Cancer and Non-Cancer Health Risk from Eating Cassava Grown in Some Mining Communities in Ghana

Food crops such as cassava, cocoyam and other tuber crops grown in mining communities uptake toxic or hazardous chemicals such as arsenic, and cadmium, from the soil. Cassava is a stable food for Ghanaians. This study evaluated human health risk from eating cassava grown in some mining communities in Ghana such as Bogoso, Prestea, Tarkwa and Tamso, which are important mining towns in the Western Region of Ghana. The study evaluated cancer and non-cancer health effects from eating cassava grown in the study areas in accordance with US Environmental Protection Agency’s Risk Assessment guidelines. The results of the study revealed the following: cancer health risk for Tamso, 0.098 (RME – Reasonable Maximum Exposure) and 0.082 (CTE – Central Tendency Exposure). This means that approximately 10 and 8 out of 100 resident adults are likely to suffer from cancer related cases by RME and CTE parameters respectively. For Prestea, we have 0.010 and 0.12, which also means that approximately 1 out of 100 and 10 resident adults out of 100 are also likely to suffer from cancer related diseases by RME and CTE parameters. The results of the study obtained were found to be above the acceptable cancer risk range of 1× 10⁻⁶ to 1× 10⁻⁴, i.e., 1 case of cancer out of 1 million or 100,000 people respectively.     

Biomonitoring in the Boulder River Watershed, Montana, USA: Metal Concentrations in Biofilm and Macroinvertebrates, and Relations with Macroinvertebrate Assemblage

Portions of the Boulder River watershed contain elevated concentrations of arsenic, cadmium, copper, lead, and zinc in water, sediment, and biota. We measured concentrations of As, Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn in biofilm and macroinvertebrates, and assessed macroinvertebrate assemblage and aquatic habitat with the objective of monitoring planned remediation efforts. Concentrations of metals were generally higher in downstream sites compared with upstream or reference sites, and two sites contained metal concentrations in macroinvertebrates greater than values reported to reduce health and survival of resident trout. Macroinvertebrate assemblage was correlated with metal concentrations in biofilm and macroinvertebrates. However, macroinvertebrate metrics were significantly correlated with a greater number of biofilm metals (8) than metals in invertebrates (4). Lead concentrations in biofilm appeared to have the most significant impact on macroinvertebrate assemblage. Metal concentrations in macroinvertebrates were directly proportional to concentrations in biofilm, indicating biofilm as a potential surrogate for monitoring metal impacts in aquatic systems.     

碳酸镁与镉离子的吸附和沉淀作用研究

以碳酸镁为吸附剂,在镉离子初始浓度为0~6 mmol/L,初始pH值为4和7的条件下,研究了碳酸镁与镉离子的吸附与沉淀作用。结果表明,由于碳酸镁的溶解及与体系中氢离子的中和,碳酸镁—镉体系的最终pH值为10.4左右;体系的平衡pH值随着镉离子初始浓度的增加而减小;体系中镉的平衡浓度随着初始镉离子浓度的增加缓慢上升;碳酸镁对镉的吸附等温线为折线型,不符合Freundlich和Langmuir模型,符合伪二阶吸附动力学模型。结合碳酸镁吸附镉前后固相表征的结果,说明碳酸镁与镉离子的作用机制随着镉离子浓度的增加,从离子交换发展为离子交换和表面配位反应并存,最后表现为表面沉淀。     

巯基化合物在万寿菊镉解毒中的作用

采用水培实验方法研究了万寿菊体内镉积累和解毒与巯基化合物含量的关系。万寿菊植株分别在镉浓度为0、0.1、0.5、2和8 mg/L的营养液中暴露7 d,测定了根、茎、叶中镉、非蛋白巯基(NPT)、半胱氨酸(Cys)、γ-谷氨酰半胱氨酸(γ-EC)、谷胱甘肽(GSH)和植物络合素(PCs)的含量。植物根、茎、叶中镉含量都随着镉暴露浓度的增加而增加。当溶液中镉浓度较低(0.1～2 mg/L)时,茎叶中NPT、PCs、Cys和γ-EC含量随着镉浓度增加而增大;当镉浓度较高(8 mg/L)时,茎叶中PCs含量迅速降低,GSH含量大幅度增高。在根部,这些巯基化合物的含量几乎不受镉处理影响,且含量较低。以上研究结果表明:PCs在万寿菊镉的解毒机制中发挥一定的作用,暴露于高浓度的镉,GSH比PCs起着更为重要的解毒作用。     

共存物质对重金属絮凝剂 MCC 除镉性能的影响简

为进一步拓展天然高分子絮凝剂壳聚糖的应用范围,以壳聚糖、L-半胱氨酸为原料,通过酰胺化反应制备一种具有重金属捕集功能的高分子重金属絮凝剂-2-氨基-3-巯基丙酰壳聚糖（MCC）,研究了水体中常见的阴阳离子、有机配位剂及浊度对MCC除镉性能的影响,探讨了絮体形貌与絮体分形维数及絮凝除镉效果间的关系。结果表明,Na⁺、Cl^-、NO₃^-、F^-、SO₄^2-的存在对MCC除Cd²⁺均有促进作用,Ca²⁺表现为明显的抑制作用;低浓度的EDTA对除镉有促进作用,随着EDTA浓度的增大,逐渐转为抑制作用;低浓度的腐殖酸对MCC去除Cd²⁺有显著的促进作用;在一定范围内,浊度可促进 MCC对Cd²⁺的去除;絮体间空隙越多,絮体分形维数越小,除镉效果越好。     

生物炭修复Cd,Pb污染土壤的研究进展

随着矿产开采、冶炼等工业活动以及污水灌溉、施用污泥和劣质化肥等农业活动的进行,Cd,Pb等有害重金属不断进入农业环境中,对农田、菜地等造成污染。生物炭作为重要的土壤改良剂,在对Cd,Pb污染土壤的修复中表现出巨大的潜力。从生物炭的特性及制备、修复效果及其影响因素、修复机理等方面,对近年来国内外有关生物炭修复Cd,Pb污染土壤的研究成果和现状进行了总结,并对生物炭修复Cd,Pb污染土壤的发展前景和未来研究方向进行了展望。     

冻融循环及有机肥配施对黑土中镉形态的影响

以黑龙江黑土为对象,研究了冻融循环及有机肥配施量对黑土中镉形态分布的影响。对配施不同有机肥的土壤样品进行5次冻融循环,采用电感耦合等离子质谱仪(ICP-MS)分析土壤样品中镉的赋存形态。结果表明,冻融循环数及有机肥的配施有助于降低黑土中的总镉量;冻融循环会促使黑土中的镉由交换态、碳酸盐结合态、有机结合态向铁锰氧化物结合态和残渣态转化,而增加有机肥配施量会使黑土中的镉由交换态向其他形态转化。因此,冻融循环及有机肥配施有助于降低土壤中镉的生物有效性,进而降低其环境风险。     

共存物质对重金属絮凝齐MCC除镉性能的影响

为进一步拓展天然高分子絮凝剂壳聚糖的应用范围,以壳聚糖、L-半胱氨酸为原料,通过酰胺化反应制备一种具有重金属捕集功能的高分子重金属絮凝剂-2-氨基-3-巯基丙酰壳聚糖（MCC）,研究了水体中常见的阴阳离子、有机配位剂及浊度对MCC除镉性能的影响,探讨了絮体形貌与絮体分形维数及絮凝除镉效果间的关系。结果表明,Na＋、Cl-、N03、F-、SO4 2-的存在对MCC除Cd2＋均有促进作用,Ca2＋表现为明显的抑制作用;低浓度的EDTA对除镉有促进作用,随着EDTA浓度的增大,逐渐转为抑制作用;低浓度的腐殖酸对MCC去除Cd2＋有显著的促进作用;在一定范围内,浊度可促进MCC对Cd2＋的去除;絮体间空隙越多,絮体分形维数越小,除镉效果越好。     

添加天然沸石和石灰对土壤镉形态转化的影响

采用土壤培养实验,研究镉污染土壤中添加沸石、石灰及两者配施对土壤pH值和土壤镉形态变化的影响。结果表明,土壤pH值随沸石用量的增加而增加,随培养时间呈现先增加后下降并逐渐趋于稳定的趋势,但均高于对照。高剂量石灰的处理对土壤pH的影响最大,与对照相比土壤pH提高了3.33个单位。在土壤5~50 d培养过程中,石灰处理的土壤交换态镉含量呈现先逐渐降低而后略有升高的趋势,其余处理均呈下降趋势。培养50 d后,高剂量的沸石、石灰及高剂量沸石与石灰配施处理的土壤交换态镉含量从5 d时的67.54、61.95和55.56 mg/kg降低至54.65、49.93和45.96mg/kg。相关分析表明,不同培养时期交换态镉含量与土壤pH值呈负相关关系。在10个处理中,L2Z3(石灰2 g/kg土和沸石60 g/kg土)组合处理效果最好,使土壤交换态镉含量下降了34.68%,碳酸盐结合态镉含量上升了4.30%,铁锰氧化结合态镉含量上升了16.97%,有机结合态镉含量上升了1.31%,残渣态镉含量上升了12.11%。     

Reversed association between levels of prostate specific antigen and levels of blood cadmium and urinary cadmium

Prostate cancer associated with cadmium exposure may indicate a link between prostate specific antigen (PSA) and levels of blood cadmium (BCd) and urinary cadmium (UCd). Thus, these associations were investigated. We recruited 295 men, 50 years of age and above from a health check-up program at a health center as subjects of the study. They completed a self-reported questionnaire and provided fasting samples of blood and urine for cadmium assay. The assay was performed using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Blood samples were also collected for the assays of total cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein measures. The means of BCd and UCd increased with age and the means of all subjects were 1.19 ± 1.04 μg L⁻¹ and 1.37 ± 1.76 μg g⁻¹ creatinine, respectively. The PSA levels were positively associated with the lipid levels, but reversely associated with BCd and UCd levels. The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that men with PSA ? 4.0 ng mL⁻¹ had an odds ratio (OR) of 0.4 (95% CI = 0.1-0.9) to have BCd > 0.49 μg L⁻¹, and an OR of 0.4 (95% CI = 0.2-1.0) to have UCd > 0.45 μg g⁻¹ creatinine. In conclusion, the PSA levels are reversely associated with BCd and UCd levels.