Proceedings of NIMD Forum

NIMD Forum 2006
Recent Topics of Fetal Methylmercury Exposure and Its Effects

Opening Session

9:00 - 9:15

Opening Address: Dr. Komyo Eto, Director General, National Institute for Minamata Disease

Welcome Remarks: Dr. Tatsuya Aoki, Director, Special Environmental Disease Office, Ministry of the Environment

1

Morning Session: Moderators:Dr. Hiroshi Satoh (Tohoku University)
Dr. Tim Meredith (WHO)

9:15 - 9:40

Dietary advisories and public information: Dr. Pal Weihe (Faroese Hospital System)

2

9:40 - 10:05

Choosing the age for assessment of neurotoxicity: Dr. Frodi Debes (University of Southern Denmark)

12

10:05 - 10:30

Joint analysis of the two Faroese cohorts assessing the effect of prenatal mercury exposure in 7 year old children: Dr. Esben Budtz-Jorgensen (University of Copenhagen)

31

10:30 - 10:50 Break

10:50 - 11:15

Selenium as a potential protective factor against mercury developmental neurotoxicity: Dr. Anna Choi (Harvard School of Public Health)

36

11:15 - 11:40

Lesson from an animal experiment of combined exposure to methylmercury and PCBs on neurobehavioral influences in mice: Dr. Norio Sugawara (Tohoku University)

41

11:40 - 12:05

Effects of "spike" (short-term peak) exposure to methylmercury on mercury accumulation and neuronal degeneration in the brain: Dr. Shun’ichi Honda (National Institute for Minamata Disease)

54

12:05 - 13:05 Lunch

Afternoon Session: Moderators: Dr. Philippe Grandjean (University of South Denmark)
Dr. Antero Aitio (Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Ex-WHO)

13:15 - 13:40

Correlations between mercury concentrations in umbilical cord tissue and other biomarkers of fetal exposure to methylmercury in Japanese population: Dr. Mineshi Sakamoto (National Institute for Minamata Disease)

65

13:40 - 14:05

Imprecision of cord tissue mercury and other biomarkers of prenatal methylmercury exposure, and the implications for exposure limits: Dr. Philippe Grandjean (University of South Denmark)

76

14:05 - 14:30

Effects of breast feeding on neuropsychological development in a community with methylmercury exposure from seafood: Dr. Tina Jensen (University of South Denmark)

90

14:30 - 14:55

Tohoku study of child development, a cohort study to examine the effects of perinatal exposure to methylmercury, PCB or dioxins on child development; the association of neonatal neurobehavioral status with maternal hair mercury concentration and fish intake: Dr. Keita Suzuki (Tohoku University)

97

14:45 - 15:15 Break

15:15 - 15:40

Neuromotor dysfunction in patients with fetal Minamata disease: Dr. Katsuyuki Murata (Akita University)

106

15:40 - 16:05

Retrospective assessment of prenatal exposure to methylmercury from whaling records: Ms. Maria Skaalum (University of South Denmark)

110

16:05 - 16:35

IPCS assessments of the risks from exposure to methylmercury: Dr. Antero Aitio (Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Ex-WHO)
Dr. Tim Meredith (WHO)

116

Closing Session

16:35 - 16:50

Closing remarks: Dr. Tim Meredith (WHO)