Risk Assessment of Contamination by Potentially Toxic Metals: A Case Study in the Vicinity of an Abandoned Pyrite Mine

Abandoned mining areas can display soil and water pollution and also a high incidence of endemic diseases. Here, based on preliminary results on mental retardation and high incidence rates of cancers, we investigate the contamination status and potential ecological risk at an abandoned pyrite mine located in Xianju village, Hubei province, central China. The study focused on the three potentially toxic metals As, Pb, and Zn and four other common elements, including Ca, Fe, S, and Se. Soil samples were collected from 12 sites and leachate seeping from five sites. Leachates were strongly acidic compared to the soil, with pH values <3.22. Soil As and Se concentrations exceeded the Chinese Grade II standards for soil environmental quality (GB 15618-2009) (30 and 3 mg·kg−1, respectively), ranging from 33.6 ± 0.7 to 78.2 ± 1.0 mg As·kg−1 dry matter (DM) and 5.3 ± 0.8 to 17.1 ± 1.4 mg Se·kg−1 DM. Arsenic, Fe, Se, and S in leachates all exceeded the Chinese Grade III standard for surface water environmental quality (GB 3838-2002) (0.1, 0.3, 0.03, and 1.0 mg·L−1). The potential ecological risks from Pb and Zn in soils were low, but As in soils and leachates represented a moderate or strong risk to children according to the Nemerow index and hazard quotient. Soil replacement combined with further remediation measures is required to remediate the contaminated area.

Download Full-text

Potentially Toxic Metals in Soil and Dominant Plants from Tonglushan Cu–Fe Deposit, Central China

Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology ◽

10.1007/s00128-018-2501-7 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 102 (1) ◽

pp. 92-97 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Huang Zheng ◽

Zezhou Zhang ◽

Xinli Xing ◽

Tianpeng Hu ◽

Chengkai Qu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Toxic Metals ◽

Central China ◽

Potentially Toxic Metals

Download Full-text

O mapa das hepatites virais no Acre: entre territórios e territorialidades

Revista Brasileira de Geografia Física ◽

10.26848/rbgf.v12.6.p2339-2354 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (6) ◽

pp. 2339

Author(s):

Cleilton Sampaio De Farias ◽

Ricardo Antunes Dantas de Oliveira ◽

Maurício R. M. P. da Luz

Keyword(s):

Viral Hepatitis ◽

Human Development ◽

Social Relations ◽

Environmental Conditions ◽

Human Liver ◽

Incidence Rates ◽

Epidemiological Surveillance ◽

Factors Associated ◽

Endemic Diseases ◽

High Incidence

As hepatites virais são doenças causadas por vírus distintos (A, B, C e D), que têm em comum o acometimento particularmente forte do fígado humano. Objetivou-se mapear a distribuição das hepatites virais no Acre, no período de 2010 a 2014, por meio de dois indicadores. Esse mapeamento foi associado a proposições para explicar seus territórios, suas territorialidades e suas territorializações, sendo respectivamente os locais de maior ocorrência, as relações históricas e sociais que causaram essas enfermidades e a formação desses territórios. Em vista de tudo isto, as hepatites virais se territorializaram historicamente no Acre, possivelmente favorecidas por aspectos inadequados de vigilância epidemiológica, ligados com o controle de outras endemias que assolavam os municípios. Estes fatores, associados com as condições socioeconômicas e ambientais, com a desigualdade de renda, de escolaridade e de desenvolvimento humano desses espaços, permitiram que as relações que proporcionam a infecção e a transmissão dessas doenças fossem passadas de geração para geração. Esse processo resultou em territórios que apresentam, além de muitos casos notificados altas taxas de incidências como em Cruzeiro do Sul, Rio Branco, Tarauacá e Assis Brasil. The map of viral hepatitis in Acre: between territories and territorialities A B S T R A C TViral hepatitis are diseases caused by distinct viruses (A, B, C and D), which have in common the particularly strong involvement of the human liver. The objective of this study was to map the distribution of viral hepatitis in Acre between 2010 and 2014, using two indicators. This mapping was associated with propositions to explain their territories, their territorialities and their territorializations, being respectively the places of greatest occurrence, the historical and social relations that caused these diseases and the formation of these territories. In view of all this, viral hepatitis were historically territorialized in Acre, possibly favored by inadequate aspects of epidemiological surveillance, linked to the control of other endemic diseases that devastated the municipalities. These factors, associated with socioeconomic and environmental conditions, income inequality, schooling and human development of these spaces, allowed the relations that provide the infection and the transmission of these diseases were passed from generation to generation. This process resulted in territories that have, in addition to many cases reported high incidence rates such as Cruzeiro do Sul, Rio Branco, Tarauacá and Assis Brasil.Keywords: Viral hepatitis, Map, Territories, Acre.

Download Full-text

MARKOV CHAIN MODELING OF ENDEMIC CATTLE DISEASES IN THE TROPICS OF MEXICO

Ciência Rural ◽

10.1590/s0103-84781993000300014 ◽

1993 ◽

Vol 23 (3) ◽

pp. 325-328

Author(s):

José Alfonso Barajas Rojas ◽

Hans Riemann ◽

Charles Franti

Keyword(s):

Markov Chain ◽

Seasonal Changes ◽

Incidence Rates ◽

The State ◽

Igg Antibodies ◽

Endemic Diseases ◽

Cattle Diseases ◽

High Incidence ◽

The Tropics ◽

Short Time

Endemic diseases measured by prevalence of IgG antibodies by ELISA all showed remarkably stable overall prevalences over a study period of 3 years. This however does not mean that incidence is low or absent. Observed transition from the state of being positive for a disease to the state of being negative and vice versa suggested fairly high incidence rates (and rates of waning antibodies) for all 19 disease agents tested for. In spite of this dynamic situation Markov Chain simulations indicate that a steady prevalence is reached in a fairly short time. Markov Chain simulations may also be useful in elucidating seasonal changes in prevalence.

Download Full-text

Assessments of the Ecological and Health Risks of Potentially Toxic Metals in the Topsoils of Different Land Uses: A Case Study in Peninsular Malaysia

Biology ◽

10.3390/biology11010002 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. 2

Author(s):

Chee Kong Yap ◽

Weiyun Chew ◽

Khalid Awadh Al-Mutairi ◽

Rosimah Nulit ◽

Mohd. Hafiz Ibrahim ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ecological Risk ◽

Toxic Metals ◽

Hazard Quotient ◽

Risk Index ◽

Human Health Risk ◽

Hazard Index ◽

Peninsular Malaysia ◽

Risk Assessments ◽

Land Uses ◽

Potentially Toxic Metals

Human activities due to different land uses are being studied widely in many countries. This study aimed to determine the ecological risks and human health risk assessments (HHRA) of Cd, Pb, Ni, Cu, and Zn in the topsoils of six land uses in Peninsular Malaysia. The ranges of the potentially toxic metals (PTMs) in the soils (mg/kg, dry weight) of this study were 0.24–12.43 for Cd (mean: 1.94), 4.66–2363 for Cu (mean: 228), 2576–116,344 for Fe (mean: 32,618), 2.38–75.67 for Ni (mean: 16.04), 7.22–969 for Pb (mean: 115) and 11.03–3820 for Zn (mean: 512). For the ecological risk assessments, the potential ecological risk index (PERI) for single metals indicated that the severity of pollution of the five metals decreased in the following sequence: Cd > Cu > Pb > Zn > Ni. It was found that industry, landfill, rubbish heap, and mining areas were categorized as “very high ecological risk”. For HHRA, the land uses of industry, landfill and rubbish heap were found to have higher hazard quotient (HQ) values for the three pathways (with the order: ingestion > dermal contact > inhalation ingestion) of the five metals for children and adults, when compared to the mining, plantation, and residential areas. The values for both the non-carcinogenic (Cd, Cu, Ni, and Zn), and carcinogenic risks (CR) for inhalation (Cd and Ni) obtained for children and adults in this study showed no serious adverse health impacts on their health. However, of public concern, the hazard index (HI), for Pb of children at the landfill (L-3) and the rubbish heap (RH-3) sites exceeded 1.0, indicating non-carcinogenic risk (NCR) for children. Therefore, these PERI and HHRA results provided fundamental data for PTMs pollution mitigation and environmental management in areas of different land uses in Peninsular Malaysia.

Download Full-text

Spatial distribution and risk assessment of toxic metals in agricultural soils from endemic nasopharyngeal carcinoma region in South China

Open Geosciences ◽

10.1515/geo-2020-0110 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

pp. 568-579

Author(s):

Liping Mo ◽

Yongzhang Zhou ◽

Gnanachandrasamy Gopalakrishnana ◽

Xingyuan Li

Keyword(s):

Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma ◽

South China ◽

Toxic Metals ◽

Agricultural Soils ◽

Hazard Index ◽

Toxic Metal ◽

Carcinogenic Risk ◽

Pollution Indices ◽

High Incidence ◽

Low Incidence

AbstractSihui city (South China) is much affected by nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). To investigate the relationships between the toxic metals in soil and NPC incidence in Sihui, 119 surface soil samples were collected from agricultural fields and analyzed. The soil As–Cr contents in Longjiang (high-incidence area) are significantly lower than those in Weizheng and Jianglin (low-incidence areas), whereas the soil Pb content in Longjiang is significantly higher than that in Weizheng. The Nemerow pollution indices (PIN) of soils decrease in the order of Jianglin > Weizheng > Longjiang. The enrichment factor (EF) of Cd indicates that the Cd enrichment is contributed by human activities. Potential toxic metal-related ecological risk values decrease in the order of Jianglin > Weizheng > Longjiang. The mean hazard index (HI) value of Longjiang was lower than those of Weizheng and Jianglin. There are no adverse noncarcinogenic health effects of soil toxic metals to adults in the study areas. Carcinogenic risks of As and Cr via ingestion and dermal contact and total carcinogenic risk are within the warning range, from 10−6 to 10−4. Hence, we suggest that toxic metals in the soil may not be major geochemical carcinogenic factors of high NPC incidence in Sihui.

Download Full-text

Temporal and geographic analysis of trichinellosis incidence in Chile with risk assessment

Parasites & Vectors ◽

10.1186/s13071-021-04783-6 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Carlos Landaeta-Aqueveque ◽

Salvador Ayala ◽

Denis Poblete-Toledo ◽

Mauricio Canals

Keyword(s):

Relative Risk ◽

Poverty Rate ◽

Incidence Rates ◽

Temporal Data ◽

Rate Fluctuation ◽

High Incidence ◽

Domestic Cycle ◽

Model Residuals ◽

Free Ranging ◽

Spearman’S Correlation

AbstractTrichinellosis is a foodborne disease caused by several Trichinella species around the world. In Chile, the domestic cycle was fairly well-studied in previous decades, but has been neglected in recent years. The aims of this study were to analyze, geographically, the incidence of trichinellosis in Chile to assess the relative risk and to analyze the incidence rate fluctuation in the last decades. Using temporal data spanning 1964–2019, as well as geographical data from 2010 to 2019, the time series of cases was analyzed with ARIMA models to explore trends and periodicity. The Dickey-Fuller test was used to study trends, and the Portmanteau test was used to study white noise in the model residuals. The Besag-York-Mollie (BYM) model was used to create Bayesian maps of the level of risk relative to that expected by the overall population. The association of the relative risk with the number of farmed swine was assessed with Spearman’s correlation. The number of annual cases varied between 5 and 220 (mean: 65.13); the annual rate of reported cases varied between 0.03 and 1.9 cases per 105 inhabitants (mean: 0.53). The cases of trichinellosis in Chile showed a downward trend that has become more evident since the 1980s. No periodicities were detected via the autocorrelation function. Communes (the smallest geographical administrative subdivision) with high incidence rates and high relative risk were mostly observed in the Araucanía region. The relative risk of the commune was significantly associated with the number of farmed pigs and boar (Sus scrofa Linnaeus, 1758). The results allowed us to state that trichinellosis is not a (re)emerging disease in Chile, but the severe economic poverty rate of the Mapuche Indigenous peoples and the high number of backyard and free-ranging pigs seem to be associated with the high risk of trichinellosis in the Araucanía region.

Download Full-text

Accumulation of Potentially Toxic Metals in Egyptian Alluvial Soils, Berseem Clover (Trifolium alexandrinum L.), and Groundwater after Long-Term Wastewater Irrigation

Agriculture ◽

10.3390/agriculture11080713 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (8) ◽

pp. 713

Author(s):

Ahmed S. Abuzaid ◽

Hossam S. Jahin ◽

Amany A. Asaad ◽

Mohamed E. Fadl ◽

Mohamed A. E. AbdelRahman ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Toxic Metals ◽

Translocation Factor ◽

Wastewater Irrigation ◽

Alluvial Soils ◽

Trifolium Alexandrinum ◽

Potentially Toxic Metals ◽

Groundwater Samples ◽

Safe Limits ◽

Berseem Clover ◽

Irrigated Soils

The reduced availability of water resources in Egypt has imposed the need to intensify the use of wastewater for crop irrigation in the alluvial soils of anthropogenic origin. Relevant effects can derive from contents of potentially toxic metals (PTMs) in supply resources soils, crops, and groundwater in these areas. For this reason the PTM content has to be monitored to evaluate and minimize health hazards. Therefore, in this context, two areas of the SE Nile Delta subjected to 25 year of wastewater irrigation, using agricultural drainage water (ADW) and mixed wastewater (MWW) were chosen and compared with a nearby site irrigated with Nile freshwater (NFW). At each of the three sites, ten samples of irrigation water, topsoil, berseem clover (Trifolium alexandrinum L.) plants, and seven groundwater samples were collected and analyzed for Cr, Co, Cu, Pb, Ni, and Zn. Results indicate that the total contents of Co, Cu, Ni, and Zn in soils collected from the three sampling sites and Pb in the MWW-irrigated soils were higher than their average natural contents in the earth’s crust, indicating potential risks. The DTPA-extractable contents of Cu in the three sites, in addition to Pb and Zn in the MWW-irrigated soils, exceeded the safe limits. The MWW-irrigated soils showed a considerable degree of metal contamination, while the NFW- and ADW-irrigated soils showed moderate and low levels of contamination, respectively. The contents of the six PTMs in the three sites showed low individual ecological risks, except for Pb in the MWW-irrigated soils that showed a moderate risk; however, the overall ecological risk remained low in all samples. The values of Co, Cu, and Ni in berseem shoot in addition to Pb from the MWW-irrigated soils were over the maximum permissible levels for animal feeding. Values of root-to-shoot translocation factor were lower than 1.0 for Cr, Co and Ni but higher than 1.0 for Cu, Pb, and Zn. Berssem plant is a good candidate for phytofiltration of Cr, Co and Ni, while for extracting Cu, Pb and Zn from polluted soils. The groundwater samples collected from the three sampling sites showed lower metal concentrations than the safe limits for drinking standards. Further remediation studies should be taken into account to alleviate potential environmental and health-related risks when using supply resources different from freshwater.

Download Full-text