Modern Environmental Health Hazards in Africa: Additional Comments

Dorea, Jose G., Environmental Health Perspectives

doi: 10.1289/ehp.0900669

I commend Environment Health Perspectives for publishing the work of Nweke and Sanders (2009); this significant contribution brought to light interesting aspects of environmental health hazards on the African continent that can be universalized for scientifically unrepresented less developed countries and regions of the planet. In this dimension, existing studies [World Health Organization (WHO) 1989] of that continent compel us to share additional results of studies of heavy metals (mercury, lead, and cadmium) related to early exposure in children. I would like to address the WHO (1989) study of breast milk concentrations used to monitor mother-infant contamination in selected African countries (Nigeria and Zaire). I would also like to point out an often neglected but universal source of Hg exposure during pregnancy and throughout infancy and childhood--ethylmercury (etHg) in thimerosal-containing …

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Publication information: Article title: Modern Environmental Health Hazards in Africa: Additional Comments. Contributors: Dorea, Jose G. - Author. Journal title: Environmental Health Perspectives. Volume: 117. Issue: 7 Publication date: July 2009. Page number: A288+. © 2006 National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. COPYRIGHT 2009 Gale Group.

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