Toxicological Risk Assessment of Soil Contaminants

1997 ◽  
Vol 16 (4-5) ◽  
pp. 495-508 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fritz Kalberlah ◽  
Martin Hassauer ◽  
Nicole Frijus-Plessen ◽  
Klaus Schneider

International bodies such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and national governmental agencies like the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) use the same basic concept to derive acceptable daily intake (ADI) and reference dose (RfD). This customary concept is used in toxicological risk assessment of soil contaminants in Germany. It is used in the following ways: with extension to new substances not yet assessed by, for example, WHO or EPA; with reevaluations for substances with new toxicologically relevant input data; with explicitly stated absorption rates used to calculate internal exposure; its results are presented differently and are better suited to multipathway situations of exposure such as in contaminated sites; and with extensions in assessment by assigning quality criteria to unit risk quantifications to carcinogenic substances. The respective derived doses are called TRD (tolerable resorbiente dosis—tolerable absorbed dose) values, that is, reference values equivalent to a no observed adverse effect level in sensitive human subpopulations. TRD values are proposed for approximately 85 soil contaminants and 20 warfare substances with high priority in Germany up to now. The article outlines some of the specific problems in deriving TRD values and gives examples for comparison with ADI (WHO) or RfD (EPA) values.

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (9) ◽  
pp. 86-99 ◽  
Author(s):  
George Yaw Hadzi ◽  
David Kofi Essumang ◽  
Joseph Kwaku Adjei

Background. Ghana, like many countries in Africa, has a history of heavy metal pollution largely emanating from industrial effluent discharges and anthropogenic deposits on prevailing winds of pollutants from industrial activities. One of the biggest contributors to pollution in the Ghanaian environment is mineral mining. Objectives. The aim of this study was to determine the distribution and health risks of heavy metals in surface water from both pristine environments and major mining areas in Ghana. Methods. A total of 32 composite samples were collected between September and October, 2014 to assess concentrations of heavy metals and pollution levels, as well as cancer and non-cancer risks to human health from exposure to heavy metals from four major mining regions and four rain forest reserves in the Western, Ashanti, Brong Ahafo and Eastern regions of Ghana. Samples were analyzed using atomic absorption spectrometry. Results. The mean concentrations (mg/L) of heavy metals at the pristine sites ranged from 1.747 for iron (Fe) to 0.001 for mercury (Hg) and 0.453 for Fe to 0.002 for Hg at the mining sites. All the metals were found to be below World Health Organization (WHO) and United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) recommended limits except for Hg, which was at the USEPA guideline limit. However, the concentrations of the metals from the mining sites were found to be slightly higher than those from the pristine sites. Conclusions. The concentrations of heavy metals in the Nyam, Subri, Bonsa and Birim Rivers from the mining sites and the Atiwa Range, Oda, Ankasa and Bosomkese Rivers from the pristine sites were found to be either below or within the USEPA and WHO's recommended limits for surface water. The health risk assessment values for the hazard quotient for ingestion of water (HQing), dermal contact (HQderm) and chronic daily intake (CDI) indicated no adverse effects as a result of ingestion or dermal contact from the rivers. However, arsenic (As) in both the pristine and mining sites and chromium (Cr) in the pristine sites pose a carcinogenic threat to the local residents.


Author(s):  
Kamil Jurowski ◽  
Maria Fołta ◽  
Barbara Tatar ◽  
Mehmet Berkoz ◽  
Mirosław Krośniak

AbstractThe toxicological risk assessment (TRA) of elemental impurities (EI) in especially herbal medicinal products (HMP) is a significant challenge for pharmaceutical industry. In Europe, very popular are traditional HMP with valerian root (Valeriana officinalis L., radix) for relief of mild symptoms of mental stress and to aid sleep. The aim of our unique article is the comprehensive TRA of Cu, Mn, and Zn as EI in HMP with V. officinalis L., radix available in Polish pharmacies. This article is a continuation of our previously conducted studies about TRA of heavy metals (Pb and Cd) in these same samples. Investigated elements were determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (F AAS). The values of the correlation coefficients (R > 0.998) confirm the linearity of the applied instrument for precision and accuracy of results. The recoveries, LOD and LOQ values were acceptable. Our results show that all investigated HMP with valerian root available in Polish pharmacies contain Cu (0.16–0.23 mg/L), Mn (0.11–0.76 mg/L), and Zn (0.22–0.48 mg/L) at a very low level. Based on our estimation of EI including single dose (µg/20 mL) and estimated daily intake (µg/day), our results confirm the safety of all pharmaceuticals. To the best of our knowledge, the Cu, Mn, and Zn impurity profile in HMP with V. officinalis L., radix is described for the first time. The applied methodology and results are extremely important from regulatory toxicology point of view (ICH Q3D elemental impurities guideline for pharmaceuticals).


Author(s):  
Ana Claudia Santiago de Vasconcellos ◽  
Gustavo Hallwass ◽  
Jaqueline Gato Bezerra ◽  
Angélico Nonato Serrão Aciole ◽  
Heloisa Nascimento de Moura Meneses ◽  
...  

Fish serves as the principal source of animal protein for the indigenous people of the Amazon, ensuring their food and nutritional security. However, gold mining causes mercury (Hg) contamination in fish, and consequently increases health risks associated with fish consumption. The aim of this study was to assess the health risk attributed to the consumption of mercury-contaminated fish by Munduruku indigenous communities in the Middle-Tapajós Region. Different fish species were collected in the Sawré Muybu Indigenous Land to determine mercury levels. The health risk assessment was carried out according to the World Health Organization (WHO 2008) methodology and different scenarios were built for counterfactual analysis. Eighty-eight fish specimens from 17 species and four trophic levels were analyzed. Estimates of Hg ingestion indicated that the methylmercury daily intake exceeds the U.S. EPA (United States Environmental Protection Agency) (2000) reference dose from 3 to 25-fold, and up to 11 times the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization)/WHO (2003) dose recommendation. In all situations analyzed, the risk ratio estimates were above 1.0, meaning that the investigated Munduruku communities are at serious risk of harm as a result of ingestion of mercury-contaminated fish. These results indicate that, at present, fish consumption is not safe for this Munduruku population. This hazardous situation threatens the survival of this indigenous population, their food security, and their culture


Planta Medica ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 77 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
J Michl ◽  
M Simmonds ◽  
M Ingrouille ◽  
M Heinrich

Planta Medica ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 79 (13) ◽  
Author(s):  
J Michl ◽  
G Kite ◽  
M Simmonds ◽  
M Ingrouille ◽  
M Heinrich

Author(s):  
Maryam Zare Jeddi ◽  
Mohamad Eshaghi Gorji ◽  
Ivonne Rietjens ◽  
Jochem Louisse ◽  
Yuri Bruinen de Bruin ◽  
...  

This study aimed to estimate the exposure and related health risks of phthalates, and to assess the health risks from combined exposure to three of the phthalates sharing the same mode of action (anti-androgenicity) in children. We determined the internal exposure of 56 Iranian children and adolescents aged 6 to 18 years by analyzing seven urinary metabolites of five phthalates. The estimated daily intake values derived from the biomonitoring data ranged from 0.01 µg/kg bw/day for butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP), to 17.85 µg/kg bw/day for di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP). The risk assessment revealed that not only the exposure to the individual phthalates, but also the combined exposure to the three anti-androgenic phthalates (DEHP, DBP, BBP) did not raise a safety concern (hazard index values averaged 0.2). The range of maximum cumulative ratio values varied from around 1 for most individuals to around 2 in some individuals, indicating that the combined exposures were dominated by one and in some cases by two of the three anti-androgenic phthalates, especially dibutyl phthalate (DBP) and/or DEHP. Based on biomonitoring data, the overall combined exposure of Iranian children to phthalates does not raise a concern, while reduction of exposure is best focused on DEHP and DBP that showed the highest hazard quotient.


2019 ◽  
Vol 123 ◽  
pp. 57-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ioanna Katsikantami ◽  
Claudio Colosio ◽  
Athanasios Alegakis ◽  
Manolis N. Tzatzarakis ◽  
Elena Vakonaki ◽  
...  

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (5) ◽  
pp. 139-145
Author(s):  
Waqar Khan ◽  
Fayaz Ali ◽  
Murad Ali ◽  
Hanif Khan ◽  
Ayaz Ali Khan ◽  
...  

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