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Environmental Heavy Metal Pollution and Effects on Child Mental Development: Risk Assessment and Prevention Strategies

Authors:
  • Institute of Public Health of the Republic of North Macedonia

Chapters (20)

Environmental pollution is a product of urbanization and technology, and other attendant factors of population density, industrialization and mechanization that serve to provide the necessities of the population. For example, in cities of developing countries, the rural-urban migration activated by the search for increased incomes has resulted in the concentration of large populations in relatively small areas under poor conditions of sanitation. Traffic jams and the legendary ‘go-slow’ of automobiles are everyday occurrences in these cities. The impact of pollution in the vicinity of overcrowded cities and from industrial effluents and automobile exhausts has reached a disturbing magnitude and is arousing public awareness. At present, no enough data are available on the extent of environmental pollution because there are no agencies charged with the routine monitoring and protection of the environment. This chapter therefore focuses on the critical issues of heavy metals (HMs) pollution in rapidly developing nations. Once emitted from their sources, they have the property of accumulating in the environment for many years. They enter the human body through inhalation, ingestion, and dermal. They also can accumulate in the bodies of animals and humans before they even cause damage. However; HMs such as Lead (Pb), Cadmium (Cd), Arsenic (As), Manganese (Mn) Nickel (Ni), Chromium (Cr) and Mercury (Hg), are also metabolized in the body in a similar way to nutrient metals. Environmental exposure to HMs can occur through air, soil, drinking water and food stuff. The neurotoxic effects of exposure HMs in the environment, though insufficiently recognized, remains a topic of sub stantial current concern and interest as it could be considered an early endpoint for health effects induced by exposure to heavy metals.In addition, they can adversely affect the quality of life, and have broad health, social and economic implications. Special concern is directed to children as they are the most sensitive population exposed to environmental pollution in general and heavy metals in specific. Finally, the magnitude and potential severity of neurotoxicity problems make it imperative to direct researches towards preventive intervention, and focus on the development of new biomarkers for neurotoxicity at the individual and population levels with emphasis on health education about HMs exposure and their potential for neurotoxicity. The establishment of comprehensive monitoring systems and information gathering should be given priority by governments of the developing countries in the sub-region with support and encouragement from international agencies. KeywordsEnvironmental pollution-heavy metals-developing countries-mental disorders
The anthropogenic sources for heavy metals include mining, industrial productions, untreated sewage sludge and combustion by-products produced by coal burning power plants. Atmospheric emissions are probably the most preoccupant to human health and to the environment due to either the great quantity involved, or their widespread dispersion. Mercury, lead and cadmium represent a great issue, mostly due to their ability to travel long distances in the atmosphere before deposition. Exposure assessment to emissions of heavy metals implies to identify and quantify the sources, how heavy metals may be dispersed in the environment and which adverse effects they might cause on human health and on the ecosystem. Heavy metals emissions and releases into the environment are available at the European Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (E-PRTR, 2010). In this data base main sources from 27 European countries are identified. Data concerning Cd, Hg and Pb were extracted for the year of 2007. This work focuses on the review and analysis of the principal sources of heavy metals emissions into the environment and their role in critical receptors’ environmental exposure. The review of the principal sources may give a clearer picture of the situation: the potential regions at risk and the extension of the contamination, essential to the exposure assessment by critical receptors. On the other hand, exposure assessments studies and consequent research allow a better knowledge of heavy metals sources, emissions, pathways and fate in the environment. Therefore both a complete exposure assessment and a consequent risk assessment are needed to establish the identification and implementation of measures to eliminate or to reduce the exposure. KeywordsExposure-heavy metals-air emissions-critical receptors-assessment
Different natural and artificial sources of pollution (manufacturing, metallurgy, mining, constructions, and incinerators) can contaminate the environ ment with heavy metals. If natural sources contribute to environmental pollution only to a little extent, artificial ones, which result from different human activities, contribute decisively to the pollution of the environment. Recently, interest in heavy metals (Pb, Hg, Cu, Zn, Cd, Sn, Ni, Cr, Mn, Se, As) has increased as they contaminate the environment and severely affect human and animal health. This paper presents some theoretical toxicity aspects of three elements (cadmium, lead, arsenic) and possible additive or synergistic action in human bodies, especially in children. Evaluating these actions is essential for risk assessment and management of heavy metals as single or mixture environment pollutants. KeywordsHeavy metals-metallothioneins-cadmium-lead-arsenic-toxicity
Over the last decade autism and autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) have become an increasing focus of scientific research and public interest. The idea that mercury exposure may play a causative role in autism was first suggested in connection with postnatal exposures to ethylmercury via vaccination. This hypothesis has not been supported by the results of several large epidemiology studies and scientific reviews but nonetheless the notion that mercury in vaccines causes autism has remained fixed in the public mind. Several ecological studies have also suggested that inorganic mercury exposures from environmental (i.e., non-vaccine) sources are correlated with autism prevalence. To better understand some of the limitations of these ecological analyses, and to explore the robustness of the mercury-autism hypothesis, we used data collected for the U.S. State of Texas to examine whether other surrogate exposure measures (e.g., emissions of other chemicals, downwind status from a power plant, local fish consumption advisories) and different analytical approaches led to similar findings. Using multilevel Poisson regression analysis we found that air mercury emissions reports were significantly associated with same year autism prevalence in Texas school districts using data obtained for 2001 and 2002 but that associations were not significant using data from 2003 to 2005. Evaluations using other surrogate exposure variables (i.e., downwind location from coal-fired power plants or existence of mercury related fish consumption advisories) also did not yield statistically significant associations. We did observe that the treatment of censored data had an important effect on the analysis; results which were statistically significant when censored data were handed as zeros became non statistically significant when they were treated as the mid-point of the censored range. This indicates that what is required to clearly answer questions about environmental mercury and autism is a well controlled case-control or cohort study with extensive pre- and post-natal mercury exposure assessment. Government agencies, advocacy groups and mercury emitting industries should all consider supporting such studies so that this contentious health concern can be definitively addressed KeywordsMercury-autism-environmental epidemiology
Arsenic is element ubiquitously distributed in nature. Human exposure to this element is mediated by drinking water (e.g. in Bangladesh,Taiwan, Argentine, Chile, United States, Hungary), via local food grown in highly contaminated regions e.g. due to burning arsenic rich coal or in the vicinity of smelters, especially around copper and lead smelters and after a mass use of pesticides e.g. defoliant-dimethylarsinic acid- in a mass scale used by US troops in Vietnam as the Agent Blue or by see food items. In copper, lead and stibium smelters there are frequent chances for inhalation exposure which was described as well in connection with application of pesticides containing this metaloid. There were described as well iatrogenic and accidental intoxications with sever clinical consequences even with fatalities. The environmental and occupational toxicology of arsenic has been extensively reviewed (e.g. EPA, 1984; Clarkson, 2001; Bencko and Slamova, 2007; ATSDR, 2007). The limited extent and a specific orientation of this chapter citation of original papers is limited and served for documentation of highlights in the text or for illustration of unique human exposure situations
Baia Mare is a municipality in northwestern Romania and the main city of Maramures County. As it is located in a region having a lot of non ferrous metals and precious metals deposits, an intensive activity of mining and metallurgy has been developed. The municipality of Baia Mare currently has a total population of 137,976 of which some 7,128 peoples are living in Ferneziu area, situated in the northwest of the city. This population is the most exposed to high risks of current or historical heavy metal pollution because it is living within the very closed area around the metallurgical factory of lead smelter. This paper will deal with the actual and historical pollution with heavy metals and with the health problems caused by current air pollution and risks related to historical soil pollution. The most important risk sources for the people of Baia Mare are current air pollution and soil contamination resulted from historical pollution from two large metallurgical factories located within the town. The lead level in blood of children has drastically diminished during the last 20 years but there exists still about 40% of children having values over 10 μg/100 mL that indicate lead exposure and potential health risk. A special issue is registered in Ferneziu area which needs a special investigation. KeywordsLead-pollution-health-blood-children
Since 1979 is it known that the lead exposure, which is held harmless for adults, can occur severe behavioral disorders, mental performance and concentration decrease in children and therefore it was necessary to reduce the environmental lead exposure. In Hungary in the mid-1980s the lead content of petrol were progressively reduced. The first specific study on blood lead level of children was carried out in the years 1985 and 1986, and it showed a significant difference between children living in city center and outer districts in Budapest. The significance between blood lead level and lead concentration in air was stronger in children than in adults. In the early 1990s our studies showed, that blood-lead level was still above 10-g/dL in 8–13% of urban children, higher than 20 g/dL blood-lead levels were measured only sporadically. Seven years after the introduction of unleaded petrol the average blood-lead level of children was significantly lower, between 1996 and 2006 is the difference more than 60%, however our studies showed also, that petrol lead content is not the only exposure source affecting the blood-lead level. In the next decade is expected moderate elevated blood-lead level in children, which reminds us to reduce the environmental lead pollution. KeywordsLead exposure-children-health-blood lead level
Heavy metals concentrations in biological materials are necessary to be known when investigations in environmental or health risk assessment are done. The paper aims to review the modern aspects of the first step of the analytical process, sampling and sample preparation which involve some of the following operations: sample collection (sampling), washing, storage, preservation, followed by sample transformation to the most appropriate form for measurement. New separation techniques, applied for specific analytes extraction or preconcentration from biological matrices and metal speciation are also briefly described. KeywordsHeavy metals-sampling-biological sample preparation-speciation
Heavy metals are present as elementary compounds or mineral deposits in nature, from which they are extracted and processed for different purposes. During these processes, heavy metals are released in the environment and reach the atmosphere, waters, soils, and biota (plants and animals). Heavy metals release into the environment is of great concern, due to their ability to concentrate and accumulate, in different stable forms and in different media. Quantitative determination methods and techniques are developed in order to provide valid results about the heavy metals content in different matrixes. This study presents the main analytical techniques available for heavy metals determination in environmental and biological samples, as well as an example of method validation and uncertainty estimation for Cu2+ determination in waste water samples. KeywordsHeavy metals-analytical methods-analytical techniques-method validation-uncertainty estimation
The identification and measurement of heavy metals in samples of environmental origin as soil, water, ambient air or from biological objects, is performed at present by different analytical methods and techniques normally in special laboratory conditions. In cases when an express in-field chemical analysis and interpretation of the results is needed, the usual procedures, which assure the quality control of measurement and data collection, are time limited and simplified. The aim is to develop and introduce in general practice reliable methods and techniques for express elemental and isotopic analysis of the envi ronmental media pollution, which would fulfill the measurements at acceptable quality level and would not sacrifice the quality objectives of the analysis because of compromises reasons. A presentation is made here of a small and portable laser mass-spectrometer, whose analytical capabilities are believed to fulfill the requirements for in-field chemical analysis of environmental pollution with heavy metals. KeywordsHeavy metals-environmental pollution-in-field analysis-laser mass spectrometry
Atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) is one of the most valuable and well established techniques in the vast application area of biological and environmental analysis. Flame AAS is robust, selective and straightforward yet lacks sensitivity at analyte concentrations below 0.1–10 µg/g in analyses of liquid and solid samples, respectively. Two modern AAS techniques with better detection power (10–1,000–fold) as well as their combinations with each other and with other separations are applied in the lower concentration range: electro thermal AAS (ETAAS) or graphite furnace AAS (GFAAS) and vapour generation AAS (VGAAS), viz. hydride generation AAS (HGAAS) and cold vapour tech nique (CVAAS). Application scope and performance characteristics of these techniques are presented and some recent research and development trends are given. Illustrations by examples from the author’s own research on trace element determinations (As, Bi, Cd, Hg, Pb, Sb, Se, Sn, etc.) in environmental and biological materials (water, soil, sediment, terrestrial and aquatic tissues, urine, etc.) by direct and hyphenated VG techniques, including online treatments by microwave (MW) and ultraviolet (UV) irradiation (HG–ETAAS, FI–MW– HGAAS, FI–MW–CVAAS, HPLC–UV–HGAAS) are given. An emphasis is placed on metrological and quality control issues. Review of compiled reference values on trace element concentrations in biological and environmental samples from author’s own research is presented. KeywordsAtomic absorption spectrometry (AAS)-graphite furnace AAS-hydride generation AAS-cold vapour AAS-biological samples-environmental trace analysis-trace elements-speciation analysis-hyphenated techniques-sample treatment-reference values
Presented are results of applicability tests of a miniature and portable time-of-flight laser mass-analyzer with water solutions. Discussed are the analytical possibilities of the laser time-of-flight mass spectrometry to produce express and stable elemental and isotopic mass spectra of environmental aqueous samples directly in-situ of the places of sample collection and several related problems as sample preparation, multielement chemical analysis and reliability of analytical results. A description of a simple methodic for preparation of laser targets from water solutions with different concentrations of the metals Na, Mg, Fe, Ni, Cd and Hg is presented. In a descending row from 1,000 to 62.5 ppb and in quantities of a 0.25 ml each, the solutions were carefully evaporated on glass holders and the produced sedimentation residues were investigated with the laser mass analyzer. The data presented below showed a deviation within 16% from the expected values, which is a proof of quite satisfactory sample homogeneity. The possible areas and cases of the proposed methodic for express target preparation are also discussed. KeywordsHeavy metals-elemental and isotopic analysis-laser mass spectrometry-environmental chemical analysis-in-situ analysis
Several assessments of the potential biomass supply in Europe show that the best means of biomass production are growing energy crops on agricultural land. Cultivation of energy crops on agricultural areas might lead to accumulation of heavy metals in plant tissues and reemission of contaminants into the atmosphere during combustion. The goal of the present study was to assess how soil contamination influences heavy metals accumulation in energy plant tissues. The current paper presents the results of screening of selected plants (Spartina pectinata, Miscanthus sp., Helianthus tuberosus, Elymus elongatus) conducted in uncontaminated region of Poland (North-Eastern part of the country) aimed at finding natural abilities to uptake small amounts of heavy metals and accumulate is in the plant tissue. Based on this screening, Miscanthus sp. was tested on heavy metal contaminated arable soil in Southern Poland. This species accumulates high amounts of metals what may cause high emission of contaminants during biomass combustion. KeywordsHeavy metals-energy crops-Miscanthus sp-soil pollution
The objective of the study was meta-analysis of the soil pollution with heavy metals and related adverse health effects on exposed population in the Balkan’s region. Heavy metals are naturally occurring elements, and are present in varying concentrations in all ecosystems. There are a huge number of heavy metals. They are found in elemental form and in a variety of other chemical compounds The main anthropogenic sources of heavy metals are various industrial processes, mining, foundries, smelters, combustion of fossil fuel and gasoline, and waste incinerators. The major heavy metals of concern to WHO and EMEP are Hg, Cd and Pb, because they are the most toxic and have known serious effects on e.g. human health. Soil contamination is a problem discussed as a degraded process which importance exceeds agricultural area. In 2007 CERCLA Priority List of Hazardous Substances-ATSDR has been ranked several heavy metals by their toxicity. In the paper were presented some results from Macedonia, Albania, Bulgaria, Serbia and Turkey. KeywordsHeavy metals-soil pollution-environmental-health-population
Heavy metal contamination of soils by metalliferous activities around metallurgical smelter Kremikovtzi was studied in different distances. Concentrations of Pb, Cd, Cu, Zn, Cr, Ni, As and Hg were determined on 38 soil samples (topsoils and subsoils) in order to assess the distribution of these heavy metals in the soil depth. Soils were analyzed using AAS for Pb, Cd, Cu, Zn, Cr and Ni; CVAAS for Hg; and HGAAS for As. Analysis of pH was also defined by pH meter. Correlation between pH values and heavy metal con18 centrations was not established. Higher metal concentrations were determinedin the soil samples taken relatively close to the smelter than those taken at 3 km distance. In some samples determined levels of Pb (330 mg/kg) and As (180 mg/kg) exceed considerably the maximum admissible concentrations (MAS) according to the Bulgarian Legislation (MAS of Pb is 130 mg/kg and MAS of As is 40 mg/kg). Determined concentrations of other metals (Cd, Cu, Zn, Cr, Ni, Hg) are below MAS but exceed the background and precautionary values. Determined levels of heavy metals and arsenic in the surface soil layers and these from 30 cm depth were quantified in the same order of magnitude. It was found that metal concentrations decreased with the distance increasing from the smelter. In addition, soil heavy metal contamination may pose a potential health risk to residents in the vicinity of smelter areas. For that reason, the morbidity rate of population living in this region was analyzed and it was found that allergic, respiratory, cardiovascular and endocrine disorders were with higher frequency rate compared with the average data for the city of Sofia. KeywordsSmelter-heavy metal concentration-soil pollution-health risk
The main objective of this paper is to provide data on the Danube River Delta Biosphere (Romania) aquatic ecosystem quality and Vardar – Axios River Valley (FYR Macedonia – Greece) on comparison basis from on the long-term analytical investigation for specific indicators. In particular this paper is focused on the quality assessment of surface water, sediment and biota of the Danube Delta Biosphere Reservation. Information is presented on water and sediment quality variations in heavy metals over a seven-year period (2003 and 2009), from April to October. Samples have been collected monthly from two different locations (Murghiol and Uzlina) situated on St. Gheorghe branch. The presence of some toxic metals was noticed in surface waters and sediments. In both locations in different periods of time high concentrations of Fe, Mn, heptachlor, Lindane, PCBs, phenols, mineral oil in surface water represent an acute problem for the inhabitants of the Danube Delta which use water for household consumption directly from the Danube, without any treatment. This presents a series of disadvantages, such as a high risk of disease for the population, mostly for children and old people. The evolution of the pollution levels of Danube waters was compared with that of Axios/Vardar River, another major transboundary river in the Balkan area. KeywordsDanube Delta-Axios – Vardar River-ecosystem-metals-Pollution-drinking water-health-sediment-benthic macro invertebrates
Atmospheric heavy metals pollution is one of the most serious problems facing humanity and other life forms on our planet today. Industrial pollution, soil erosion, deforestation, rapid industrialization, urbanization, and land degradation are all worsening problems. The release of toxins from plants and industrial institutions is very high for the per capita allowance. In some Mediterranean countries, the combustion of wood or agricultural waste is another major source. Present information concerning the sources, emission, limits and inputs of heavy metals is rather limited in the developing countries. The situation in developing countries (North African and Middle East) is mixed. In these countries, however, and in some economies in transition (including Eastern Europe) traffic is becoming the problem. This is a challenge to city planning in these countries, where the long repressed wishes for private automobiles are difficult to reconcile with environmental protection. These countries are seeking to expand their economic activities; consideration for environmental conservation often receives a low priority. In addition, approaches used in industrialized countries often cannot be applied directly in developing ones. For any industry, the fate of the air quality is far down the list beyond their ability to make a profit. Exposure assessment studies in the developing world are important. Differences among measuring methods and a lack of strict quality control in carrying out exposure assessment make it difficult to generalize and compare findings between studies. Toxic chemicals can be transported with differing levels of efficiency to the target host depending upon the transport pathways. Exposure may occur directly by ingestion, inhalation, or dermal contact. The relative contribution of different pathways must be assessed by examining the nature of human activities which may be expected in particular exposure settings. This chapter summarizes some of the basic principles and uses of environmental risk assessment. Exposure assessment requires the integration of environmental quality data with an estimate of the rate of human contact with contaminated media. This aspect of risk assessment should rely heavily on local data, since it allows an assessment of how particular local conditions and cultural practices affect risk potential. A number of site-specific factors must first be evaluated, including (1) the characteristics and quantification of industrial pollutants, (2) the potential for release to the environment, (3) the sensitivity of the particular environment, (4) the proximity of these chemicals to humans, and (5) its potential effect on human health. KeywordsAir pollution-particulate matter-heavy metals-Mediterranean countries-exposure-preventative strategies
The presence of heavy metals in environment has been a subject of great concern due to their non-biodegradable nature. It is therefore important to continuously carry out environmental impact assessment and audit in order to evaluate the effects of these metals on the environment and meanwhile to design balanced and sustainable schemes of local industry development. The paper presents overview of heavy metal pollution in Armenia, especially in the regions, where mining industry recently is developed and where indices of heavy metal pollution are very high. Mining industry is the main source of heavy metal pollution in Armenia. Is developed a strategy of modeling of socio18 economical and ecological balance of heavy metal impact and a concept of integrated model is presented. KeywordsHeavy metals-pollution-mining industry-modeling
EU strategy of renewable energy development assumes an increase of energy from renewable sources, up to 7.5% in 2010 and to 14% in 2020. In terms of that project production and usage of woody and herbaceous energy crops for power and heat generation on contaminated sites is said to be a pro20 position for wide spectrum of brownfields. Persistent soil pollutants, like heavy metals, are source of soil degradation and create the most complicated problems, as the phenomenon of natural attenuation, which is functioning in case of many other pollutants, is not applicable here. For environmental friendly combustion process (Nussbaumer, 2003) plants used as energy crop, should be free from harmful compounds. There is a luck of easily available information related to the physiological properties of plants concerning heavy metals uptake. Heavy metal concentration in plants is related to the plant species and cultivars. Possibilities of using the list of plants with the low level of heavy metal shoot concentration should help to grow environmentally safe energetic crop. For production of biomass with low level of heavy metals different chemo31 stabilization scenarios for various areas are expected. First contaminated soils should be remediated before energy crop production. Chemicals introduced to the soil bind metals and diminish metal uptake by plants. Appropriate soil pH also could stabilize metal migration in the soil compartment. KeywordsEnergy crops-heavy metals-contaminated soil-phytostabilization
Heavy metals can be emitted into environment by both natural and anthropogenic sources, mainly mining and industrial activity. Human exposure occurs through all environmental media. Infants are more susceptible to the adverse effects of exposure. Recently more attention is paid to the mental development of children exposed to heavy metals. The purpose of the Advanced Research Workshop was to evaluate the existing knowledge in this field, to recommend a strategy for countries and regions in risk to protect today’s children and future generations from exposure to heavy metals, and to propose the necessary coordinated studies. This paper is a draft of the findings, conclusions and recommendations, formulated as a result of the presentations of the key-speakers; of the work of two round-table discussions: one on the need for studies of the health effects of environmental pollution on children’s mental development and the second on prevention strategies; and of the finalizing working groups to summarize the output scientific value of the ARW meeting. KeywordsEnvironmental pollution-heavy metals-child-mental development-risk assessment-prevention strategy-discussion and conclusions-recommendations
... Contamination of soil, water and air with toxic metals as a result of anthropogenic activities, such as industrialization, urbanization, traffic, mining and agricultural activities is a threat to the environment [1][2][3]. In the context of ecosystem pollution, toxic metals require special attention, as they can generate hazards and risks to human health [1][2][3][4][5][6]. ...
... Contamination of soil, water and air with toxic metals as a result of anthropogenic activities, such as industrialization, urbanization, traffic, mining and agricultural activities is a threat to the environment [1][2][3]. In the context of ecosystem pollution, toxic metals require special attention, as they can generate hazards and risks to human health [1][2][3][4][5][6]. The level of contamination of air, water and soil with metal ions is a very important problem for human health, because on populations exposed to them in the long term can generate carcinogenic, mutagenic effects, etc., causing various diseases. ...
... On the environment, contamination with metal ions can cause the death of plants and trees by exceeding the phytotoxic concentration and, consequently, the depreciation of green areas in urban areas and agricultural areas. Under these conditions, simple ways of signalling the increase of metal ion concentrations above a certain threshold, and decontamination techniques are needed to minimize the risk and to avoid the real major consequences [2,7,8]. Agricultural areas are contaminated with toxic metals us result of pesticides (insecticides), fertilizers spreading and mismanagement of waste [9,10]. ...
Article
The paper presents an experimental laboratory study of the bioaccumulation of the toxic metal arsenic in the medicinal plant chamomile (Matricaria Chamomilla L.). The study makes a comparison regarding the bioaccumulation capacity of the chamomile plant in which arsenic is found as a unique contaminant, as well as in mixtures of 2, 3, or 4 toxic metals (Cd, Ni and Pb) on a natural soil enriched with metals, compared to the chamomile plant developed on an unpolluted substrate. The tests followed the effects of soil pollution with metals on the germination and development of chamomile. The experimental results indicated that arsenic does not bioaccumulate in the chamomile plant, remaining in the soil. The experiment that was an exception is the one with arsenic as the only contaminant (E1) in which at 90 days, the arsenic content in the chamomile plant was 3.58 mg/kg arsenic, the value that is within normal limits, below the phytotoxic value of 5 mg/kg, but was higher than that determined in the plant from the control test experiment (<0.75 mg/kg). The bioaccumulation factor (BCF) after 90 days, in all experiments, either by a combination of metals or a single contaminant had values lower than 1, indicating that the plant does not accumulate arsenic. The total chlorophyll from the results obtained indicates that the toxicity in the E1 experiment is higher than in the metal mixture.
...  HMs associated with PM 10 were measured in ambient air of Shiraz, Iran. ...
... Upon inhalation or ingestion, high concentrations of HMs in ambient aerosol particles affect body metabolism, liver function, the central nervous system, and can cause reproductive disorders and lead to HM poisoning [9,10]. A health risk assessment (HRA) is important to quantify the level of threat to human health from exposure to HMs, which can cause cancer or adverse health effects [11]. ...
... In the present work, days of the week were classified into three groups for comparison of PM 10 and HM data (Table 3) upwind in areas such as the drying surface of the Maharloo Lake [86,87]. The average PM 10 concentration was significantly lower on holidays when there is less human activity outdoors, which suggests that most coarse particles in Shiraz result from the release and re-suspension of dust due to urban traffic (vehicle traffic) [59] and other anthropogenic activity such as construction [88,89]. ...
Article
This study investigated the concentrations of suspended particulate matter £ 10 µm in diameter (PM10) and their heavy metal content, including cadmium, lead, chromium, zinc, nickel, aluminum, and iron, in ambient air in the Middle East: Shiraz, Iran. The Crystal Ball 7.3 software package was used to assess carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health effects due to heavy metal exposure. The mean concentrations of heavy metals increased in the following order: Fe > Al > Zn > Pb > Cr > Ni > Cd. Meanwhile, the average concentrations of PM10 decreased during the same time frame. When comparing PM10 on various days of the week in Iran, including holidays (Thursday and Friday), two days after holidays (Saturday and Sunday), and other days (Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday), the concentrations were higher two days after the holidays as compared to other days of the week (p < 0.05). The excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR) for Cr, especially for children was 1.20 × 10⁻², which surpassed suggested EPA levels. The non-carcinogenic values of heavy metals for children were significantly higher than those for adults for three pathways. The results indicate that children usually had more exposure to heavy metals associated with PM10 as compared to adults.
... The exposure to heavy metals generally occurs through ingestion (drinking or eating) or inhalation (breathing). Heavy metals can accumulate in the environment as well as in the body of animals and human beings for many years once emitted from their sources (Simeonov et al., 2010). Long-term exposure to toxic heavy metals can induce cardiopulmonary, neurological, and carcinogenic impacts (López et al., 2005;Simeonov et al., 2010). ...
... Heavy metals can accumulate in the environment as well as in the body of animals and human beings for many years once emitted from their sources (Simeonov et al., 2010). Long-term exposure to toxic heavy metals can induce cardiopulmonary, neurological, and carcinogenic impacts (López et al., 2005;Simeonov et al., 2010). For instance, a wide range of neurobehavioral problems such as learning disabilities, memory and attention deficits, impaired problem solving, reduced intelligence test (IQ) performance, increased behavior problems such as aggression, conduct disorder, and criminality, and psychiatric problems such as depression and anxiety were observed in children exposed to even small concentrations of some heavy metals (Simeonov et al., 2010). ...
... Long-term exposure to toxic heavy metals can induce cardiopulmonary, neurological, and carcinogenic impacts (López et al., 2005;Simeonov et al., 2010). For instance, a wide range of neurobehavioral problems such as learning disabilities, memory and attention deficits, impaired problem solving, reduced intelligence test (IQ) performance, increased behavior problems such as aggression, conduct disorder, and criminality, and psychiatric problems such as depression and anxiety were observed in children exposed to even small concentrations of some heavy metals (Simeonov et al., 2010). Although the neurotoxic effects of environmental exposure to heavy metals are not well identified, it remains as a topic of important concern as it could be considered as an early endpoint for health impacts induced by exposure to heavy metals. ...
Article
This study aimed to survey the concentration of PM10 and heavy metals (cadmium, chromium, cobalt, nickel, lead, and zinc) on normal and dusty days in Ahvaz, Iran. Concentrations of PM10 in a high-traffic area of the city were measured from October 2012 to September 2013 using a high-volume sampler (HVS). Extracted heavy metals were speciated and quantified using Inductivity Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES). The results of this study showed that the average concentration of PM10 in the autumn (October, November, and December), winter (January, February, and March), spring (April, May, and June), and summer (July, August, and September) was 131, 189, 145, and 127 µg/m³ on normal days, respectively. The corresponding values on dusty days were 410, 742, 300, and 278 µg/m³, respectively. The concentrations of the heavy metals during dusty days were higher than those on normal days. The ratio of the overall mean concentration of the heavy metals on dust storm days relative to normal days (D/N ratio) ranged from 1.21 to 2.53. Due to the importance and impacts of PM10 and associated heavy metals on human health, further studies should be conducted to evaluate the concentrations, impacts, and the associated diseases during pollution periods to establish and implement strategies to minimize harmful effects of PM inhalation.
... Concentrations of dissolved molybdenum in the aqueous discharge of large molybdenum mills in Colorado can reach up to about 25 mg/L [4], while concentrations of dissolved molybdenum in the aqueous discharge of large open pit copper mines in Arizona range from approximately 1 mg/L to about 30 mg/L [5,6]. Molybdate is a pollutant that has been found in soil and water at quantities of up to approximately 2000 parts per million (20.8 Mm) [5]. ...
... Because of the neighboring Alaverdi copper molybdenum mine, about 300 square kilometers of soil in Armenia has been tainted with heavy metals such as lead, copper, and molybdenum. The concentrations of heavy metals can be up to 40 times higher than the permissible limit in areas that are close to mines [6]. This results in severe pollution. ...
Article
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In the long run, bioremediation is the utmost cost-effective way, particularly at low concentrations while other methods like physical or chemical procedures would be ineffective, for the elimination of heavy metals and organic pollutants. The process of reducing molybdenum (sodium molybdate) with an oxidation state of (VI) to molybdenum blue (oxidation state from V to VI) serves as a form of detoxification. Important characteristics, such as specific reduction rate, theoretical reduction maximum, and the lag duration of reduction, can be shown by mathematical modeling of the reduction process. While natural logarithm transformation is a common linearization approach, it is not precise and can only provide a rough estimate of the most important single measurable parameter; the specific growth rate. In this study, for the first time, values for the aforementioned parameters or constants were calculated using a wide range of models, including the logistic, Gompertz, Richards, Schnute, Baranyi-Roberts, Buchanan three-phase, von Bertalanffy and most recently, the Huang model. Based on statistical tests including root-mean-square error (RMSE), bias factor (BF), adjusted coefficient of determination (adjR2), accuracy factor (AF), and corrected Akaike information criterion (AICc), the logistics model was found to be the best model for representing the Mo-blue production curve of Bacillus sp. strain khayat. The fitting technique resulted in the calculation of three parameters: specific reduction rate (h-1), Lag period (h), and maximum Mo-blue production (nmole Mo-blue). In this study, we utilize a mathematical technique to determine the reduction parameters for Mo-blue production from sodium molybdate. The calculated parameter constants will be used to create secondary models, such as the influence of substrate and environment on Mo-blue synthesis.
... Third, children have limited control over their surrounding environment, and are less able to make choices to protect their health. [21] Finally, undernourished children are more susceptible to heavy metal contamination because their bodies absorb more metals if they are nutrient deficient. [1,3,6] Undernourishment is a major health concern in Sindh, Pakistan, where the recent nutritional survey results showed that 54% of children had anemia, and presented with deficiencies of Fe, zinc, vitamin A and D. [1] Globally, the prevalence of elevated blood Pb levels among children is approximately 40%, with children in low income counties being more vulnerable to environmental Pb exposure compared to children in high income countries. ...
... Exposure to heavy metals in various settings is a growing global concern. [6,21,44,55] However, lack of routine environmental monitoring system in Pakistan poses various challenges for the tracking of existing and emerging heavy metal contamination sources and their impacts on health, nutrition, economy, and educational outcomes. Heavy metals can interact with children's malnutrition further affecting health outcomes. ...
Article
Full-text available
The purpose of this study was to characterize the concentrations of lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), manganese (Mn), and Fe (Fe) in drinking water sources in primary schools in Sindh Province, Pakistan and to quantify potential health risks among those school children. We conducted a representative, cross-sectional study among 425 primary schools in Sindh province of Pakistan. We used risk assessment models to estimate the metal index, pollution index, lifetime cancer risk, and hazard quotient index. Across the 425 sampled schools, the levels of heavy metals in the drinking water often exceeded the WHO permissible limits (67% of schools exceeded Pb limit, 17% for Cd, 15% for Fe). The average incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) for Pb exceeded tolerable limits in all of the districts under study. The findings, particularly for Pb, are of concern, as Pb may negatively influence children's growth, development, school performance, and long-term health.
... The serum and tissue samples were subjected to wet digestion method [12]. The digested samples were transported to the Central Hi-Tech Laboratory at the University of Agriculture in Faisalabad for Pb analysis using flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry [13]. ...
... The presence of Pb residues in edible organs of a food animal is an important aspect of public health Sajid M., et al. [19]. The consumption of Pb-contaminated meat usually produces cumulative effects on consumers [12]. The edible offal and muscle Pb concentration was higher than the permissible limits of 0.1 mg/kg for muscle meat and 0.5 mg/Kg for offal as set by WHO, FAO, and E.O.S [20][21] in the present study. ...
Article
Pb, a major environmental pollutant, can bio-accumulate in different tissues of food animals. The present study was accomplished to investigate the presence of Pb residues in various tissues of Lohi sheep (n = 360) and its deleterious effects. The blood and tissue samples (kidney, liver, and muscles) were collected from a local slaughterhouse for 6 weeks and analyzed through flame atomic absorption sepectrophotometry. The Pb concentration was determined to be maximum in kidney samples, followed by liver, serum, and muscle. In our analysis, 82.78% of muscle samples showed Pb concentrations below the maximum permissible limit (1 mg/kg) by the Australia New Zealand Food Authority (ANZFA). While values of serum ALT, AST, ALP, and urea were within normal range. In all the samples, RBC, TLC, PCV, and Hb values were significantly lower than control (P<0.05). Based on the above results, Lohi sheep seems to be quite resistant to the deleterious effects of Pb; however, its edible offal and lean muscle could pose a serious risk to public health.
... In Armenia, nearly 300 square kilometers of land are polluted with heavy metals such as lead, copper, and molybdenum from the Alaverdi copper-molybdenum mine in the area. Land adjacent to the mining activities suffers from the worst pollution, with levels of these heavy metals at 20-40 times the limit [59]. The concentration of dissolved Mo has been estimated to be as high as 900 ppm in the U.S.A. from a uranium mill in southern Colorado. ...
... Dentro de las sustancias tóxicas emitidas al medio ambiente se encuentran los elementos metálicos traza, pesticidas, colorantes, surfactantes, compuestos farmacéuticos, compuestos organometálicos, nanopartículas, entre otros (Abd El-Lateef et al., 2018;Álvarez-Torrellas et al., 2017;Briffa et al., 2020;Pavithra & Jaikumar, 2019;Saravanan et al., 2019;Shi et al., 2019;Tuomikoski et al., 2021). Las principales fuentes de emisión de elementos metálicos traza incluyen la minería, industria petroquímica y química, fundiciones, refinerías (Simeonov et al., 2010). La emisión atmosférica constituye la forma de contaminación más peligrosa, ya que los vientos pueden esparcir varios kilómetros estos contaminantes y terminar en suelos, ríos lejanos y ser inhalados por los humanos y animales. ...
Article
Full-text available
La contaminación de las aguas es uno de los principales problemas ambientales que la comunidad científica internacional enfrenta actualmente, debido al vertiginoso aumento del vertimiento deslocalizado de compuestos orgánicos persistentes y elementos metálicos traza, cuya presencia tiene un elevado impacto en la salud humana y los ecosistemas. En el presente trabajo se realizó un análisis bibliográfico sobre la contaminación de aguas superficiales por elementos metálicos traza y sus principales fuentes de contaminación, dentro de las cuales la actividad minera e industrial son las principales fuentes antrópicas que contribuyen con el aumento de dichos contaminantes. Se exponen algunas de las sintomatologías derivadas del envenenamiento por elementos metálicos traza como el arsénico, plomo, mercurio y cromo en humanos. También se investigó sobre las ventajas y desventajas de los métodos convencionales (precipitación química, floculación/coagulación, intercambio iónico, membranas) y no convencionales (adsorción, fitorremediación, pilas de combustión microbianas y el uso de nanotecnologías) empleados en el tratamiento de las aguas contaminadas por elementos metálicos traza. La metodología más empleada para la eliminación de los elementos metálicos traza es la adsorción y el adsorbente más utilizado es el carbón activado (CA). En este trabajo se abunda sobre la relación entre los parámetros externos (pH, temperatura y fuerza iónica) e internos (área superficial, tamaño de poros y la presencia de heteroátomos) en el proceso de adsorción empleando el CA y de las fuentes de materia prima para la obtención de estos.
... Increased concentrations of PTEs raise concerns about the chronic consequences of tailings on human health, given the potential impacts on the biogeochemical reactions of soils and sediments, leading to lasting impacts on ecosystems (Pardue and Patrick, 2018). For humans, most PTEs exhibit toxicity even at low concentrations, and their longterm accumulation in body tissue increases susceptibility to cancer (Agoro et al., 2020), affects cognitive development in children, increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases in adults (Al-Hossainy et al., 2017;Simeonov et al., 2011), and can cause nephrotoxicity, hypertension, and liver tumors and dysfunction (Renieri et al., 2019). ...
... The presence of heavy metals causes severe diseases, including human carcinogens and central nervous system damage (Qasem et al. 2021). Almost many heavy metals may exhibit toxicity even in lower concentrations (Simeonov et al. 2010). Lead, mercury, nickel, arsenic, zinc, cadmium, iron, silver, manganese, boron, calcium, thallium, cobalt, copper and chromium are the most common inorganic pollutants which are found in wastewater. ...
Article
Full-text available
Water tainted with colours, heavy metal ions and biological toxins, contributes to eutrophication, which in turn contributes to a variety of fatal diseases in humans and other animals, owing to the fact that water purification equipment and methods are not cheap. Due to this, there is a pressing need for economically viable wastewater treatment components. Eco-friendly nanomaterials, highly efficient and selective, renewable, earth-abundant and stable, have emerged as a major priority, overcoming a number of challenges and restrictions. Currently, the combination of nanomaterials and biomolecules from plants, including polyphenols, amines and other components, as well as intracellular and extracellular enzymes found in microbes, has become more significant in bioremediation. Biogenic nanoparticles are favoured because they are easy to expand for large-scale biosynthesis, maintain stability for an extended period, consume less time, are eco-friendly, and do not produce any detrimental by-products. The processes of nano-bioremediation and wastewater treatment are discussed in detail in this review. It primarily focuses on synthesizing, characterizing and applying bio-mediated nanoparticles, which actively remove heavy metal ions from wastewater, without adversely affecting individuals or other living things, especially in aquatic environments.
... [45] The average HI value of >1 for children suggested that adverse impacts on children's health from exposure to the river water are conceivable. Because children are more vulnerable to the adverse health effects of metal pollution than adults, [46,47] children should be paid special attention when the health risk of the TM pollution of the river surface water is minimized. On a perbody-weight basis, children were projected to intake more metals from the river water than adults, based on the EDI values (Table 3), which is due to the lower weight of children than adults. ...
Article
Full-text available
River water pollution with potentially toxic elements can be quantified via hydrological studies, while its potential impacts on the ecosystem and human health can be assessed via the indices of ecological risk (RI) and human health hazard (HI). This study aimed to assess potential ecological and human health risks of trace‐element pollution of the Saigon River surface water, based on seasonal, position, and tidal changes. Surface water samples were taken during dry and rainy seasons and analyzed for Cu, Cr, Mn, Pb, Ni, and Zn. The trace‐element concentrations were used to compute the values of RI and HI. Of the six elements, Cu accounted for 87.7 and 12.5% of the total variance of RI and HI, respectively. The RI and HI values were strongly correlated and were higher in dry season than in rainy season. The HI value of >1 for children suggested that children's health may be sensitive to the adverse impacts of the current status of the trace‐element pollution of the river surface water. Overall, the trace‐element pollution of the river surface water was at a moderate ecological risk in dry season but at a low ecological risk in rainy season. It has been found that the potentially hazardous elements can have detrimental impacts on children's health in both seasons. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved
... Dried samples (2 g) were treated with 9 ml of conc. HNO 3 and 1 ml of H 2 O 2 for biological tissue digestion and heavy metal analysis using the GF-AAS (Simeonov et al., 2010). ...
... Among the contaminants in wastewater, heavy metals could pose a risk to biotic elements even at a lower concentration (Simeonov et al., 2010). They bioaccumulate through food chains and can sometimes bring detrimental effects to plants, animals, and humans. ...
Chapter
Hydroxyapatite (HAP) (Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2) is a calcium phosphate mineral that is considered as one of the widely used inorganic biocompatible materials for contaminant removal. This is a particular composition that specific methods can easily produce as dry methods, wet methods, high-temperature processes, from biogenic sources and a combination of few aforementioned procedures. Depending on the synthesis route of HAP, its porosity is varied, leading to having different adsorption properties. Further, it is considered an appealing option for pollutant remediation due to its abundance, mineral makeup, and ability to reuse without loss of functionality, thermal stability, acid-based ion exchange ability, and economic viability. Notably, these properties are useful in capturing many contaminants, namely dye, heavy metal, and fluoride, in water bodies. Dissolution–precipitation, adsorption, sorption-ion exchange, and Ca²⁺ ion substitution in mineral content can be utilized as the main mechanisms of contaminant immobilization by HAP. It was proven that pH and contact time are two essential factors that can influence adsorption efficiency. The recent trend on environmental remediation by HAP focuses on tailoring it with another material to improve its adsorption potential. Hence, the use of HAP nanocomposites, HAP nanohybrids, and HAP with organic modifiers can be stated as novel technological improvements.
... Pelbagai jenis logam berat ditemui dalam badan air dan dikenal pasti ada antaranya dalam kategori yang bertoksik dan kasinorgen kepada sumber hidupan [31,32]. Berdasarkan dapatan kajian daripada kajian lepas, didapati bahawa logam berat yang ditemui dalam air berpunca daripada luahan air kumbahan, enapcemar kumbahan, dan aktiviti pertanian dan perindustrian [15,33,34]. ...
Article
Sewage treatment plants (STP) in Malaysia are designed to treat a load of contaminants according to the level of concentration for chemical oxygen demand (COD) and nitrogen ammonia (NH3-N) of 250 mg/L and 30 mg/L, respectively. However, studies show that the organic load of Malaysian wastewater is low and even temporarily fluctuates resulting in the low effectiveness of treatment especially in ammonia removal and consequently cause effluents that do not undergo proper treatment to be released into the environment. Therefore, this study aims to identify concentrations of COD and NH3-N in the influent of urban domestic wastewater along with other physico-chemical characteristics. Two locations of the STP were chosen based on the urban area with different catchment sizes for a population equivalent (PE) 60,000 for the first STP (LRK#1), and 150,000 for the second STP (LRK#2). These parameters include pH, temperature, conductivity, turbidity, total suspended solids (TSS), nitrogen nitrate (NO3-N), total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN) as well as heavy metals such as Cadmium (Cd), Chromium (Cr), Copper (Cu), Nickel (Ni), Lead (Pb), and Zinc (Zn). The sampling and analysis methods used the guidelines recommended in the American Public Health Association (APHA). The results give the highest average COD concentrations for the LRK#1 and LRK#2 are 180.5 mg/L and 380.9 mg/L, respectively. The highest NH3-N concentrations were 33.53 mg/L for LRK#1 and 31.63 mg/L for LRK#2. Overall, the wastewater physico-chemical characteristics of both treatment plants show wastewater in the medium and low concentration categories.
... Pelbagai jenis logam berat ditemui dalam badan air dan dikenal pasti ada antaranya dalam kategori yang bertoksik dan kasinorgen kepada sumber hidupan [31,32]. Berdasarkan dapatan kajian daripada kajian lepas, didapati bahawa logam berat yang ditemui dalam air berpunca daripada luahan air kumbahan, enapcemar kumbahan, dan aktiviti pertanian dan perindustrian [15,33,34]. ...
... UNICEF 2016). According to the World Health Organization (WHO), children are more vulnerable to environmental hazards compared to adults (Simeonov et al. 2010) and due to this vulnerability, proper water and sanitation are of particular importance in schools. There has been less attention to WASH in schools, compared to household settings, but school WASH is also important since children spend large amount of time at school (Agol et al. 2017;Karon et al. 2017;Spears and Sneha 2013). ...
Article
Full-text available
The United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals include the target of ensuring access to water and sanitation and hygiene (WASH) for all; however, very few studies have assessed comprehensive school WASH service in Pakistan. The purpose of this study was to identify WASH services in primary schools of Pakistan, and to assess how recent WASH interventions and policies are associated with the school’s academic performance. A representative cross-sectional study was conducted in primary schools in the Sindh province of Pakistan. Structured observations and interviews were done to ascertain the schools’ WASH conditions. The primary exposures of interest were the implementation of previous WASH interventions and National WASH policy in the school and the WASH coverage. Outcomes of interest included WASH conditions and school performance. The structural equation modeling (SEM) using a bootstrap resampling procedure was employed to characterize how WASH exposures were associated with WASH conditions and school performance. Data were collected from 425 schools. The Basic WASH facilities coverage in the primary schools of Sindh remains overall low according to WHO WASH service ladder criteria. Also, inconsistency in all three inclusive domains of WASH (availability, accessibility, and functionality) facilities were found. The school performance was significantly associated (P<0.001) with the presence of WASH interventions and/or WASH policy, while WASH policy and/or recent WASH intervention at the school were not associated with overall water quality. Our assessment unveiled several WASH gaps that exist, including high heavy metal and fecal contamination. Adoption of national WASH policy and financing of evidence-based WASH interventions are recommended in primary schools to improve educational outcomes.
... However, most heavy metals cause serious toxicity when present even in low concentration (Simeonov et al., 2010). The accumulation of heavy metals in the human body through direct or indirect uptake cause detrimental issues for human health (Titilawo et al., 2018). ...
Article
Full-text available
Industrial effluent discharge has increased due to rapid urbanization and industrialization. Irrational use of this water for irrigation has caused environmental and health issues. The objective of the current study is to evaluate the treated effluents of textile, ghee and chemical industries for major heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Ni, Pb and Fe) and other basic analysis (pH, EC, TSS and TDS). Effluent samples were collected from the discharge of industries entering into main wastewater collecting channel located in Faisalabad city. Heavy metals contents were determined via atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Results showed that the highest pH (11.06) was recorded in textile effluent while EC (7.89mS/cm), TSS (1185.55mg/L) and TDS (6317.33mg/L) were found highest in chemical industrial effluents. Heavy metals contents were determined through atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The mean comparison of heavy metal concentration (mg/L) showed the concentration of Cd, Cr and Ni were within the safe limits; however, Fe and Pb were higher than the safe limits in all industrial effluents. The highest/unsafe concentration of metal Fe was recorded 4.093, 2.979 and 2.959 mg/L in the effluents of chemical, textile and ghee mill respectively. While the highest/unsafe concentration of metal Pb was recorded 0.643, 0.578 and 0.286 mg/L in the effluents of textile, chemical and ghee mill respectively. The permissible limits of heavy metals Fe and Pb is 0.5 and 2 mg/L respectively. We conclude that before discharge into a receiving stream, the effluents must be treated more time with a treatment method that removes Pb and Fe within standard limits else the discharge will pose pollution and health risks to human beings.
... However, most heavy metals cause serious toxicity when present even in low concentration (Simeonov et al., 2010). The accumulation of heavy metals in the human body through direct or indirect uptake cause detrimental issues for human health (Titilawo et al., 2018). ...
Conference Paper
Full-text available
Industrial effluents discharge has increased due to rapid urbanization and industrialization. Irrational use of this water due to its cost and free availability for irrigation has caused environmental and health issues. The objective of this study is to evaluate the treated effluents of textile, ghee and chemical industries for major heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Ni, Pb and Fe) content. Effluent samples were collected from the discharge of the three industries located in Faisalabad city. Heavy metals contents were determined through atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The mean comparison in heavy metal concentration showed that the trend of heavy metals in textile effluents was followed as Ni > Cr > Pb > Cd, while in Ghee Mill as Cr > Ni > Cd > Pb. Similarly, in chemical effluent this trend was followed as Ni > Cr > Pb > Cd. The concentration of Cd, Cr and Ni were within the safe limits; however, Pb and Fe were higher than the safe limits in industrial effluents. From our results we conclude that before discharge into a receiving stream, the effluents must be treated one more time with a treatment method that removes Pb and Fe within standard limits else the discharge will pose pollution and health risks to humans as well as soil and water.
... In Armenia, nearly 300 square kilometers of land are polluted with heavy metals such as lead, copper, and molybdenum from the Alaverdi copper-molybdenum mine in the area. Land adjacent to the mining activities suffers from the worst pollution, with levels of these heavy metals at 20-40 times the limit [59]. The concentration of dissolved Mo has been estimated to be as high as 900 ppm in the U.S.A. from a uranium mill in southern Colorado. ...
Article
Full-text available
Molybdenum (Mo) microbial bioreduction is a phenomenon that is beginning to be recognized globally as a tool for the remediation of molybdenum toxicity. Molybdenum toxicity continues to be demonstrated in many animal models of spermatogenesis and oogenesis, particularly those of ruminants. The phenomenon has been reported for more than 100 years without a clear understanding of the reduction mechanism, indicating a clear gap in the scientific knowledge. This knowledge is not just fundamentally important—it is specifically important in applications for bioremediation measures and the sustainable recovery of metal from industrial or mine effluent. To date, about 52 molybdenum-reducing bacteria have been isolated globally. An increasing number of reports have also been published regarding the assimilation of other xenobiotics. This phenomenon is likely to be observed in current and future events in which the remediation of xenobiotics requires microorganisms capable of degrading or transforming multi-xenobiotics. This review aimed to comprehensively catalogue all of the characterizations of molybdenum-reducing microorganisms to date and identify future opportunities and improvements.
... 4,9,12 Fourthly, primary school children have less control over their surroundings, as they are mostly unfamiliar with the risks and are incapable of making choices to protect their health. 13 Finally, undernourished children are more susceptible to fluoride contamination because their bodies absorb more potentially toxic elements if other nutrients are deficient. 2,3,6 Anaemia was found in 54% of undernourished children, in association with deficiencies of zinc, iron, vitamin D, and vitamin A. 6 Studies on children's nutrition have reported a strong association between nutritional deficiency and increased uptake of fluoride. ...
Article
Full-text available
The aim of the study was to examine the level and risk of fluoride exposure from drinking water in primary school children in Sindh, Pakistan. Multistage cluster sampling was used to select 10 of the 29 districts of Sindh province and 40 primary schools were then studied in each of the 10 districts. The fluoride concentration was measured in drinking water samples, collected from the point of use surface and groundwater sources, in these 400 primary schools. The fluoride concentration was analyzed using the SPADNS method and was further compared with the WHO recommended upper limit guideline of 1.5 mg/L. The health risk to the children was measured by calculating the chronic daily intake and hazard quotient (HQ) of fluoride through the children's oral intake. Although, the mean value of fluoride in all 10 districts was below 1.5 mg/L (range 0.33-1.35 mg/L), 63 of the 400 samples (15.8%) had a fluoride level >1.5 mg/L. A high prevalence of drinking water samples with a fluoride level >1.5 mg/L was found in Karachi (14 of 40 samples, 35%), Umerkot (12/40, 30%), Tharparkar (12/40,30%), Naushero Feroz (9/40, 22.5%), and Kashmore (8/40, 20%). The HQ exceeded the unitary value in six districts placing the school children in those areas at risk of developing fluorosis with impaired growth, development, and school performance, particularly in those with malnutrition.
... 4,9,12 Fourthly, primary school children have less control over their surroundings, as they are mostly unfamiliar with the risks and are incapable of making choices to protect their health. 13 Finally, undernourished children are more susceptible to fluoride contamination because their bodies absorb more potentially toxic elements if other nutrients are deficient. 2,3,6 Anaemia was found in 54% of undernourished children, in association with deficiencies of zinc, iron, vitamin D, and vitamin A. 6 Studies on children's nutrition have reported a strong association between nutritional deficiency and increased uptake of fluoride. ...
Article
Full-text available
The aim of the study was to examine the level and risk of fluoride exposure from drinking water in primary school children in Sindh, Pakistan. Multistage cluster sampling was used to select 10 of the 29 districts of Sindh province and 40 primary schools were then studied in each of the 10 districts. The fluoride concentration was measured in drinking water samples, collected from the point of use surface and groundwater sources, in these 400 primary schools. The fluoride concentration was analyzed using the SPADNS method and was further compared with the WHO recommended upper limit guideline of 1.5 mg/L. The health risk to the children was measured by calculating the chronic daily intake and hazard quotient (HQ) of fluoride through the children's oral intake. Although, the mean value of fluoride in all 10 districts was below 1.5 mg/L (range 0.33-1.35 mg/L), 63 of the 400 samples (15.8%) had a fluoride level >1.5 mg/L. A high prevalence of drinking water samples with a fluoride level >1.5 mg/L was found in Karachi (14 of 40 samples, 35%), Umerkot (12/40, 30%), Tharparkar (12/40,30%), Naushero Feroz (9/40, 22.5%), and Kashmore (8/40, 20%). The HQ exceeded the unitary value in six districts placing the school children in those areas at risk of developing fluorosis with impaired growth, development, and school performance, particularly in those with malnutrition.
... Furthermore, Cheng (2003) suggested that heavy metal spoilage in soil is one of the greater environmental concerns in China. Moreover, in many parts of the world, the augmentation of heavy metal constituents of topsoil is remarkable (Kibble and Saunders, 2001;Grasmück and Scholz, 2005;Simeonov et al., 2010). For example, it is estimated that over 30,000 tons per year of cadmium (Cd) are discharged into the air, and bearing in mind that (Cd) does not break down in nature, human exposure to this heavy metal is persistent (ATSDR, 2012). ...
Chapter
Environmental contamination by heavy metals is an extremely important issue, which can affect water, air, and soil, creating a variable and irreversible cycle of toxicity. The increasing use of chemical products, including heavy metals, by many industries, including agriculture, results in a corresponding increase in the risk of contamination. Soil contamination is a widespread and important pathway for pollution, with microorganisms, plants, and their functions and interactions being greatly affected. In this chapter we describe the backgrounds to toxic compounds and heavy metals, and their interactions with their surroundings including the sources and origins of different types of contamination and the principal consequences on the different functions of soil and microorganisms, and also the impact on human health.
... Furthermore, Cheng (2003) suggested that heavy metal spoilage in soil is one of the greater environmental concerns in China. Moreover, in many parts of the world, the augmentation of heavy metal constituents of topsoil is remarkable (Kibble and Saunders, 2001;Grasmück and Scholz, 2005;Simeonov et al., 2010). For example, it is estimated that over 30,000 tons per year of cadmium (Cd) are discharged into the air, and bearing in mind that (Cd) does not break down in nature, human exposure to this heavy metal is persistent (ATSDR, 2012). ...
Chapter
Full-text available
In the present circumstances, contamination caused by heavy metals is a growing area in the field of environmental research. There are several anthropogenic sources that have been reported which cause increases in the heavy metal concentration in the environment along with their natural resources. These heavy metals remain for a long time in the environment, causing several health problems in plants, animals, and humans. Some method, including physical, chemical, and biological processes, can be applied to remove these heavy metals from the environment. However, they all have some disadvantages in relation to their cost effectiveness or failure of in situ treatment. Most review papers published to date concentrate mainly on particular heavy metal removal processes, which are very much particular to a limited area only. This chapter summarizes different methods for heavy metal extraction under all environmental conditions. The chapter aims to provoke the initiation of an investigation by the research community that could in future give rise to new remediation initiatives.
... Furthermore, Cheng (2003) suggested that heavy metal spoilage in soil is one of the greater environmental concerns in China. Moreover, in many parts of the world, the augmentation of heavy metal constituents of topsoil is remarkable (Kibble and Saunders, 2001;Grasmück and Scholz, 2005;Simeonov et al., 2010). For example, it is estimated that over 30,000 tons per year of cadmium (Cd) are discharged into the air, and bearing in mind that (Cd) does not break down in nature, human exposure to this heavy metal is persistent (ATSDR, 2012). ...
Book
Heavy Metals in the Environment: Impact, Assessment, and Remediation synthesizes both fundamental concepts of heavy metal pollutants and state-of-the-art techniques and technologies for assessment and remediation. The book discusses the sources, origin and health risk assessment of heavy metals as well as the application of GIS, remote sensing and multivariate techniques in the assessment of heavy metals. The various contamination indices like contamination factor, geoaccumulation index, enrichment factor, and pollution index ecological risk index are also included to provide further context on the state of heavy metals in the environment. Covering a variety of approaches, techniques, and scenarios, this book is a key resource for environmental scientists and policymakers working to address environmental pollutants.
... Furthermore, Cheng (2003) suggested that heavy metal spoilage in soil is one of the greater environmental concerns in China. Moreover, in many parts of the world, the augmentation of heavy metal constituents of topsoil is remarkable (Kibble and Saunders, 2001;Grasmück and Scholz, 2005;Simeonov et al., 2010). For example, it is estimated that over 30,000 tons per year of cadmium (Cd) are discharged into the air, and bearing in mind that (Cd) does not break down in nature, human exposure to this heavy metal is persistent (ATSDR, 2012). ...
Chapter
The quality of water can be assessed by the analysis of its physical, chemical, and biological features. This chapter explains the use of cluster analysis, multivariate statistical methods, principal component analysis, and factor analysis for the interpretation and analysis of difficult water quality data. These techniques are useful in identifying the sources of pollution and getting a better understanding of the geographical and temporal changes in the quality of surface water. The use of multivariate statistical methods in the monitoring data gives information about the chemical structure of water bodies.
... Furthermore, Cheng (2003) suggested that heavy metal spoilage in soil is one of the greater environmental concerns in China. Moreover, in many parts of the world, the augmentation of heavy metal constituents of topsoil is remarkable (Kibble and Saunders, 2001;Grasmück and Scholz, 2005;Simeonov et al., 2010). For example, it is estimated that over 30,000 tons per year of cadmium (Cd) are discharged into the air, and bearing in mind that (Cd) does not break down in nature, human exposure to this heavy metal is persistent (ATSDR, 2012). ...
Chapter
In this chapter, a brief discussion of some essential and trace elements for the human body are described. This chapter also includes some heavy metals and their hazardous effects for people and the environment. The chemistries of some heavy metals including chromium, zinc, copper, arsenic, lead, cadmium, mercury, and nickel are also given.
... High levels of Arsenic, Copper and Zinc can be contained in manures produced from animals and, if applied repeatedly to restricted areas of land, can eventually cause considerable accumulation of these metals in the soil. Health effects of heavy metals exposure is known to cause chronic illnesses such as cancer, kidney problems, damage of the nervous system and the red blood cells and affects the brain (Sanayei et al., 2009;Simeonov et al., 2010).. ...
... UNICEF 2016). According to the World Health Organization (WHO), children are more vulnerable to environmental hazards compared to adults (Simeonov et al. 2010) and due to this vulnerability, proper water and sanitation are of particular importance in schools. There has been less attention to WASH in schools, compared to household settings, but school WASH is also important since children spend large amount of time at school (Agol et al. 2017;Karon et al. 2017;Spears and Sneha 2013). ...
Conference Paper
Assessment of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Services in Primary Schools of Pakistan: Addressing Sustainable Development Goal 6 Authors: Jamil Ahmed, US- Pakistan Center for Advanced Studies in Water, Mehran University, Jamshoro, Pakistan., Najeebullah Channa, US- Pakistan Center for Advanced Studies in Water, Mehran University, Jamshoro, Pakistan, James VanDerslice, Department of Family & Preventive Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, Joshua Garn, School of Community Health Sciences, University of Nevada - Reno, Reno, Nevada, USA Submission: Introduction: The United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals include the target to ensure access to water and sanitation for all, however very few studies have assessed school-based drinking water in Pakistan. The purpose of this study was to characterize water quality in primary schools of Pakistan, and to characterize how recent WASH interventions were associated school water quality.Methods: We conducted a representative cross-sectional study primary schools in Sindh province of Pakistan. We used structured observations and structured interviews to ascertain school’s WASH conditions. Our primary exposures of interest were the implementation of previous WASH interventions in the school, and the water source type. Outcomes of interest included water quality (measured by various chemical and microbiological indicators) and water availability at the school’s primary drinking water source. We used log binomial regression to characterize how WASH exposures were associated with water quality outcomes. Results: We collected data from 256 schools. Ground water was the primary drinking water sources at most schools (87%). Water testing showed that 14% of the school’s water had arsenic above the WHO recommendations, and over 50% of the water samples exceeded recommendations for both lead and cadmium. A majority of the water sources (52%) had fecal coliform contamination. None of the schools had nitrate contamination (0%) and few had fluoride contamination (5%). Regression results indicated that having a recent WASH intervention at the school was not associated with either arsenic contamination (prevalence ratio=0.97; 95% CI: 0.46-2.1) or with fecal coliform contamination (PR=0.88; 95% CI: 0.67-1.17). Conclusions: Our assessment unveiled several water quality gaps that exists, including with high heavy metal and fecal contamination. Our findings will help various stakeholders to take suitable action to improve water quality in Pakistani schools.
... Heavy metals, such as Fe, Zn, Mn, and Ni, are essential for normal growth and development of most living organisms because they are the constituents of many enzymes and other functional proteins 1 . However, elevated concentrations of these metallic elements are considered systemic toxicants, which are known to trigger permanent damage to the health of individuals, even at lower levels of exposure [2][3][4] . ...
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Airborne trace metal analysis in your palm Heavy metals in air can now be promptly and accurately quantified on site. Monitoring the amount of trace metals in air is an important component of environment control, as heavy metals such as Fe, Zn, Mn, and Ni are a health concern when present in large concentrations. While accurate equipment is available for measuring trace metal content in air, most of these are not portable, which makes measuring transient conditions difficult. Now, teams led by Hao Sun from Fuzhou University and Yuan Jia from Southeast University, China, report a portable system that makes use of the large surface area of graphene oxide nanosheets for detecting trace metals. These “paper” devices are paired with a highly portable aerial vehicle and a cell phone application developed by the authors, enabling accurate environmental monitoring at specific sites.
... Manufacturing and prospecting exercises are the main contributors of molybdenum pollution of the natural environment. In Armenia, waste materials, seepages and effluents from the molybdenum-copper mine in Alaverdi have brought on the pollution of a territory approximately 300 square kilometres in size (Simeonov et al., 2011). Metal and molybdenum mining activities in southern Colorado (USA) generated molybdenum pollution in surrounding areas with molybdenum level reaching 2,000 mg/L in the soils. ...
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Agricultural and industrial activities contribute most to pollutants found globally, and bioremediation of these pollutants is being intensely sought. We have isolated a molybdenum-reducing bacterium from agricultural soil for bioremediation purposes. The bacterium was grown in low phosphate medium supplemented with molybdate in a microplate format. The molybdenum-reducing bacterium was then further screened for amide-degrading properties. The bacterium was able to use acrylamide as a source of electron donor for reduction, and was able to grow on acrylamide, acetamide and acetonitrile. The growth parameters obtained according to the modified Gompertz model were lag periods of 0.468, 0.979 and 1.53 d and maximum specific growth rates of 1.165, 0.932, 0.842 d-1 for acrylamide, acetamide and acetonitrile respectively. Optimal conditions for molybdate reduction included glucose, pH between 6.0 and 6.8, temperature between 25 o C and 34 o C, and phosphate and molybdate concentrations between 5 and 7.5 mM and 10 and 20 mM, respectively. The Mo-blue exhibited a unique absorption spectrum closely resembling a reduced phosphomolybdate. Mo-blue production was inhibited by the heavy metals copper, mercury, silver, chromium and cadmium. The bacterium was identified as Bacillus sp. strain Zeid 14. The bacterium will be very useful for bioremediation of sites contaminated with molybdenum and amides.
... Infants are more susceptible to the adverse effects of exposure. Increasing attention is now being paid to the mental development of children exposed to heavy metals (Simeonov, Kochubovski & Simeonova, 2011). Toxic substances contained inside of artificial turf, who's utility has recently been increasing, and its negative effect on children's health are on the rise as a social issue (Kim, Yang, Yeo, Shin & Lim, 2012). ...
... ET-AAS is most used method for the determination of trace elements, including chromium in biological samples. Atomization, difference of interfering sources and techniques for their elimination and control in the determination of chromium is given in a general view of a number of specific articles / [1,15,16,39,40,41,42]. ...
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Background: The data for the determination of chromium concentrations in biological samples are still contradictory and for some biological objects varied within orders of magnitude. They are not fully clarified the role and participation in the metabolism in healthy subjects and in various diseases and conditions. Aim: One reason for the outstanding problems in the study of the functions of the chromium in the human organism is a need for accurate, with low detection limits, and access to a biomedical laboratory methods for the analytical determination. That's why we set the aim to make a brief review of spectral methods for determination of chromium in human body fluids and tissues. Methods, results: Analytical methods which most commonly to apply at determining the chromium in biomaterials are the atomic spectral (AS)-Flame atomic absorption spectroscopy, Electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry, Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry and Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. They are accurate and have lower limits of detection, but not all biomedical laboratories have them. Of the molecular spectral, applicable methods with spectrophotometric indication for determination of chromium in biomaterials are the methods which used suitable chelating agents of chromium in micellar medium. They have limits of detection, comparable to AS-methods and are available to all biomedical laboratories. Conclusions: The lag in specifying the chromium concentrations in human bio-samples, related with clarifying the role of chromium in health and disease, can be overcome using both atomic spectral and spectrophotometric methods. Any study relating to the determination of chromium in human body fluids and tissues will contribute to the analytic of chromium and related the determining his biomedical research.
... In the meantime, they directly or indirectly endanger human health (Navarro et al. 2008;Wei et al. 2009;Zhuang et al. 2009;Shen et al. 2017). Dust, food crops, and water from the polluted land may result in toxic effects on people and human health hazards as a consequence of inhalation or ingestion by human beings, particularly by children, and pose major health hazards (Sanchez-Camazano et al. 1994;Simeonov et al. 2011;Halatek et al. 2014). In particular, dust emissions from smelters, as a major contributor to heavy metal contamination in soils, could severely affect soil quality. ...
Article
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Soil heavy metal pollution from mining activities is potentially harmful to human health through the food chain. In this study, the 43 soil samples were collected at top (0∼20 cm) from fields close to a Pb & Zn Smelter, The samples were used to: 1) analyze the pollution level of heavy metals (Pb, Zn, Cr, and Cu) and spatial distribution pattern; 2) to evaluate the degree of accumulation and enrichment, potential ecological risk and human health risk; 3) perform source apportionment in Fengxiang County, Shaanxi Province of China. The results showed the concentration ranged 43.67–189.55, 131.43–239.53, 74.77–112.25 and 24.69–37.71 mg·kg⁻¹ for Pb, Zn, Cr, and Cu, and the mean concentrations for each was 129.46, 192.85, 91.98, 31.67 mg·kg⁻¹, respectively. The concentrations were greater than the Shaanxi Province background values, while were lower than the second level limits of Environmental Quality Standard for Soils of China (EQSS). Heavy metals showed a banded in soil except Cu. The spatial distribution pattern and pollution assessment indexes (Igeo, EF) indicated the investigated metals had been accumulated in the study areas, and implied significant influences from anthropogenic activities, local meteorological situation and soil properties. The ecological risks assessment showed the risks were relatively low (RI<150). Compared with adults, the exposure risk for children was significantly greater. The ingestion was the main heavy metals exposure pathway for human and worked as a more significant contributor to the total health risk in comparison with the dermal exposure. There may be a risk of non-carcinogenic adverse health effects (HQ<1, 0.377≤HI≤1.553) on children, but the adults were unlikely to experience obvious adverse health effects (HQ<1, HI<1). The carcinogenic risk of Cr for adults and children was at an unacceptable level. The carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks were in the order of children > adults. The correlation analysis showed that Pb, Cr and Cu have identical anthropogenic and natural sources while Zn has another identical source. This study could provide a basis for the sustainable management of this region by reducing metal inputs and to protect soils from long-term heavy metal accumulation.
... The specific heavy metals to be investigated were chosen based on their hazardous level to humans. To establish this list, the ten most hazardous heavy metals to humans were selected from the Priority List of Hazardous Substances given by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) [15] which has been used as a reference for other studies as well as for establishing environmental guidelines [16]. A set of criteria was established to select relevant articles. ...
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Exposure to some chemicals in the workplace can lead to occupational chemical-induced hearing loss. Attention has mainly focused on the adverse auditory effects of solvents. However, other chemicals such as heavy metals have been also identified as ototoxic agents. The aim of this work was to review the current scientific knowledge about the adverse auditory effects of heavy metal exposure with and without co-exposure to noise in humans. PubMed and Medline were accessed to find suitable articles. A total of 49 articles met the inclusion criteria. Results from the review showed that no evidence about the ototoxic effects in humans of manganese is available. Contradictory results have been found for arsenic, lead and mercury as well as for the possible interaction between heavy metals and noise. All studies found in this review have found that exposure to cadmium and mixtures of heavy metals induce auditory dysfunction. Most of the studies investigating the adverse auditory effects of heavy metals in humans have investigated human populations exposed to lead. Some of these studies suggest peripheral and central auditory dysfunction induced by lead exposure. It is concluded that further evidence from human studies about the adverse auditory effects of heavy metal exposure is still required. Despite this issue, audiologists and other hearing health care professionals should be aware of the possible auditory effects of heavy metals.
... Each of the mixture was placed on a magnetic stirrer and agitated for a period of 1 hour to extract soluble organic compounds. The solid was filtered off and the dissolved organic carbon content determined [75][76][77][78][79][80][81][82]. ...
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The dispersal of toxic heavy metals by water from natural and anthropogenic is a worldwide environmental concern due to pollution. Despite some metals playing an important role in body, they are toxic when the level exceeds the tolerance limits while others such as lead have no known physiological value to human beings. Since heavy metals cannot be degraded, then their removal from drinking water is necessary. Mushrooms are readily available in Bomet County and their metal removal ability was investigated. The study aimed at removing heavy metals from water by adsorption using mushroom, as a cost-effective and sustainable method. The raw mushroom was modified with sodium hydroxide and characterization of both the parent material and its modified form was done using Fourier Transform Infrared spectrometry (FTIR). Sorption experiments were carried out using the batch adsorption method and sorption parameters including pH, contact time, adsorbent dose and initial metal ion concentration investigated. The results found out that the sorption capacity for cadmium ions ranged from 1.826- 25.285 mg/g by the unmodified edible mushroom (UEM), the modified edible mushroom (EM), unmodified toxic mushroom (UTM) and modified toxic mushroom (TM). For copper ions, sorption capacity ranged from 0.002-4.097 mg/g, while that of the lead ions ranged from 1.345-2.593 mg/g by the UEM, EM, UTM and TM respectively. The sorption capacity showed improvement on modification as sorption of cadmium increased from 1.826-25.285 mg/g by the UEM, EM, UTM and TM. At a pH range of 4-6, the sorbent material was found to remove up to 90% of the metals. The sorbent material had a removal efficiency of 95% of the metals in less than 20 minutes. The UEM and UTM fitted well in Langmuir adsorption isotherm model for cadmium and lead ions. For copper ions, UEM, EM, UTM and TM fitted in the Freundlich model. TM for lead ions best fitted in the Freundlich model. The bio-sorption kinetics was determined by fitting first-order-Lagergreg and Pseudo-second-order kinetics models to the experimental data. It was found that the data for lead was better described by the pseudo-second-order model. For copper ion, the data was best described by Ho’s pseudo second order for UEM and UTM, cadmium ions for all sorbents was best described by Lagergreg’s first-order kinetics. The FTIR analysis suggested the possibility of the participation of carboxyl groups in metal uptake. The levels of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) were found to be 19.0 mg/L in the raw material and 2.19 mg/L after modification. It was confirmed that modification minimized secondary pollution. This indicated that mushrooms have a potential application for the remediation of metal polluted waters.
... Heavy metals are one of the worst pollutants that persist in the environment with great risks to human health. [1][2][3] Soil is prone to heavy metal contamination from hydrological and atmospheric sources. [4] When plants, such as rice and vegetables, are grown on these contaminated soils, they uptake heavy metals, such as cadmium, which accumulate in cells and may pose a serious risk to public health. ...
Article
DvCRP1 gene obtained from Dunaliella viridies is a cadmium-resistance gene that induces cadmium accumulation in microbial and plant cells. In the present study, Saccharomyces cerevisiae was used as a model system to investigate the effect of DvCRP1 on both cadmium detoxification and ethanol production. Inhibitory effects of cadmium (50-300 µmol/L) on growth (29%-92%), glucose consumption (23%-89%), and ethanol production (17%-92%) were observed at 24h by S. cerevisiae. DvCRP1 alleviated the inhibitory effect of cadmium, with increase in the ethanol production. With 250 µmol/L cadmium, S. cerevisiae transformed with DvCRP1 produced 6 times as much ethanol than the yeast without this gene. The established mathematical model showed that the initial inoculation concentration, cadmium concentration, and transformation of DvCRP1 were the most important factors for cell growth, glucose consumption, and ethanol production. Cadmium detoxification of yeast was also enhanced by increasing the initial concentration of yeast cells. Transforming with DvCRP1 further enhanced detoxification, especially at high cadmium concentrations. The yeast transformed with a plasmid carrying the DvCRP1 gene showed improved detoxification capacity during ethanol production particularly at high cadmium concentrations (200 µmol/L) during ethanol production. The present results evidenced the potential of the insertion of the DvCRP1 gene into yeast for use in bio-refineries during fermentation of heavy metals contaminated substrates. In addition, this is a promising method for phytoremediation of agricultural soils highly contaminated by heavy metals due to the successful results obtained with transformed cells of S. cerevisiae used as a model organism to relieve the inhibition by cadmium ions. Supplemental file.
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Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a behaviorally defined neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in language, communication, and social function with an estimated prevalence rate of between 1 in 30 and 44 U.S. births. Gene/environment (G × E) interactions are widely regarded as the most probable explanation for idiopathic ASD, especially because some genes are selectively targeted by various environmental xenobiotics. Because deciduous teeth are a likely biomarker of in utero exposure, the present study investigated if the quantity of chemicals found in deciduous teeth differs between children with and without ASD. Twenty-two deciduous teeth from children with ASD and 20 teeth from typically developed children were prepared and analyzed using THE Two-Dimensional Gas Chromatography Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer (GC × GC-TOF MS) with ChromaTOF version 23H2 software and Agilent 7890 gas chromatograph. The autism sample had significantly more chemicals in their teeth than the typical developing sample (99.4 vs. 80.7, respectively) (p < 0.0001). The majority of chemicals were identified as phthalates, plasticizers, pesticides, preservatives, or intermediary solvents used in the production of fragranced personal care or cleaning products or flavoring agents in foods. The known toxic analytes reported in this study are likely biomarkers of developmental exposure. Why there were greater concentrations of toxic chemicals in the teeth that came from children with ASD is unclear. A further understanding of the cavalcade of multiple biological system interactions (Interactome) could help with future efforts to reduce risks. Notwithstanding, the avoidance of pesticides, plastics, and scented personal care products may be warranted under the precautionary principle rule.
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Anthropogenic activity in Antarctica has increased due to the various scientific expeditions and tourism. Lake water sampling was carried out during the 34th Indian Scientific Expedition to Antarctica (ISEA) in the austral summer of 2014–2015. A total of 60 samples were collected from Grovnes & Broknes peninsula, Larsemann Hill, East Antarctica. The aim of this study was to investigate the physico-chemical parameters such as pH, total dissolved solids (TDS), electrical conductivity (EC), chloride (Cl−), total hardness (TH), nitrate (NO3−), nitrite (NO2−), phosphorus (P), sulphate (SO4−−), cyanide (CN−), chlorine (Cl), sulphide (S−−), and heavy metals like Al, Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Ni, and Cr in the collected samples. We also analysed indices like the potential ecological risk factor (Er) and potential ecological risk index (RI). We found pH (6.33–7.10), TDS (26.33–1128.0 mg/l), EC (0.06–2.25 μS/cm), Cl− (5.09–117.07 mg/l), TH (10.18–122.16 mg/l), NO3− (0.02–0.61 mg/l), NO2− (0.02–1.32 mg/l), P (0.29–3.27 mg/l), SO4−− (1.08–10.15 mg/l), CN− (0.01–0.26 mg/l), Cl (0.06–2.17 mg/l), S−− (0.01–0.84 mg/l), Al (0.01–0.79 µg/l), Fe (0.01–3.27 µg/l), Mn (0.14–12.83 µg/l), Zn (0.07–2.44 µg/l), Cu (0.01–5.37 µg/l), Ni (0.02–0.60 µg/l), and Cr (0.01–0.82 µg/l) in different ranges. We conclude that most of the parameters were found within the limits set by IS:10500 except some parameters like TDS was found higher in L6 NG, L7A NG, L7B NG, L1 SG, & L4 SG; Cl was found higher in L1E NG, P2 B, P3 B, P4 B, & Reid B; CN− was found higher in P2 B, & P4 B; S— was found higher in P2 B, P3 B, P4 B, & Reid B. In the future, the presence of new emerging pollutants like microplastics, and phthalate must be analysed in order to comprehensively assess the scale of environmental pollution in Antarctica.
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