Exposición a la contaminación antropogénica por mercurio y sus efectos en la salud. Revisión Bibliográfica.

Resumen

Design: A bibligraphic review was carried out without meta-analysis of scientific research published between 2015 and 2021, in journals retrieved from Scopus and Science Direct. Objective: to provide scientific evidence on exposure to mercury and its effects on health from published scientific research. Materials and methods: The standardized search steps referring to the guide of the Spanish Association of Nursing in Palliative Care (AECPAL) were followed; In addition, the validity and precision of each article was verified, making complementary use of a version adapted from GRADE to observational studies. Results: Very high blood mercury concentrations were found in workers in the gold industry and fluorescent lamps, ranging from 13.16µg/L to 54.05µg/L. Teratogenic effects associated with fetal death, congenital anomaly, spontaneous delivery and growth restriction are indicated, and in the occupationally exposed population they were cognitive deterioration, hypercholesteremia, infertility, autism and neural tube defects. Conclusions: The concentration values of mercury in blood and its effects on health are notably variable among the studies, but the main social activities that involve exposure and its associated effects have been evidenced.