Percepções de gestantes sobre os riscos da exposição ao mercúrio: um estudo qualitativo na Amazônia Brasileira

Abstract

Methylmercury (CH3Hg) is the form most harmful to human health and is made available in the Amazon ecosystem mainly through deforestation, burning, soil silting, illegal mining activities, industrial activities, predominant logging activities, exacerbated land use, the implementation of hydroelectric power plants, intensifying the effects caused by intoxication and contamination of the environment. In view of this, vulnerable groups such as pregnant women, riverside communities and fishermen are at risk, especially pregnant women, due to the nephrotoxic effects and impaired cognitive development of the fetus. Furthermore, the effects of mercury exposure go beyond the clinical aspects to include nutritional, cultural and socio-environmental aspects, compromising the logic of good living and the right to health. Therefore, this study investigated the perceptions of pregnant women about mercury exposure, its sources and environmental impacts, exploring the relationship between their eating habits, especially fish consumption, and mercury contamination, as well as analyzing the guidance received during prenatal care in Basic Health Units (BHU), focusing on the risks of mercury to fetal health. This is an exploratory, cross-sectional, field study with a qualitative approach, which was carried out in the Lower Tapajós region, Santarém (PA), in the years 2023 and 2024. This study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee (CEP) of the Federal University of Western Pará (UFOPA) under CAAE: 68121023.7.0000.017. The study involved 16 pregnant women attending Basic Health Units in the municipality of Santarém-Pa. Four thematic categories emerged from the interviews: : I- Mercury: grasping concepts of an unknown reality; II- Exposure and impacts on maternal health, revealing concerns about fetal malformations; III- Environmental changes, relating alterations in the territory to the impact of exposure: my territory is my history; IV- Food Safety: Transversalities of mercurial exposure. The study revealed that there was little dissemination of information during prenatal care on the subject of mercury to pregnant women, highlighting the need for continuous educational actions integrated into the local and regional context. The research also revealed that pregnant women were unaware of the risks of mercury poisoning and its implications for maternal and fetal health, highlighting the need to include guidance on safe fish consumption in prenatal consultations. It also highlighted the relationship between environmental changes and food security in riverside communities, suggesting the integration of educational and nutritional actions into publicpolicies. In the meantime, there is an urgent need for longitudinal studies and integrated health, education and environmental policies in order to mitigate risks in vulnerable populations.