. Let us hope that other countries will follow our example and support our goal of cutting the global supply of this dangerous substance.”

Dangers of mercury exposure
Mercury and its compounds are highly toxic to humans, animals and ecosystems. High doses can be fatal to humans, but even relatively low doses can seriously affect the nervous system and have been linked with possible harmful effects on the cardiovascular, immune and reproductive systems. Mercury persists in the environment, where it can change into methylmercury, its most toxic form. Methylmercury readily passes through both the placenta and the blood-brain barrier, so exposure of women of child-bearing age and of children is of greatest concern.

Mercury use
Use of mercury is declining at both global and EU levels. Yet some significant uses remain. Globally, the main uses of mercury are in small-scale gold mining, the chlor-alkali industry and production of vinyl-chloride monomer, the basis of PVC plastic. In the EU only the chlor-alkali industry remains a significant user, and it is progressively phasing out the use of mercury-containing cells in its production of chlorine. The next most significant use in the EU is in dental amalgam.

EU mercury exports
Although the EU stopped all forms of mercury mining in 2001, it is the world’s biggest exporter – responsible for up to a quarter of the global mercury supply. The new legislation is designed to ensure that several thousand tonnes of mercury will be taken out of circulation and stored in a way preventing its release. Euro Chlor, a federation representing the European chlor-alkali manufacturing industry, has made a voluntary commitment to ensure safe storage of mercury from the industry and compliance with all relevant national and EU legislation.

Background
The Commission launched the EU’s mercury strategy – a comprehensive plan addressing mercury pollution both in the EU and globally – in January 2005. It consists of 20 measures to reduce mercury emissions, cut supply and demand and protect against exposure, especially to methylmercury found in fish. The export ban and safe storage of surplus mercury are major aspects of the strategy.

http://www.theflucase.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2578%3Aeu-acknowledged-health-risks-of-mercury-in-2008&catid=41%3Ahighlighted-news&Itemid=105&lang=en

2 則留言:

談情說愛小天使 說...

東周刊
A104-106|健康Notebook
2009-09-16

[b]小心魚毒素!! [/b]


當大家都知道魚類營養豐富,深海魚又含奧米加三脂肪酸可以保護心?,應該常吃之餘,大家亦不能不知,在環境汙染及人為因素下,魚類身上亦蘊含不少毒素,當中最常見便是水銀毒、雪卡毒、孔雀石綠等。大家如想食得安心,就要聽營養師餘思行解說。

環境兩大毒害

由於天然環境的污染及水質污染,魚類可能帶有毒素,例如PCBs(polychlorinated biphenyls多氯聯苯)及水銀。

PCBs屬環境中的污染物,由於性質穩定,殘留在自然生態中,毒害食物鏈中的生物。今年初一項研究報告指出,在加拿大及美國西岸海洋區生活的殺人鯨,長期進食含PCBs的三文魚,對其生態造成威脅。這類毒素屬脂溶性,故主要儲存在魚脂內。

至於水銀是空氣中的污染物,透過燃燒經空氣傳播至泥土及食水,從食物進入我們的身體。或在食物鏈中透過微生物吃了細菌,傳至小魚、大魚,最後進入我們身體。

水銀主要破壞腦部發育及神經系統,特別對胎兒、兒童及孕婦有嚴重影響。[b]慢性水銀中毒症狀包括經常流口水、口腔黏膜發炎、牙齒鬆動、四肢疼痛、麻木、體重減輕、食欲不振和憂鬱等。[/b]

四大高水銀魚

PCBs對鯨魚生態造成威脅,因為鯨魚進食量大,平均有80至90歲壽命,故縱使三文魚中只有微量PCBs,亦會對其造成影響。人類因進食魚類而吸入PCBs對身體造成傷害,暫未有數據支持,故大家毋須驚慌,反而要當心的是魚類中的水銀。

美國食物及藥物管理局(FDA)對魚類的水銀含量有嚴格監控,並建議高危人士包括孕婦、哺乳中婦女、兒童,都不應進食高水銀魚類。

[b]「高水銀魚類有以下四種:鯊魚(Shark)、劍魚(Swordfish)、大鯖魚(King Mackerel)及方頭魚(Tilefish)[b],體形愈大的魚愈老,接觸這些有害物質愈長時間,故水銀含量亦較高。」余思行說。

高水銀魚 每周只可一餐

高危人士每星期不應進食多於十二安士魚類,以每餐三至四安士(即約100克)計算,即一星期不應多於四餐魚。孕婦尤要小心,因有害物質會傳至胎兒,故營養師特別提醒懷孕婦女不應日日吃魚,每星期不應多過四餐,這四餐包罐頭吞拿魚。

「有研究發現8%懷孕婦女體內的水銀含量過高,可能是吃得太多魚類。」余思行說。

然而,有部分含高水銀魚類本身亦含豐富奧米加三脂肪酸,故在平衡風險及安全下,男士、年輕人、一般婦女及其他健康人士,每星期不應進食多於一餐高水銀魚類。懷孕婦女則要完全戒絕高水銀魚類,以免危害胎兒。

精明揀魚 避開水銀

余思行指出,魚類是營養豐富食物,不應不吃,最重要是取其平衡,能吸收當中的營養及奧米加三外,又不過量進食。「完全不吃魚的人,無法從天然食物中吸收奧米加三,亦令人擔心,他們或要從亞麻籽或補充劑吸收奧米加三脂肪酸,以達到保護心臟效果。」其實為了健康,我們可選食含較少水銀的魚類,包括三文魚、鯰魚(Catfish)、鰲魚(Pollock)等。在含高奧米加三脂肪酸的深海魚類中,同時亦含高水銀,就例如鯖魚、藍鰭吞拿魚,故大家要小心份量,謹記以每周一餐三至四安士為限。

每日水銀限量6微克

我們進食多少水銀才屬過量呢?

聯合國糧食及農業組織/世界生組織聯合食物添加劑專家委員會建議,水銀的暫定每周可容許攝入量,是每公斤體重不應多於5微克,即10公斤體重的兒童,每周的可容易吸收量為50微克,長期攝取超過50微克就可能會中毒。體重60公斤成年人,每周進食超過300微克便屬過量。

美國環境保護局(EPA)定下的每日最高進食量(RfD)更為嚴謹,我們每日每公斤體重進食不多於0.1微克水銀,例如60公斤體重人士,每日進食6微克便過量。「這個最高進食量,是指長期每日都進食某個份量,如果我們只是偶然一次進食過量,並不會對身體造成明顯傷害。」香港法例亦有規定,食物內水銀的最高准許濃度為百萬分之0.5(即每公斤不超過500微克),02年抽取444個食物樣本(包括72個魚類樣本)測試水銀含量,當中鯊魚、吞拿魚和劍魚的水銀含量較高,但仍低於法定限量。

以水銀含量最高的大口鮫(即大鯖魚)為例,每100克含21.3微克水銀,如果我們日日都進食100克,當然過量,如果每周只吃一次100克,便屬安全範圍。

珊瑚魚 咪亂食

進食魚類,我們同時要小心雪卡毒素,它是依附在死去的珊瑚礁和海藻上微生物。毒素經由細魚吃海藻、大魚吃細魚以至人吃大魚的食物鏈中傳到人體內。毒素的含量隨食物鏈級數相應增加,年齡愈高體形愈大的魚類,體內的雪卡毒素愈高。

雪卡毒素多積聚在魚卵、肝、腸、魚頭和魚皮。聚居在珊瑚礁一帶覓食的魚類便可能含有雪卡毒素,常見的有油?、金錢龍躉、藍瓜子斑、老虎斑、老鼠斑、蘇眉、西星斑、豹星斑、燕尾星斑、紅鰽、杉斑及東星斑等。

雪卡毒素在進食數小時後便出現中毒徵狀,包括嘔吐、腹瀉、四肢及口角麻痺、冷熱感覺顛倒、關節及肌肉疼痛等。過去就曾有不少市民因進食珊瑚魚後中毒,故大家進食上述魚類時要小心,每次只進食少量,不要吃內臟、魚皮及魚頭,避免同時飲酒及吃花生,加劇中毒病徵。

孔雀石綠 大量才有害

近年亦爆發魚類含孔雀石綠恐慌,這種在動物實驗中會影響肝臟、甲狀腺及胎兒發育物質,在三十年代已開始應用在魚類養殖,治療魚類身上的寄生蟲及真菌;由於孔雀石綠會被魚類吸收後積聚在體內,故令人擔心進食後會對身體有害。

其實這種物質,暫時在聯合國糧食及農業組織/世界生組織聯合食物添加劑專家委員會,及國際癌症研究機構等,都未有就其安全食用問題作出評估。不過以國際風險評估標準,以動物實驗結果作估計,我們每天要進食高達290公斤淡水魚,才有機會造成影響。而當中含孔雀石綠最高的鰻魚,每天進食7公斤以上,亦不會造成影響,故大家可放心進食。

其他國家水銀偏高魚類

魚類品種 水銀含量(微克/公斤)

劍魚 970-1820

鯊魚 540-1500

旗魚 1,100-1,430

方頭魚 1,450

鮫魚 730

藍鰭吞拿魚 730

大眼吞拿魚 639-740 註:以每公斤不超於500微克為安全標準。

Autumnson 說...

真係正,你示範咗可以貼咁長,上次我和Sammi以為唔得添,不過最好加翻link俾版友LOL。