Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40127279›Full record

ArticleProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America2025

Climate change amplifies neurotoxic methylmercury threat to Asian fish consumers.

Mengjie Wu, Xinda Wu, Alfonso Saiz-Lopez, Paul J Blanchfield, Hongqiang Ren, Huan Zhong

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Paving the Way to Elucidate Hg's Role in Tumorigenesis.Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) · 2026
    Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Mengjie WuState Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China.
Xinda WuState Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China.
Alfonso Saiz-LopezDepartment of Atmospheric Chemistry and Climate, Institute of Physical Chemistry Blas Cabrera, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Madrid 28006, Spain.ORCID 0000-0002-0060-1581
Paul J BlanchfieldFreshwater Institute, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N6, Canada.ORCID 0000-0003-0886-5642
Hongqiang RenState Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China.
Huan ZhongState Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China.ORCID 0000-0002-5100-9465

Funding

MOST | National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) 52388101MOST | National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) U2032201
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Climate change is intricately influencing the accumulation of neurotoxic methylmercury (MeHg) in human food webs, potentially leading to uneven exposure risks across regions. Here, we reveal that climate change will elevate MeHg risks in China, with implications for regional inequalities in Asia through a climate-mercury-food-health nexus. Using a compiled fish mercury dataset from 13,000 samples and machine learning, we find that freshwater wild fish-an essential component of the Asian diet-is an underappreciated MeHg source. Specifically, MeHg concentrations in freshwater wild fish are 2.9 to 6.2 times higher than in freshwater farmed fish and 1.7 times higher than in marine wild fish. Individual climate factors influence MeHg accumulation differently, while their combined effects significantly increase MeHg concentrations in freshwater wild fish. Under SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5 by 2031 to 2060, national average MeHg concentrations in freshwater wild fish are projected to increase by about 60%, adding a maximum annual economic loss of US$18 million (2022 USD) from intelligence quotient decrements in Chinese newborns. This loss may vary regionally within China and among Asian countries, disproportionately affecting less developed areas. Coordinating climate action with mercury emission reduction strategies could mitigate these overlooked regional risks, reduce regional inequalities in food safety, and ultimately contribute to sustainable development.

Indexed as

Climate ChangeFishesFood ContaminationMethylmercury CompoundsWater Pollutants, ChemicalAnimalsChinaFood ChainFresh WaterHumansSeafoodMethylmercury CompoundsWater Pollutants, Chemicalclimate changedietary exposurefood safetyhealthmercury

Identifiers

PMID40127279
PMCPMC12002180

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.