| Methylmercury Contamination of Laboratory Animal Diets Bernard Weiss, Sander Stern, Elsa Cernichiari, and Robert Gelein Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA Abstract
In the midst of research focusing on the neurodevelopmental effects of mercury vapor in rats, we detected significant levels of mercury (30-60 ng/g) in the blood of nonexposed control subjects. We determined that the dominant form of the mercury was organic and that the standard laboratory chow we used in our vivarium was the source of the contamination. The dietary levels were deemed of potential biologic significance, even though they might have fallen below the limits of measurement specified by the supplier. All investigators employing animals in research must assess such potential contamination because dietary agents may alter a) conclusions based on intentionally administered doses, b) outcomes by interacting with other agents that are the primary focus of the research, and c) outcomes of research unrelated to the toxic effects of experimentally administered agents. Key words: animal feed, laboratory diets, methylmercury, rats. Environ Health Perspect 113: 1120-1122 (2005) . doi:10.1289/ehp.7816 available via http://dx.doi.org/ [Online 20 April 2005]
Address correspondence to B. Weiss, Department of Environmental Medicine, School of Medicine and Dentistry, Box EHSC, Room G-6820, 575 Elmwood Ave., Rochester, NY 14642 USA. Telephone: (585) 275-1736. Fax: (585) 256-2591. E-mail: bernard_weiss@urmc.rochester.edu We thank M. Balys and M. Langdon for technical assistance. This work was supported by National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Center Grant ES-01247 and research grant ES-08109. The authors declare they have no competing financial interests. Received 2 December 2004 ; accepted 20 April 2005.
The full version of this article is available for free in HTML or PDF formats. |
