Home > GCR > Vol. 36 > Iss. 1 (2025)
Alternate Title
Mercury Concentrations, Health, and Marine Food Consumption across Four Eastern Caribbean Populations: Insights from a Novel Community-based Study
Document Type
Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute Partnership
Abstract
Mercury (Hg), as an environmental pollutant, can have harmful effects on human health. A common way that people are exposed to Hg is through seafood consumption. This project was designed to investigate Hg exposure through seafood consumption and its health effects among adults in 4 Caribbean countries: Barbados (n = 117), Grenada (n = 90), St. Lucia (n = 126), and St. Vincent & the Grenadines (n = 77). We applied a novel, community—based method, which involved recruiting and paying local barbers and hairstylists to collect hair samples from their clients who consented to join the project as participants. Participants also completed surveys with questions focused on their demographics, diet, and heath. Hair samples were analyzed for total Hg using a Direct Mercury Analyzer resulting in the following Hg concentrations (mean ± sd): Barbados, 2.32 ± 3.51 ppm (after the removal of one extreme outlier of 1,136 ppm); Grenada, 1.22 ± 1.54 ppm; St. Lucia, 1.10 ± 1.47 ppm; and St. Vincent & the Grenadines, 2.74 ± 4.20 ppm. Of the data on demographics, dietary history, and health history, only country of residence and sex were found to be correlated significantly with Hg concentrations. We conclude with the hypothesis that other factors in addition to seafood consumption may affect Hg exposure in these 4 Caribbean countries and that further research into more complex Hg pathways is needed in the region. This project highlights the value of community partnerships in research design and its findings indicate the complex sources of Hg exposure within human populations.
First Page
GCFI 36
Last Page
GCFI 50
DOI Link
Supplemental Table S1
Supplemental Table S2 for Fielding et al.pdf (172 kB)
Supplemental Table S2
Supplemental Table S3 for Fielding et al.pdf (93 kB)
Supplemental Table S3
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Use Statement
No artificial intelligence (AI) was used in the preparation of this manuscript
Recommended Citation
Fielding, R., C. Brown, J. Dutton, M. S. Forde, H. Harewood, L. Hunt, C. Macdonald, C. Mewhirter, V. Reid, M. Smith, H. Taylor and K. Zimmerman.
2025.
Mercury Concentrations, Health, and Marine Food Consumption across Four Eastern Caribbean Populations: Insights from a Novel Community-based Study.
Gulf and Caribbean Research
36
(1):
GCFI 36-GCFI 50.
Retrieved from https://aquila.usm.edu/gcr/vol36/iss1/11
DOI: https://doi.org/10.18785/gcr.3601.11
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