Increased methylmercury concentrations in water and fish have been detected after flooding of soils associated with reservoir creation (e.g. for hydroelectric power generation) and in thermokarst wetlands that form after permafrost thaw.There are various sources of inorganic mercury that may indirectly contribute to the production of methylmercury from microbes in the environment. Natural sources of mercury released to the atmosphere include volcanoes, forest fires, volatilization from the ocean and weathering of mercury-bearing rocks. Anthropogenic sources of mercury include the burning of wastes containing inorganic mercury and from the burning of fossil fuels, particularly coal. Although inorganic mercury is only a trace constituent of such fuels, their large scale combustion in utility and commercial/industrial boilers in the United States alone results in release of some 80.2 tons (73 metric tons) of elemental mercury to the atmosphere each year, out of total anthropogenic mercury emissions in the United States of 158 tons (144 metric tons)/year.In the past, methylmercury was produced directly and indirectly as part of several industrial processes such as the manufacture of acetaldehyde. However, currently there are few direct anthropogenic sources of methylmercury pollution in the United States.Whole-lake ecosystem experiments at IISD-ELA in Ontario, Canada showed that mercury falling directly on a lake had the fastest impacts on aquatic ecosystems as opposed to mercury falling on the surrounding land. This inorganic mercury is converted to methylmercury by bacteria. Different stable isotopes of mercury were added to lakes, wetlands, and uplands, simulating rain, and then mercury concentrations in fish were analyzed to find their source.
Management
While there is no corrective cure for the disease, some symptoms can be managed therapeutically and/or monitored. Therapeutic treatment options include physical therapy to improve muscular development while patient growth and osteoporosis can be monitored via developmental assessments and bone density scans, respectively. Prognosis
Long-term progression of this disorder varies between patients. Due to therapeutic interventions for developmental symptoms, long-term outcomes are improved by diagnosis of the disorder during childhood. In some cases, dermatological symptoms subside while associated neurological symptoms may worsen with age, including frequency of seizures and mental deterioration. Epidemiology
As of January 2020, only ~ 30 cases of wrinkly skin syndrome have been reported. The majority of reported cases have come from Middle Eastern regions such as Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Oman. Both males and females of Middle Eastern descent have been reported to be affected. Consanguineous (marriage of first-cousins) relationships are a prevalent feature of parents with children diagnosed with WSS. Such marriages and relationships are more common in Middle Eastern regions. Multiple children of the same parents have also been reported to be affected by WSS. There is currently insufficient epidemiological data to provide frequency of WSS occurrence in other ethnic groups. History
Wrinkly skin syndrome is a very rare disease that was amenable to molecular diagnosis only recently. Consequently, the history of this disease has been minimally documented. However, in 1973, "wrinkly skin syndrome" received its name because of its characterized features of exceedingly wrinkled skin in the hands and feet in Iraqui-Jewish first-cousins.