This book is based on an international meeting organized by the University of Tokyo and the University of Rochester, and is published as one belonging to the series of Rochester International Conferences in Environmental Toxicity. The meeting on "Advances in Mercury Toxicology" was held at the University of Tokyo on August 1 to 3, 1990. The invited papers are published in this book along with an "Overview" chapter that was written by the editors at a meeting held at the University of Rochester on August 1 to 2, 1991. The purpose of the meeting was to assemble leading scientists to discuss their most recent findings on the toxicology of mercury. The time was opportune. Considerable progress has been made on the environmental fate and toxicology of mercury. Recent findings have given new insight into the global model for mercury. Transport in the atmosphere extends great distances resulting in pollution of lakes and rivers far distant from the source of mercury release. The process of methylation leads to accumulation of methylmercury in fish and thus in the human diet. New evidence indicates that acid rain and the impoundment of water for hydroelectric purposes affects the methylation and bioaccumulation processes resulting in higher levels of methylmercury in fish.

Overview.- Session 1: Fate in the Environment.- Increased Methylmercury Contamination in Fish in Newly Formed Freshwater Reservoirs.- Speciation of Mercury in the Environment.- Session 2: Disposition in the Body.- Individual Difference of Methylmercury Metabolism in Animals and Its Significance in Methylmercury Toxicity.- Mechanisms of Urinary Excretion of Methylmercury(MM).- Role of Glutathione in Mercury Disposition.- Mechanism for Renal Handling of Methylmercury.- Methods for Decreasing 203Hg Retention in Relation to Age and Route of Exposure.- Immunohistochemical Localization of Metallothionein in Organs of Rats Treated with either Cadmium, Inorganic or Organic Mercurials.- Session 3: Biotransformation.- Mercury Vapor Uptake and Oxidoreductases in Erythrocytes.- Differential Determination of Ionizable and Unionizable (Inert) Forms of Inorganic Mercury in Animal Tissues.- Session 4: Molecular Mechanisms of Toxicity.- Role of Neuronal Ion Channels in Mercury Intoxication.- Role of Oxidative Injury in the Pathogenesis of Methylmercury Neurotoxicity.- Alterations in Gene Expression Due to Methylmercury in Central and Peripheral Nervous Tissues of the Rat.- Microtubules: A Susceptible Target of Methylmercury Cytotoxicity.- DNA Damage by Mercury Compounds: An Overview.- Session 5: Selenium as a Modifying Factor of Mercury Toxicity.- Possible Mechanism of Detoxifying Effect of Selenium on the Toxicity of Mercury Compounds.- Overview on the Protection Given by Selenium Against Mercurials.- Session 6: Toxic Effects of Mercury.- Effect of Mercuric Chloride on Angiotensin II-Induced Ca++ Transient in the Proximal Tubule of Rats.- Effects of Methylmercury on the Developing Brain.- Experimental Approaches to Developmental Toxicity of Methylmercury.- Neuropathology of Methylmercury Intoxication.- Behavioral Toxicology of Mercury Compounds.- Effect of Methylmercury on Sleep Patterns in the Rat.- Effect of Inorganic Mercury on the Immune System.- Session 7: Clinical and Epidemiological Aspects.- Exposure to Mercury in the Population.- Blood and Urinary Mercury Levels as Indicators of Exposure to Mercury Vapor.- Epidemiological and Clinical Features of Minamata Disease.- Special Lecture and Closing Remarks.- Mercury in Human Ecology.- Appendix I.- Program.- Appendix II.- Publications from Rochester International Conferences in Environmental Toxicity.