Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine

The Korean Society of Occupational & Environmental Medicine (대한직업환경의학회)
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The Effects of the Frequency of Fish Consumption on the Blood Mercury Levels in Koreans

우리나라 일부 지역 주민에서 생선 섭취 빈도가 혈중 수은 농도에 미치는 영향

  • Kim, Chan-Woo (Department of Occupational & Environmental Medicine, Masan Samsung Hospital, College of Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University) ;
  • Kim, Young-Wook (Department of Occupational & Environmental Medicine, Masan Samsung Hospital, College of Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University) ;
  • Chae, Chang-Ho (Department of Occupational & Environmental Medicine, Masan Samsung Hospital, College of Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University) ;
  • Son, Jun-Seok (Department of Occupational & Environmental Medicine, Masan Samsung Hospital, College of Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University) ;
  • Park, Seung-Hyun (Department of Occupational & Environmental Medicine, Masan Samsung Hospital, College of Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University) ;
  • Koh, Jae-Chul (University, Department of Occupational & Environmental Medicine, College of Medicine, Korea University) ;
  • Kim, Dae-Seon (Ministry of Environment, National Institute of Environmental Research (NER))
  • 김찬우 (성균관의대 마산삼성병원 산업의학과) ;
  • 김영욱 (성균관의대 마산삼성병원 산업의학과) ;
  • 채창호 (성균관의대 마산삼성병원 산업의학과) ;
  • 손준석 (성균관의대 마산삼성병원 산업의학과) ;
  • 박승현 (성균관의대 마산삼성병원 산업의학과) ;
  • 고재철 (고려대학교 의과대학 산업의학과) ;
  • 김대선 (국립환경 과학원 환경보건안전부 환경역학과)
  • Received : 2010.03.22
  • Accepted : 2010.05.04
  • Published : 2010.06.30
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Abstract

Objectives: We studied two districts in Korea in order to investigate if the frequency of fish consumption has an effect on the blood mercury levels. Methods: This survey was conducted on 164 fishing district residents in Geoje city and 219 agricultural district residents in Changwon city from July to August in 2008. The data on the demographic characteristics, the living environment, lifestyle habits and the frequency of fish consumption was collected by interviewers. We used ANOVA to estimate the particular relevance between the frequency of fish consumption and the blood mercury concentration, and other various factors. Results: The mean total blood mercury level was 6.54${\pm}$4.01 ${\mu}g$/L for the total study population. Our results were even higher than that of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (USA) in, 2001~2002 and the German Environmental Survey in, 1998. In this study, there was a significant difference for the frequency of eating fish between the groups. (p<0.01, The level of the groups that ate fish 3 to 4 times per week was significantly higher as compared with the level of the other groups that ate fish 2 to 3 times per month and 1 to 2 times per week, respectively). As the frequency of fish consumption increased, so did the blood mercury concentration. Conclusions: We found that the blood mercury concentration increases along with fish consumption and this was statistically significant and this fact reveals that fish consumption is positively related to the blood levels of mercury. Accordingly, we need systematic and periodic research on the general population to prevent mercury poisoning, which can be caused by low-level mercury exposure from dietary intake such as chronic fish consumption.

목적: 생선 섭취 빈도와 혈중 수은 농도간의 관련성을 파악하고자 본 연구를 수행하였고 본 연구의 결과를 바탕으로 생선 섭취가 높은 집단에 대한 수은 노출 실태 파악하여 중, 장기적인 대책을 위한 기초자료를 제공 하고자 한다. 방법: 경상남도 거제시 2개 어촌 마을과 창원시 2개 농촌 마을을 방문하여 어촌 164명(남자:62명, 여자:102명), 농촌 219명(남자:84명, 여자:135명)을 대상으로 연구를 수행하였다. 연구진의 마을 방문 시 본 연구 목적과 방법, 유익성에 대해서 설명을 한 뒤 참가 희망자에 한하여 조사자들이 설문지를 직접 읽어주고 기입하는 방식으로 설문조사를 진행하였다. 설문 조사 내용은 연령, 성별, 음주, 흡연, 생선 섭취빈도, 거주기간, 거주 지역, 학력, 직업력 등 이었고 현재 건강 상태는 의사의 문진을 통하여 이루어졌다. 결과: 생선 섭취 빈도를 한 달에 2~3회 이하, 일주일에 1~2회, 일주일에 3~4회 이상 섭취 군으로 나누었다. 각 군에서의 혈중 수은 농도는 6.05${\pm}$3.44 ${\mu}g$/L, 6.40${\pm}$4.16 ${\mu}g$/L, 8.14${\pm}$4.79 ${\mu}g$/L이였고 일주일에 3~4회 이상 섭취하는 군이 다른 군과 비교했을 때 혈중 수은 농도가 통계적으로 유의하게 높았다(p<0.01). 결론: 여러 가지 제한점이 있으나 생선 섭취 빈도와 혈중 수은 농도간의 관련성을 파악할 수 있는 연구였기에 주목해야 할 연구라고 생각된다. 이를 바탕으로 국가적인 연구 계획을 수립하여 생선 섭취를 통한 비직업적이고 만성적인 수은 노출에 대한 현황을 파악하고 나아가 외국의 경우처럼 우리나라만의 혈중 수은 노출 기준을 정하고 임신부와 태아 등을 포함하는 일반인에게 나타날 수 있는 건강 장해를 예방하기 위한 노력과 연구가 지속적으로 계속 되어야 할 것으로 생각된다.

Keywords

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