Arsenic bioaccessibility in a gold mining area: a health risk assessment for children

High concentrations of total arsenic (As) have been measured in soils of gold mining areas of Brazil. However, bioaccessibility tests have not yet been conducted on those materials, which is essential for better health risk estimates. This study aimed at?evaluating As bioaccessibility in samples from a gold mining area located in Brazil and assessing children's exposure to As-contaminated materials. Samples were collected from different materials (a control and four As-contaminated soils/sediments) found in a gold mine area located in Paracatu (MG), Brazil. Total and bioaccessible As concentrations were determined for all samples. The control soil presented the lowest As concentrations, while all other materials contained high total As concentrations (up to 2,666?mg?kg(-1)) and low bioaccessible As percentage (<4.2%), indicating a low risk from exposure of resident children next to this area. The calculated dose of exposure indicated that, except for the pond tailings, in all other areas, the exposure route considering soil ingestion contributed at most to 9.7% of the maximum As allowed ingestion per day (0.3?μg?kg(-1) BW day(-1)).     

Concentration of heavy metals in vegetables and potential health risk assessment in China

Food safety is an important issue in the world. This study assessed the health risk for the Chinese public when consuming vegetables grown in China, based on 1335 data records from 220 published papers during 2007–2016. The results showed that the average of Pb, Cd, and Hg concentration in vegetables was 0.106, 0.041, and 0.008 mg/kg, which were lower than the maximum allowable concentrations, respectively. Leaf vegetables contained higher heavy metals than root vegetables and fruit vegetables. On a provincial scale, the highest Pb, Cd, and Hg concentrations in vegetables were determined by those in soil and atmosphere. The total health risk index showed that people in Guizhou, Yunnan, Guangxi, Hunan, Guangdong, Hubei provinces in southern China, and Liaoning Province in northeast China, faced a high risk of Pb, Cd, and Hg when consuming vegetables.     

Distribution of thifluzamide,fenoxanil and tebuconazole in rice paddy and dietary risk assessment

Distribution behaviors of thifluzamide, fenoxanil, and tebuconazole applied to rice were investigated in South China. Analysis was by a modified QuEChERS method with gas chromatography (thifluzamide and fenoxanil) and liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (tebuconazole). Thifluzamide and tebuconazole partitioned mainly into the soil, with half-lives in the paddy soil of 12–14 and 5.3–7.8 days, respectively. Fenoxanil partitioned mainly into the rice plants, with half-lives of 3.3–4.4 days. The half-lives of thifluzamide, fenoxanil, and tebuconazole in paddy water were 0.17–0.89, 1.8–3.0, and 1.6–4.0 days, respectively. The residues in rice grains at the pre-harvest interval of 14 days were all below the established maximum limit values. The dietary risks assessed as hazard quotients at the pre-harvest interval were less than 1.     

Arsenic uptake and speciation in vegetables grown under greenhouse conditions

The accumulation of arsenic (As) by vegetables is a potential human exposure pathway. The speciation of As in vegetables is an important consideration due to the varying toxicity of different As species. In this study, common Australian garden vegetables were hydroponically grown with As-contaminated irrigation water to determine the uptake and species of As present in vegetable tissue. The highest concentrations of total As were observed in the roots of all vegetables and declined in the aerial portions of the plants. Total As accumulation in the edible portions of the vegetables decreased in the order radish ≫ mung bean > lettuce = chard. Arsenic was present in the roots of radish, chard, and lettuce as arsenate (As^V) and comprised between 77 and 92% of the total As present, whereas in mung beans, arsenite (As^III) comprised 90% of the total As present. In aerial portions of the vegetables, As was distributed equally between both As^V and As^III in radish and chard but was present mainly as As^V in lettuce. The presence of elevated As in vegetable roots suggests that As species may be complexed by phytochelatins, which limits As translocation to aerial portions of the plant.     

Heavy-metal distribution and risk assessment of sediment and fish from El-Mex Bay, Alexandria, Egypt

Heavy metals are increasingly being released into natural waters from geological and anthropogenic sources. The distribution of several heavy metals (Cr, Cu, Cd, Pb, Zn, and Hg) was investigated in muscle, gill, and liver in two different fish species seasonally collected in El-Mex Bay (autumn 2004-summer 2005). In order to evaluate the pollution status of the Bay, the concentrations of the selected metals in the labile and total fractions were analysed in sediment samples collected from eight sites in El-Mex Bay during autumn 2004. Also, the Index of Geoaccumulation (I_geo) for the sediment was estimated. The total and labile fractions of the selected metals in sediment samples were 15.2 and 62.8 μg g^-1 dw for Cu, 1.8 and 5.0 μg g^-1 dw for Cd, 79.1 and 130.3 μg g^-1 dw for Zn, 0.2 and 1.2 μg g^-1 dw for Hg, 35.8 and 93.0 μg g^-1 dw for Pb, and 13.9 and 31.0 μg g^-1 dw for Cr. The concentrations of all metals were lower in flesh than those recorded in liver and gill due to their physiological roles. The metal pollution index for fish was calculated. Health hazard calculations for the contaminated sediments and fish consumption were calculated to evaluate the effect of pollution on health.     

Arsenic contamination in water,soil, sediment and rice of central India

Arsenic contamination in the environment (i.e. surface, well and tube-well water, soil, sediment and rice samples) of central India (i.e. Ambagarh Chauki, Chhattisgarh) is reported. The concentration of the total arsenic in the samples i.e. water (n=64), soil (n=30), sediment (n=27) and rice grain (n=10) were ranged from 15 to 825 μg L⁻¹, 9 to 390 mg kg⁻¹, 19 to 489 mg kg⁻¹ and 0.018 to 0.446 mg kg⁻¹, respectively. In all type of waters, the arsenic levels exceeded the permissible limit, 10 μg L⁻¹. The most toxic and mobile inorganic species i.e. As(III) and As(V) are predominantly present in water of this region. The soils have relatively higher contents of arsenic and other elements i.e. Mg, Al, Si, K, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Ga, Zr, Sn, Sb, Pb and U. The mean arsenic contents in soil of this region are much higher than in arsenic soil of West Bengal and Bangladesh. The lowest level of arsenic in the soil of this region is 3.7 mg kg⁻¹ with median value of 9.5 mg kg⁻¹. The arsenic contents in the sediments are at least 2-folds higher than in the soil. The sources of arsenic contamination in the soil of this region are expected from the rock weathering as well as the atmospheric deposition. The environmental samples i.e. water, soil dust, food, etc. are expected the major exposure for the arsenic contamination. The most of people living in this region are suffering with arsenic borne diseases (i.e. melanosis, keratosis, skin cancer, etc.).     

Arsenic and other trace elements in groundwater and human urine in Ha Nam province,the Northern Vietnam: contamination characteristics and risk assessment

The contamination characteristics of arsenic and other trace elements in groundwater and the potential risks of arsenic from the groundwater were investigated. Elevated contamination of arsenic, barium and manganese was observed in tube-well water of two villages (Chuyen Ngoai and Chau Giang) in Ha Nam province in the Northern Vietnam. Concentrations of As in the groundwater ranged from 12.8 to 884 µg/L with mean values in Chuyen Ngoai and Chau Giang were 614.7 and 160.1 µg/L, respectively. About 83 % of these samples contained As concentrations exceeding WHO drinking water guideline of 10 μg/L. The mean values of Mn and Ba in groundwater from Chuyen Ngoai and Chau Giang were 300 and 657 μg/L and 650 and 468 μg/L, respectively. The mean value of Ba concentration in groundwater in both Chuyen Ngoai and Chau Giang was about 22 % of the samples exceeded the WHO guideline (700 µg/L). Arsenic concentrations in human urine of residents from Chuyen Ngoai and Chau Giang were the range from 8.6 to 458 µg/L. The mean values of Mn and Ba in human urine of local people from Chuyen Ngoai were 46.9 and 62.8 μg/L, respectively, while those in people from Chau Giang were 25.9 and 45.9 μg/L, respectively. The average daily dose from ingesting arsenic for consuming both untreated and treated groundwater is from 0.02 to 11.5 and 0.003 to 1.6 μg/kg day, respectively. Approximately, 57 % of the families using treated groundwater and 64 % of the families using untreated groundwater could be affected by elevated arsenic exposure.     

Health risk assessment of potentially harmful elements and dietary minerals from vegetables irrigated with untreated wastewater,Pakistan

In the developing world, vegetables are commonly grown in suburban areas irrigated with untreated wastewater containing potentially harmful elements (PHEs). In Pakistan, there is no published work on the bioaccessibility aspect of PHEs and dietary minerals (DMs) in sewage-irrigated soil or the vegetables grown on such soils in Pakistan. Several industrial districts of Pakistan were selected for assessment of the risk associated with the ingestion of vegetables grown over sewage-irrigated soils. Both the total and bioaccessible fraction of PHEs (Cd, Co, Cr, Ni, and Pb) and DMs (Fe, Cu, Mn, Zn, Ca, Mg, and I) in soils and vegetable samples were measured. The concentrations of these PHEs and DMs in sewage-irrigated and control soils were below published upper threshold limits. However, compared to control soils, sewage irrigation over the years decreased soil pH (7.7 vs 8.1) and enhanced dissolved organic carbon (1.8 vs 0.8 %), which could enhance the phyto-availability of PHEs and DMs to crops. Of the PHEs and DMs, the highest transfer factor (soil to plant) was noted for Cd and Ca, respectively. Concentrations of PHEs in most of the sewage-irrigated vegetables were below the published upper threshold limits, except for Cd in the fruiting portion of eggplant and bell pepper (0.06–0.08 mg/kg Cd, dry weight) at three locations in Gujarat and Kasur districts. The bioaccessible fraction of PHEs can reduce the context of dietary intake measurements compared to total concentrations, but differences between both measurements were not significant for Cd. Since the soils of the sampled districts are not overly contaminated compared to control sites, vegetables grown over sewage-irrigated soils would provide an opportunity to harvest mineral-rich vegetables potentially providing consumers 62, 60, 12, 104, and 63 % higher dietary intake of Cu, Mn, Zn, Ca, and Mg, respectively. Based on Fe and vanadium correlations in vegetables, it is inferred that a significant proportion of total dietary Fe intake could be contributed by soil particles adhered to the consumable portion of vegetables. Faecal sterol ratios were used to identify and distinguish the source of faecal contamination in soils from Gujranwala, Gujarat, and Lahore districts, confirming the presence of human-derived sewage biomarkers at different stages of environmental alteration. A strong correlation of some metals with soil organic matter concentration was observed, but none with sewage biomarkers.     

污染场地土壤多环芳烃(PAHs)生物可利用浓度的健康风险评价方法

随土壤不慎经口摄入是PAHs对人体健康造成危害的重要途径之一,目前该暴露途径下PAHs的健康风险计算主要基于土壤中总PAHs浓度进行计算。但是,这种计算方法并未考虑PAHs在土壤中的赋存状态及经口摄入后在人体不同器官中的毒理动力学过程,导致计算结果过于保守,修复目标过于严格,修复成本过高。针对这一问题国外相关研究人员已开展基于土壤中PAHs生物可利用性的健康风险评价研究并取得较大进展,但在国内就如何在风险评价过程中引入PAHs生物可利用性及其面临的障碍缺乏系统性报道。在对土壤中PAHs赋存形态及其随土壤经口腔摄入后在人体消化及循环系统中的动态分配最新研究成果进行综述的基础上,通过对该暴露途径下现有风险计算模型存在问题及原因进行分析,提出基于土壤中PAHs可利用浓度进行风险计算,并对相应计算模型进行推导以及模型参数的获取方法进行了简要概括,以解决目前模型计算结果过于保守的问题。同时,对于在现有分层次进行场地健康风险评价思路中如何科学地纳入基于土壤中PAHs可利用浓度进行风险计算的思路以及在实际风险评价中应用该思路还需进行的研究工作进行了简要讨论。     

污染场地土壤多环芳烃（PAHs）生物可利用浓度的健康风险评价方法

随土壤不慎经口摄入是PAHs对人体健康造成危害的重要途径之一,目前该暴露途径下PAHs的健康风险计算主要基于土壤中总PAHs浓度进行计算。但是,这种计算方法并未考虑PAHs在土壤中的赋存状态及经口摄入后在人体不同器官中的毒理动力学过程,导致计算结果过于保守,修复目标过于严格,修复成本过高。针对这一问题国外相关研究人员已开展基于土壤中PAHs生物可利用性的健康风险评价研究并取得较大进展,但在国内就如何在风险评价过程中引入PAHs生物可利用性及其面临的障碍缺乏系统性报道。在对土壤中PAHs赋存形态及其随土壤经口腔摄入后在人体消化及循环系统中的动态分配最新研究成果进行综述的基础上,通过对该暴露途径下现有风险计算模型存在问题及原因进行分析,提出基于土壤中PAHs可利用浓度进行风险计算,并对相应计算模型进行推导以及模型参数的获取方法进行了简要概括,以解决目前模型计算结果过于保守的问题。同时,对于在现有分层次进行场地健康风险评价思路中如何科学地纳入基于土壤中PAHs可利用浓度进行风险计算的思路以及在实际风险评价中应用该思路还需进行的研究工作进行了简要讨论。     

Arsenic speciation in rice consumed in south-western Nigeria,and estimation of dietary intake of arsenic species through rice consumption

This study determined concentrations and speciation of arsenic (As) in rice samples obtained from the cities of Akure, Ore, Ondo and Ikare in Ondo State, south-western Nigeria. The estimated dietary intake of As from rice consumption for total As and the identified As species were compared with the As benchmark dose lower confidence limit. Analyses of rice from the four cities identified three As species: inorganic As, monomethylarsonic, acid and dimethylarsinic acid. Concentrations of total As and the As species differed significantly across the sampling locations (by a factor of 2.5 for total As). Mean levels (±S.D.) were 58.8 ± 0.7 µg/kg total As, 47.0 ± 0.6 µg/kg inorganic As, 0.33 ± 0.03 µg/kg monomethylarsonic acid, and 11.5 ± 0.1 µg/kg dimethylarsinic acid. The estimated mean dietary intakes were 4.1 µg/d total As, 3.3 µg/d inorganic As, 0.02 µg/d monomethylarsonic acid, and 0.8 µg/d dimethylarsinic acid. These values are below the benchmark dose lower confidence limit and comparable to, or lower than, those reported for other countries. Thus, consumption of rice cultivated in south-western Nigeria does not appear to have inherent As-associated health risks.     

Soil lead (Pb) in residential transects through Lubbock,Texas: a preliminary assessment

Residential lead (Pb) contamination, resulting from decades-long use of leaded gasoline and lead-based paint, is likely to be present in soils in most urban areas. A screening level sampling effort demonstrated that Lubbock, Texas, USA, like other cities of its age and size, has areas of elevated soil Pb. This effort was based on soil sampling performed on residential, commercial and thoroughfare properties. The focus of this study was to investigate that component of soil contamination due to combustion of leaded gasoline. Soils were collected from the 1–2 cm surface layer from street-side property borders, well away from buildings that might lead to soil contamination from leaded paint chips. All samples were analyzed for Pb after a 1 M HNO₃ mild extraction to determine the amount of bioavailable Pb. Two of three transects through the city demonstrated significant trends of decreasing Pb concentrations with distance from the city center, paralleling a decrease in developed property age. Peak soil Pb concentrations outside city development was 4.9 ± 0.6 mg/kg while the median concentration for the city was 35.4 mg/kg. Peak soil Pb concentrations in the city center ranged from 90.0 to 174.0 mg/kg and decreased exponentially to 6.0–9.0 mg/kg at the furthest terminus of the residential transects.     

工业城市不同功能区土壤和蔬菜中重金属污染及其健康风险评价

为了研究和评价工业城市不同功能区的土壤和蔬菜中重金属污染和健康风险状况,以株洲市为例,在工业区（石峰区）、农业区（芦淞区）和旅游区（大京风景区）分别采集土壤和蔬菜样品,分析重金属Cd、As、Pb、Hg、Zn、Cr和Cu的质量分数,并采用地质累积指数法（Igeo）和健康风险评价模型分别对土壤和蔬菜中重金属进行评价。结果表明：工业区、农业区和旅游区土壤中Cd、As、Pb、Hg、Zn、Cr和Cu的平均质量分数都超出湖南省土壤背景值,部分重金属甚至超出国家土壤环境质量二级标准。不同功能区土壤中重金属的地质累积指数（Igeo）表明：工业区、农业区和旅游区土壤受到不同程度的重金属污染,其中Cd和Hg的污染最为严重,污染程度依次是工业区〉农业区〉旅游区。不同功能区蔬菜中Cd、As、Pb和Zn的危害商（HQ）值都大于1.0,而Cu和Cr的危害商（HQ）都小于1.0。不同功能区蔬菜中重金属危害指数（HI）都大于10.0,尤其是工业区蔬菜的危害指数（HI）〉100.0,当地成年人食用受到重金属污染的蔬菜会导致严重的健康危害,其中Cd和As,是危害指数（HI）的主要贡献者,两者贡献率之和的范围为75%~89%,而Cr的贡献率几乎为0。     

Arsenic, Cadmium, Lead, and Mercury in surface soils, Pueblo, Colorado: implications for population health risk

Decades of intensive industrial and agricultural practices as well as rapid urbanization have left communities like Pueblo, Colorado facing potential health threats from pollution of its soils, air, water and food supply. To address such concerns about environmental contamination, we conducted an urban geochemical study of the city of Pueblo to offer insights into the potential chemical hazards in soil and inform priorities for future health studies and population interventions aimed at reducing exposures to inorganic substances. The current study characterizes the environmental landscape of Pueblo in terms of heavy metals, and relates this to population distributions. Soil was sampled within the city along transects and analyzed for arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg) and lead (Pb). We also profiled Pueblo’s communities in terms of their socioeconomic status and demographics. ArcGIS 9.0 was used to perform exploratory spatial data analysis and generate community profiles and prediction maps. The topsoil in Pueblo contains more As, Cd, Hg and Pb than national soil averages, although average Hg content in Pueblo was within reported baseline ranges. The highest levels of As concentrations ranged between 56.6 and 66.5 ppm. Lead concentrations exceeded 300 ppm in several of Pueblo’s residential communities. Elevated levels of lead are concentrated in low-income Hispanic and African-American communities. Areas of excessively high Cd concentration exist around Pueblo, including low income and minority communities, raising additional health and environmental justice concerns. Although the distribution patterns vary by element and may reflect both industrial and non-industrial sources, the study confirms that there is environmental contamination around Pueblo and underscores the need for a comprehensive public health approach to address environmental threats in urban communities.     

Health risk assessment through consumption of vegetables rich in heavy metals: the case study of the surrounding villages from Panasqueira mine,Central Portugal

Panasqueira mine is a tin–tungsten mineralization hosted by metasediments with quartz veins rich in ferberite. The mineralization also comprises wolframite, cassiterite, chalcopyrite, several sulfides, carbonates and silver sulfosalts. The mining and beneficiation processes produce arsenic-rich mine wastes laid up in huge tailings (Barroca Grande and Rio tailings). The contents of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb and Zn were estimated in rhizosphere soils, irrigation waters, road dusts and in potatoes, cabbages, lettuces and beans, collected on local gardens of four neighborhood Panasqueira mine villages: S. Francisco de Assis (SFA) and Barroca suffering the influence of tailings; Unhais-o-Velho and Casegas considered as non-polluted areas. The mean concentrations of metals in rhizosphere soils and vegetables exceed the reference guidelines values and seem to be linked to the sulfides. The rhizosphere ecological risks were ranked in the order of Cd > As > Cu > Pb > Zn > Cr and SFA > Barroca > Casegas > Unhais-o-Velho. Metal concentrations, in vegetables, were found in the order of lettuce > cabbage > potatoes and SFA > Barroca > Casegas > Unhais-o-Velho. For cabbages and lettuces, the tendency of contamination is roots > leaves and for potatoes is roots > leaves > tubers. The risk for residents, due to ingesting of metals/metalloid, by consuming vegetables grown around the sampling area, was calculated and the result indicates that the inhabitants of these villages are probably exposed to some potential health risks through the intake of heavy metals and metalloids via consuming their vegetables.     

珠江三角洲淡水养殖沉积物及鱼体中DDTs和PAHs的残留与风险分析

采用GC-ECD和GC-MS分析了珠江三角洲淡水养殖鱼塘沉积物及鱼体中DDTs、PAHs的质量分数。结果表明,珠江三角洲地区鱼塘积物中DDTs质量分数范围为2.87～8.25ng·g-1,PAHs质量分数分布在61.76～196.05ng·g-1(干物质量)之间;鳙鱼、草鱼等5种鱼肌肉样品中DDTs质量分数为5.47～125.27ng·g-(1湿质量),PAHs质量分数为30.94～410.06ng·g-1(湿质量),5个品种鱼体内DDTs质量分数均未超过国家食用卫生标准。部分鱼塘中含有o,p’-DDT和p,p'-DDT,表明近期曾受到DDT污染。生态风险分析表明,珠江三角洲部分地区DDTs污染生态风险较高。     

荧蒽的淡水沉积物预测无效应浓度推导及生态风险评价

本文基于我国本土淡水水生生物的毒性数据,采用平衡分配法,推导了荧蒽的淡水PNECsed(沉积物环境预测无效应浓度)为551.0!g·kg-1.结合获得的PNECsed,采用商值法,评价了我国主要河流沉积物中荧蒽的生态风险.结果表明,各河流沉积物中荧蒽的RQ平均值(风险商平均值)均小于1,生态风险大小依次为辽河松花江淮河海河黄河珠江长江.研究结果可以为荧蒽的风险管理提供技术支持.     

Arsenic accumulation in the shore crab Carcinus maenas: the influence of nutritional state,sex and exposure concentration

The accumulation of arsenate from seawater by the shore crab Carcinus maenas L. (collected from Odense Fjord, Denmark in 1991 and from Restronguet Creek, UK in 1991) was investigated in a series of laboratory experiments. A field study was also carried out to determine the effects of raised environmental arsenic concentrations on intra-organismal distribution and tissue concentrations. Studies on the influence of nutritional state and sex on accumulation of As(5) from seawater indicated that most of the arsenic taken up from seawater in laboratory experiments was retained in the gills and the midgut gland. Arsenic accumulation exhibited sex-dependent differences which were also evident in correlation analyses carried out between total lipid contents and total arsenic contents of midgut glands of individual crabs. Arsenic concentrations in the gonads of both sexes were strongly influenced by the nutritional state of the crabs. Elevated arsenic concentrations in seawater and food at an arsenic polluted site (Restronguet Creek) significantly influenced arsenic concentrations and distribution among the tissues of C. maenas. Arsenic concentrations and distribution patterns differed markedly from those crabs from an unpolluted site in Odense Fjord. The gills of the crabs from Restronguet Creek contained extremely high arsenic concentrations ranging from 179 to 483 g As g^-1 dry wt. These values were even higher than those measured in the gills of Odense crabs that had been exposed to 3 mgl^-1 As(5) for 2 wk in the laboratory. Arsenic concentrations in the exoskeleton of Odense Fjord crabs were 15 times lower than those measured in exoskeletons of Restronguet Creek crabs. Approximately 69% of the total body burden of arsenic was located in muscle tissue of crabs from Odense Fjord, whereas the major pool of arsenic (46%) in Restronguet Creek crabs was located in the exoskeleton.