Mercury in Alaskan Eskimo mothers and infants.

The potential danger of natural mercury accumulation in the diet of the Eskimo is evaluated through mercury levels determined in cord blood, placenta, maternal blood, hair, and milk of 38 maternal-infant pairs from Anchorage and the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. Although mercury levels are not discernably dangerous, trends to larger accumulations in maternal and fetal RBC and placental tissue with proximity to the sea and consumption of seals during pregnancy provide the basis for considering possible indicators of neonatal involvement. Mercury level in RBC from cord blood appeared as the best potential indicator of this involvement, although relationships with the mother's diet and level of mercury in the placenta also appear useful. In this area, average and maximal mercury levels in cord blood are 39 and 78 ng/ml, respectively, far below the acknowledged toxic level in infants of these mothers who eat seals or fish every day during their pregnancy.