Mercury Contamination in Foods: Public Health Challenges and Policy Recommendations; [آلودگی جیوه در مواد غذایی: چالش‌های بهداشت عمومی و توصیه‌های سیاستی] Publisher



Dadkhahfar S ; Bandarian F ; Razzaghi Z ; Bagheri F
Source: Applied Food Biotechnology Published:2026

Abstract

Background and Objective: Mercury as a toxic contaminant may enter food chains, accumulate in seafood, and pose significant risks to human health. Mercury exposure has been associated with neurological, developmental, renal, and immune disorders, particularly among vulnerable populations such as pregnant women, fetuses, and children. Despite increasing evidence regarding the adverse health effects of mercury, a comprehensive understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying mercury toxicity and their implications for public health policy remains limited. This study aimed to evaluate the public health implications of mercury contamination in food products and propose evidence-based policy recommendations to reduce mercury exposure and improve food safety. Methods: Mercury-associated genes and anxiety disorder-related genes were obtained from publicly available biological databases and integrated to identify shared molecular targets. Functional enrichment analyses were conducted to characterize the biological processes and signaling pathways associated with these genes. Gene interaction networks were subsequently constructed and analyzed to identify key regulatory genes and functional relationships. In addition, network pharmacology and molecular docking approaches were used to evaluate potential protective compounds targeting mercury-responsive molecular pathways. Results and Conclusion: Mercury exposure was found to induce oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and dysregulation of inflammatory signaling pathways involving IL1B, IL6, TNF, and IFNG. Evidence also indicated that mercury-responsive genes are enriched in pathways related to inflammation and immune regulation. Based on these findings, policy recommendations were developed focusing on enhanced food safety monitoring, biotechnology-based detection systems, environmental source control, mercury bioremediation, public education, and continued research investment. Mercury contamination should be recognized not only as an environmental issue but also as an important food safety, biotechnology, and public health priority requiring coordinated multidisciplinary action. This open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial 4.0 License (CC BY-NC 4.0). To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/