258
M.E. Farago
3
0
0
2.5
-~
2
0\
0\
.:; 1.5
0\
:I:
iij
OJ
{2
0.5
0
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
Body weight (g)
Fig. 13.6. Total mercury in muscle tissue of the Norwegian lobster, Nephros norvegicus, from the
Tyrrhenian Sea (from Renzoni et al.1998). Open circles, males; closed circles, females
Table 13.4. Total mercury concentrations (fIg g -1) in scalp
hair samples from two fishing
villages along the Tyrrhenian
coast (from Renzoni 1992, 1998)
Table 13.S. Total mercury concentrations (fIg g -1) in scalp
hair samples from present day
residents of the Minamata area
(Harada et al. 1998)
Number of seafood meals
One or fewer per month
Two to four per week
More than four per week
Seafood meals eaten
On less than 5 days per week
On 5 days per week
On 6 days per week
Every day
Mean±SD
1.03 ±0.21
8.89 ±S.74
36.36 ±21.62
Mean±SD
2.0±1
2.6 ±1.2
3.5 ±2.6
4.0 ±3.5
n
n
40
88
39
14
39
17
105
Some of the inhabitants had eaten the contaminated fish in the original incident, and
it appeared that, in spite of the low levels of total mercury in the hair samples, the subjects showed various neurological symptoms, and the authors concluded that there
are many people with slight atypical Minamata disease in the area in addition to those
officially recognised as Minamata patients.