Descripción del proyecto
Información sobre la toxicidad del mercurio presente en el pescado
Según la Organización Mundial de la Salud, el mercurio es una de las diez principales sustancias químicas que constituyen un problema importante para la salud pública. Los efectos del mercurio en el ser humano requieren una investigación más profunda, dado que el pescado y el marisco son las principales fuentes de exposición al mercurio. El proyecto MERFISH, financiado con fondos europeos, empleará nuevos métodos analíticos para estudiar la repercusión del mercurio en las proteínas y determinará el papel de desintoxicación del selenio, lo que aportará información sobre los riesgos y los beneficios para la salud humana. Los resultados permitirán elaborar directrices importantes para las poblaciones vulnerables, como las mujeres embarazadas y los niños pequeños, a fin de que eviten el consumo de determinadas especies de pescado que contienen cantidades elevadas de mercurio.
Objetivo
MERFISH brings together international experts from a wide array of interdisciplinary research areas (analytical chemistry, fish nutrition, environmental science, communication, toxicology & aquaculture) from industry and academia from EU, Brazil and Mauritius, with a long-term goal of furthering the understanding of the source, transport, fate and effects of mercury from fish to humans and the detoxification role of selenium. MERFISH surges from a global demand, directly related to mercury, one of the top ten chemicals of major public health concern identified by the World Health Organization. However, mercury metabolic pathways in biota still remain poorly understood. Its understanding is crucial to elucidate its (eco)toxic effect and to identify important drivers of the mercury biogeochemical cycle.
Fish and seafood consumption is the principal human exposure source to (toxic) methymercury. EU food safety authorities (such as EFSA), and well-known US and United Nation environmental and food organizations (such as USEPA and FAO) clearly advise about avoiding certain fish species for vulnerable populations (including pregnant women and young children) depending on their methymercury concentrations. Mercury binding with proteins has been identified as a potential cause for toxicity and the role of selenium as antagonist for mercury toxicity has been identified but not well understood. MERFISH is based on the development of novel analytical approaches to gather new knowledge about mercury and selenium mechanisms in fish and humans. The project will be a critical contribution to establishing more realistic scenarios to estimate human health risk and benefits, but also to better capture the economic impacts on commercial fisheries. MERSFISH will build a lasting research network to answer emerging challenges in analytical chemistry, food safety, trophic transfer, fish nutrition and environmental and human health related to the global mercury issue.
Ámbito científico
- natural scienceschemical sciencesanalytical chemistry
- natural scienceschemical sciencesinorganic chemistrytransition metals
- natural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesenvironmental sciences
- engineering and technologyother engineering and technologiesfood technologyfood safety
- natural sciencesbiological scienceszoologyichthyology
Palabras clave
Programa(s)
Régimen de financiación
MSCA-RISE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Research and Innovation Staff Exchange (RISE)Coordinador
75794 Paris
Francia