Advances in Mercury Toxicology and Risk Assessment

程序范围 汞（Hg）是一种全球性污染物，有强有力的证据表明，到2050年，汞的排放量，特别是燃煤发电厂的排放量将增加50%。汞是一种已知的神经毒物，可对世界各地不同生态系统中的鱼类、野生动物和人类的健康产生不利影响。我的研究计划的长期目标是使用创新的方法来开发最先进的风险评估工具，用于环境污染物的管理。我们在NSERC DG下进行的独特研究计划描述了汞毒性的影响，并提供了可以外推预测污染物对生态系统健康影响的基本机制。 在过去6年的NSERC资助中，我的团队在汞毒性的分子机制、汞与硒和长链多不饱和脂肪酸等营养物质的相互作用以及野生动物和人类新生物标志物的开发方面提供了新的见解。我们的研究成果为从区域到国际的野生动物和公共卫生管理和政策做出了贡献。我的NSERC计划的贡献已经培养了来自世界各地的研究生和本科生的显着数量，谁已经在大学，工业和政府采取的立场。 NSERC认证 我建议实现3个目标，即研究甲基汞（MeHg）产前暴露延迟效应的潜在机制，肠道微生物群对汞消除的调节作用，以及开发关键野生动物物种汞暴露的生物标志物，旨在将基础研究的结果应用于风险评估和风险管理目的。具体目标是： 1.探讨产前低剂量甲基汞对神经前体细胞发育的影响机制，以及对成年期神经发生和记忆的潜在影响; 2.研究饮食改变对肠道微生物组汞代谢的影响; 3.开发新的生物标志物工具，用于评估汞对白鲸和河獭等野生动物的影响。 共有10个理学士，1个硕士，6个博士。1名警察将接受拟议方案的培训。 意义和新奇 我们在哺乳动物关键物种（包括人类）中研究相同终点的方法是新颖的和相关的。了解胎儿接触甲基汞如何在几十年后造成长期影响将是突破性的。确定饮食、微生物组和甲基汞代谢之间的关系，可以通过改变饮食来控制肠道微生物组，从而提高个人减少甲基汞体内负荷/毒性的能力。我们也有能力将尖端基础实验的结果用于应用野生动物和流行病学研究。我们的研究结果可用于建立生态系统健康管理的目的阈值。

PROGRAM SCOPE Mercury (Hg) is a global pollutant, and there is strong evidence that the emission, in particular from coal-burning power plants, will increase by 50% in 2050. Hg is a known neurotoxicant and can have adverse effects on the health of fish, wildlife and human populations in different ecosystems around the world. The long-term goal of my research program is to use innovative approaches to develop state-of-the-art risk assessment tools for the management of environmental pollutants. Our unique research program conducted under the NSERC DG characterizes the effects of Hg toxicity and provides the basic mechanisms that can be extrapolated to predict pollutant effects on ecosystem health. Over the past 6 years of NSERC funding, my team has contributed new insights in the molecular mechanisms of Hg toxicity, its interactions with nutrients such as selenium and long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids and the development of novel biomarkers for wildlife and human populations. Our research results have been contributed to the wildlife and public health management and policy from the regional to the international levels. The contributions of my NSERC program have trained a significant number of graduate and undergraduate students from all over the world, who have gone on to take positions in university, industry and government. OBJECTIVES OF NSERC PROGRAM I propose to achieve 3 objectives to study the underlying mechanisms of delayed effects of methylmercury (MeHg) prenatal exposure, the modulating effects of gut-microbiota on Hg elimination and the development of biomarkers for Hg exposure in keystone wildlife species with the aim to apply the results of the basic research to risk assessment and risk management purposes. Specific objectives are: 1. To study mechanisms of low dose prenatal MeHg effects on neural precursor development, and the latent effect on adult neurogenesis and memory; 2. To study the effects of diet alteration in gut microbiome on Hg metabolism; and 3. To develop new biomarker tools for assessing Hg effects on wildlife including beluga whales and river otters. A total of 10 BSc, 1 MSc, 6 Ph.D. and 1 PDF will be trained in the proposed program. SIGNIFICANCE AND NOVELTY Our approach of studying the same endpoints in mammalian keystone species (including human) is novel and relevant. The understanding of how fetal exposure to MeHg can cause long-term effects decades later will be groundbreaking. The identification of the relationship between diet, microbiome and MeHg metabolism can potentially increase the capacity of individuals to reduce MeHg body burden/toxicity by manipulating their gut microbiome by modifying their diets. We also have the capacity to use the findings from cutting-edge basic experiments for applied wildlife and epidemiological studies. Our results may be used to establish thresholds for ecosystem health management purposes.