Accumulation of Heavy Metals in Edible Organs of Different Meat Products Available in the Markets of Lahore, Pakistan

The present study assessed the accumulation of selected heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Pb and Cu) in different organs including brain, heart, lungs, liver, stomach, kidney and flesh (muscles) of several animals commercially available in the market of Lahore, Pakistan. The concentrations found in different organs of chicken, goat and cow ranged between 0.132-2.165 mg/g for Cd, 0.768-2.335 mg/g for Cr, 0.260-1.411 mg/g for Pb and 0.092-1.195 mg/g for Cu. In the absence of national safety standards in respect to the content of heavy metals in foodstuffs, the results obtained were compared with international guidelines and found concentrations considerably higher than the prescribed safe limits. Therefore, immediate attention must be paid to prevent public health risks associated with the presence of toxic heavy metals in the commercially available meat products.

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Human exposure to heavy metals and possible public health risks via consumption of wild edible mushrooms from Slovak Paradise National Park, Slovakia

Journal of Environmental Science and Health Part B ◽

10.1080/03601234.2015.1058107 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 50 (11) ◽

pp. 833-843 ◽

Cited By ~ 25

Author(s):

Július Árvay ◽

Ján Tomáš ◽

Martin Hauptvogl ◽

Peter Massányi ◽

ľuboš Harangozo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Heavy Metals ◽

Health Risks ◽

Human Exposure ◽

National Park ◽

Edible Mushrooms ◽

Wild Edible Mushrooms ◽

Public Health Risks

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Public Health Risks from Heavy Metals and Metalloids Present in Traditional Chinese Medicines

Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health Part A ◽

10.1080/15287390701434885 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 70 (19) ◽

pp. 1694-1699 ◽

Cited By ~ 63

Author(s):

Kelli Cooper ◽

Barry Noller ◽

Des Connell ◽

Jimmy Yu ◽

Ross Sadler ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Heavy Metals ◽

Health Risks ◽

Traditional Chinese Medicines ◽

Metals And Metalloids ◽

Chinese Medicines ◽

Public Health Risks ◽

Heavy Metals And Metalloids

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Designer Benzodiazepines: A Review of Toxicology and Public Health Risks

Pharmaceuticals ◽

10.3390/ph14060560 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (6) ◽

pp. 560

Author(s):

Pietro Brunetti ◽

Raffaele Giorgetti ◽

Adriano Tagliabracci ◽

Marilyn A. Huestis ◽

Francesco Paolo Busardò

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Adverse Events ◽

Health Risks ◽

Drug Market ◽

Driving Under The Influence ◽

Self Administration ◽

Public Health Risks ◽

Drug Offense ◽

Legal Sanctions ◽

Designer Benzodiazepines

The rising use of designer benzodiazepines (DBZD) is a cat-and-mouse game between organized crime and law enforcement. Non-prohibited benzodiazepines are introduced onto the global drug market and scheduled as rapidly as possible by international authorities. In response, DBZD are continuously modified to avoid legal sanctions and drug seizures and generally to increase the abuse potential of the DBZD. This results in an unpredictable fluctuation between the appearance and disappearance of DBZD in the illicit market. Thirty-one DBZD were considered for review after consulting the international early warning database, but only 3-hydroxyphenazepam, adinazolam, clonazolam, etizolam, deschloroetizolam, diclazepam, flualprazolam, flubromazepam, flubromazolam, meclonazepam, phenazepam and pyrazolam had sufficient data to contribute to this scoping review. A total of 49 reports describing 1 drug offense, 2 self-administration studies, 3 outpatient department admissions, 44 emergency department (ED) admissions, 63 driving under the influence of drugs (DUID) and 141 deaths reported between 2008 and 2021 are included in this study. Etizolam, flualprazolam flubromazolam and phenazepam were implicated in the majority of adverse-events, drug offenses and deaths. However, due to a general lack of knowledge of DBZD pharmacokinetics and toxicity, and due to a lack of validated analytical methods, total cases are much likely higher. Between 2019 and April 2020, DBZD were identified in 48% and 83% of postmortem and DUID cases reported to the UNODC, respectively, with flualprazolam, flubromazolam and etizolam as the most frequently detected substances. DBZD toxicology, public health risks and adverse events are reported.

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