scholarly journals Heavy Metal in Rice and Vegetable and Human Exposure near a Large Pb/Zn Smelter in Central China

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (23) ◽  
pp. 12631
Author(s):  
Yanxin Hu ◽  
Chuan Wang ◽  
Zhengcheng Song ◽  
Min Chen ◽  
Li Ding ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metal ◽  
Human Hair ◽  
Human Exposure ◽  
Vegetable Consumption ◽  
Ferrous Metal ◽  
Carcinogenic Risk ◽  
Central China ◽  
Carcinogenic Risk Assessment ◽  
Local Residents ◽  
Cd Exposure

Non-ferrous metal smelting is a significant source of anthropogenic heavy metal emission and has led to severe environmental pollution that ultimately threatens the health of local residents. In this study, we determined concentrations of copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb), as well as Pb isotopic compositions in rice, vegetables and human hair in areas surrounding the Zhuzhou Pb/Zn smelter in Hunan, China and we assessed the health risks associated with rice and vegetable consumption for local residents. Results showed that rice and vegetable samples were significantly contaminated by Cd and Pb. Age and source of rice were important factors for the enrichment of heavy metal concentrations in human hair. The ratios of Pb isotopes in human hair (1.164–1.170 for 206Pb/207Pb and 2.102–2.110 for208Pb/206Pb) were comparable to those in rice (1.162–1.172 for 206Pb/207Pb and 2.098–2.114 for208Pb/206Pb) and were slightly lower than those in vegetables (1.168–1.172 for 206Pb/207Pb and 2.109–2.111 for208Pb/206Pb), indicating that Pb in human hair mainly originated from food ingestion. A non-carcinogenic risk assessment showed that Cd exposure was the dominant health risk for local residents. This study suggested that crops planted surrounding the smelter were seriously contaminated with Cd and human exposure was related to dietary intake.

scholarly journals Probabilistic Human Health Risk Assessment of Heavy Metal Intake via Vegetable Consumption around Pb/Zn Smelters in Southwest China

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (18) ◽  
pp. 3267 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guanghui Guo ◽  
Degang Zhang ◽  
Yuntao Wang
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metal ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Southwest China ◽  
Heavy Metal Contamination ◽  
Vegetable Consumption ◽  
Human Health Risk ◽  
Hazard Index ◽  
Potential Health ◽  
Vegetable Samples ◽  
Local Residents

Vegetable contamination in mining and smelting areas has resulted in high dietary intakes of heavy metals, which pose potential health risks to local residents. In this study, paired soil-vegetable samples were collected around Pb/Zn smelters in Southwest China. Probabilistic risks to local residents via vegetable consumption were evaluated with a Monte Carlo simulation. The mean concentrations of As, Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn in the soils were 116.76, 3.59, 158.56, 196.96, and 236.74 mg/kg, respectively. About 38.18%, 58.49%, and 52.83% of the vegetable samples exceeded the maximum allowable concentrations for As, Cd, and Pb, respectively. The daily dietary intake of As, Cd, and Pb exceeded the provisional tolerable daily intakes for local residents, with children showing the highest intake via vegetable consumption. The percentages of the target hazard quotients of As, Cd, and Pb for local residents exceeding the safe value of one were about 95%, 50%, and 25%, respectively. The 95th percentiles of the hazard index for children, adolescents, and adults were 15.71, 11.15, and 9.34, respectively, indicating significant risks to local residents, especially children. These results highlight a need to develop effective strategies to reduce heavy metal contamination and exposure to protect human health.

scholarly journals Heavy Metal Contaminations in Herbal Medicines: Determination, Comprehensive Risk Assessments, and Solutions

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lu Luo ◽  
Bo Wang ◽  
Jingwen Jiang ◽  
Qin Huang ◽  
Zheng Yu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Heavy Metal ◽  
Exposure Assessment ◽  
Metal Contamination ◽  
Heavy Metal Contamination ◽  
Herbal Medicines ◽  
Carcinogenic Risk ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Acceptable Risks ◽  
Carcinogenic Risk Assessment

Abstract Background: Heavy metal contamination in herbal medicines is a global threat to human beings especially at levels above known threshold concentrations.Methods: The concentrations of five heavy metals cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), arsenic (As), mercury (Hg) and copper (Cu) were investigated using Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) with 1773 samples. Exposure assessment, Non-carcinogenic risk assessment, and carcinogenic risk assessment were applied to measure their risks in human body.Results: According to Chinese Pharmacopoeia, 30.51% (541) samples were detected with at least one over-limit metal. The over-limit ratio for Pb was 5.75% (102), Cd at 4.96% (88), As at 4.17% (74), Hg at 3.78% (67), and of Cu, 1.75% (31). For exposure assessment, Pb, Cd, As, and Hg have resulted in higher than acceptable risks in 25 kinds of herbs. The maximal Estimated Daily Intake (EDI) of Pb in seven herbs, of Cd in five, of Hg in four, and As in three exceeded their corresponding Provisional Tolerable Daily Intakes (PTDI). In total 25 kinds of herbs present an unacceptable risk as assessed with the HQ (Hazard Quotient) or HI (Hazard Index). Particularly, Plantaginis herba (HI = 11.47) is more than 11 times over the limit.Conclusions: Heavy metal contamination in herbal medicines was borderline or higher than the safety level with the majority of the herbal plants were within acceptable risks. Notably, As posed the highest risk in all indicators including EDI, HI, and CR, inducing the most serious risks in all five metals. Herbal medicines Euodiae fructus, Plantaginis herba, and Desmodii styracifolii were considered the most risk-inducing herbal medicines. Therefore, it is of great advantage to establish universal standards and quality requirements for hazardous elements in herbal medicines so that this natural resource can continue and expand further, to benefit health globally.

scholarly journals Potential Risk of Consuming Vegetables Planted in Soil with Lead and Cadmium and the Influence on Vegetable Antioxidant Activity

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 3761
Author(s):  
Wen-Lii Huang ◽  
Wei-Hsiang Chang ◽  
Shu-Fen Cheng ◽  
Huai-Yuan Li ◽  
Hsiu-Ling Chen
Keyword(s):  
Sweet Potato ◽  
Contaminated Soils ◽  
Vegetable Consumption ◽  
Accumulation Rate ◽  
Leafy Vegetables ◽  
Water Spinach ◽  
Potato Leaf ◽  
Cd Accumulation ◽  
Lead And Cadmium ◽  
Cd Exposure

Once in soil and water, metals can enter the food chain, and the consumption of contaminated crops can pose a serious risk to human health. This study used pot experiments to evaluate the accumulation of metal elements and their influence on levels of antioxidants in vegetables. The current study clearly demonstrates that metals accumulated in the five vegetables that were planted in the contaminated soils, especially so for water spinach. Cd accumulation of all of the vegetables planted in the contaminated soils was greater Cu. The low accumulation rate that was seen in sweet potato leaf, potato, and tomato indicated their suitability for planting in suspected contaminated soil, such as at farms nearby metal industries, in replacement of high accumulators, such as leafy vegetables. The non-carcinogenic HI of Cd exposure from water spinach and sweet potato were >1, whereas those for Cu were <1. This study suggests that residents may experience health risks due to vegetable consumption, and that children are vulnerable to the adverse effects of heavy metal ingestion.

Carcinogenic Risk Assessment of Complex Mixtures

1989 ◽  
Vol 5 (5) ◽  
pp. 851-867 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Krewski ◽  
T. Thorslund ◽  
J. Withey
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Low Dose ◽  
Synergistic Effects ◽  
Carcinogenic Risk ◽  
Complex Mixtures ◽  
Multiple Exposures ◽  
Polycyclic Aromatic ◽  
Carcinogenic Substances ◽  
Carcinogenic Risk Assessment ◽  
Potential Use

Although procedures for assessing the carcinogenic risks associated with exposure to individual chemicals are relatively well developed, risk assessment methods for mixtures of chemicals are still in the developmental stage. In this paper, we examine the difficulties in assessing the risks of exposure to complex mixtures, with special reference to the potential for synergistic effects among the compo nents of the mixture. Statistical models for describing the joint action of multiple exposures are reviewed, and their implications for low-dose risk assessment are examined. The potential use of pharmacokinetic models to describe the metabolism of mixtures is also considered. Application of these results in regulating mixtures of carcinogenic substances is illustrated using examples involving multiple contaminants in drinking water and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons produced from combustion sources.

scholarly journals Distribution and Health Risk Assessment on Dietary Exposure of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Vegetables in Nanjing, China

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Minmin Wu ◽  
Zhonghuan Xia ◽  
Qianqian Zhang ◽  
Jing Yin ◽  
Yanchi Zhou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons ◽  
Aromatic Hydrocarbons ◽  
Health Effect ◽  
Dietary Exposure ◽  
Carcinogenic Risk ◽  
Source Analysis ◽  
Exposure Level ◽  
Critical Limit ◽  
Polycyclic Aromatic ◽  
Local Residents

In a market basket study made in Nanjing, China, in which the most common consumed nine kinds of vegetables foodstuffs were sampled, the contents of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were analyzed using gas chromatography with mass spectrometer detector (GC-MS). The results showed that the total amount of 16 PAHs was within the range of 60.5~312 ng g−1 (wet weight). The ranking of total concentrations for different types of vegetables in decreasing order was leafy vegetable, fruit vegetable, and rhizome vegetable. Source analysis suggested that coal, oil, or other incomplete combustion of biomass mainly contributed to the concentration of PAHs. The margin of exposure (MOE) approach with age/gender group-specific daily dietary exposure level was used to estimate the carcinogenic risk. The calculated total mean MOE in the case of BaP and PAH4 (sum of BaA, CHR, BbF, and BaP) was 14960 and 7723, respectively, for local residents. In addition, the MOEs in PAH4 for some groups of both male and female were below the critical limit of 10 000 proposed by EFSA. Therefore, health effect owing to the consumption of vegetables on local residents needs high concern.

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