Association of blood heavy metal levels with osteocalcin abnormality and incidence of osteoporosis in Saudi subjects

Serum toxic metals have been implicated in development of many diseases. This study investigated the association between blood levels of lead and cadmium with abnormal bone mineral density (BMD) and incidence of osteoporosis. Sixty Saudi male adults age matching were assigned into two groups: A healthy control group (n = 30) and osteoporosis patients diagnosed according to T-score (n = 30). Serum calcium, vitamin D, osteocalcin, lead, cadmium were measured. Osteoporotic group showed a highly significant elevation of blood lead and cadmium levels compared to the control group (p <0.001). BMD was negatively correlated with serum osteocalcin level compared with control. There was a significant negative correlation between the cadmium and lead levels (r=-0.465 and p-value = 0.01) and calcium (p < 0.004). Our findings suggested that high cadmium and lead were negative correlated to BMD and increased the risk factor for osteoporosis.

The impact of cow dung augmentation on soil restoration and bio-accumulation of metals (Lead and Cadmium) in Pheretima posthuma (Annelida: Clitellata)

To investigate the role of cow dung in soil reclamation and bio assimilation along with bio accumulation of heavy metals in earthworm (P. posthuma) (N=900) earthworms were used and treatment groups of CD-soil mixture of different proportion of cow dung were designed. Nonlethal doses of lead acetate and cadmium chloride were added in treatment groups. Mature P. posthuma were released in each experimental pot maintaining the favorable conditions. The pH, carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, exchangeable cations, and heavy metal level of each mixture was evaluated. The results indicated that bio-assimilation of Pb and Cd by P. posthuma were significantly (P ˂ 0.01) higher in different soil-CD treatments compared to control. Highest bio-assimilation of both metals was observed in T1 of both groups (Pb = 563.8 mg/kg and Cd = 42.95 mg/kg). The contents of both metals were significantly (P ˂ 0.05) lowered in casting. The nutrient concentration in the final castings of all soil-CD treatments were also equally transformed from less or insoluble to more soluble and available for plants, except for carbon level which increased with CD proportion. It is concluded that cow dung as organic matter has a positive effect on soil reclamation and bio-assimilation of metals by P. posthuma.

Biosorption Potentials of Pleurotus tuber-regium (Fr.) Sing in Lead and Cadmium Polluted Soil

Background/Aim: The heavy metals, cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb), are often implicated as environmental pollutants. Therefore, the biosorption potential of Pleurotus tuber-regium in lead and cadmium polluted soil was investigated by this work. Methods: Four kilograms of each humus soil sample was weighed into eight different black nursery cellophane bags and polluted with 0.5 g, 1.0 g and 2.0 g of lead and cadmium in triplicate. Pleurotus sclerotia were then planted in these polluted soil samples, and distilled water was added ad libitum. Results: The results showed that the growth performance was dose-related in lead-polluted soil. The Pleurotus tuber regium mushroom in the lead-polluted soil samples indicated a dose-dependent absorbed lead concentration in the results. Cadmium-polluted soil samples did not support the growth of the Pleurotus tuber regium mushroom at the various concentrations of cadmium used after day 30. Therefore, the findings suggest that the Pleurotus tuber regium mushroom and its sclerotia have intrinsic properties for the absorption of lead and cadmium. Conclusion: The findings suggest that the Pleurotus tuber regium mushroom and its sclerotia have intrinsic properties for the absorption of lead and cadmium.

EFFECTS OF LEAD AND CADMIUM INTOXICATION ON ANTIOXIDANT STATUS OF BROILER CHICKENS AND ITS CORRECTION WITH SYNTHETIC PREPARATIONS

The authors present the results of a study of the effects of long-term (1.5 MPa) and short-term (5, 10 and 15 MPa) intoxication with heavy metals on the antioxidant status of broiler chickens. The authors found that the addition of increased concentrations of toxicants to the diet leads to their accumulation in poultry’s muscle, fat tissues, and skin. According to the study, lead content increases by 2.25 times, cadmium content increases by 6.5 times. Lipophilic compounds Tiofan and Tiofan M have the most pronounced detoxifying effect in chronic intoxication. Fantox 11-1 is the most pronounced detoxifying effect among hydrophilic compounds, which are inferior to lipophilic ones. Accumulation of heavy metals in the body led to a decrease in the antioxidant status of poultry. There was an acceleration of oxidative processes in long-term experimental toxicosis up to 3.10, up to 21.00 times in the short-term. The addition of 100 mg of lipophilic antioxidants per 1 kg of live weight to the diet with 7.5 mg of lead and 0.75 mg of cadmium per 1 kg of feed resulted in a decrease in the rate of oxidation reactions. The presence of lead and cadmium ions in the tissues of poultry caused a reduction of induction periods in the temperature-stabilized samples to 90 %. Enrichment of the diet with Thiophan and Fantox 11-1 increased this indicator up to 12.40 times. The hydrophilic antioxidant Fantox 11-1 dosage of 15 mg per 1 kg of live weight had a pronounced effect. Its introduction into the diet will correct the lack of endogenous antioxidants and increase the body’s antioxidant status under the influence of heavy metals.

Profile of Environmental Chemicals in the Korean Population—Results of the Korean National Environmental Health Survey (KoNEHS) Cycle 3, 2015–2017

The Korean National Environmental Health Survey (KoNEHS) program provides useful information on chemical exposure, serves as the basis for environmental health policies, and suggests appropriate measures to protect public health. Initiated on a three-year cycle in 2009, it reports the concentrations of major environmental chemicals among the representative Korean population. KoNEHS Cycle 3 introduced children and adolescents into the analysis, where the blood and urine samples of 6167 participants were measured for major metals, phthalates, phenolics, and other organic compounds. Lead, mercury, cadmium, metabolites of DEHP and DnBP, and 3-phenoxybenzoic acid levels of the Korean adult population tended to decrease compared to previous survey cycles but remained higher than those observed in the US or Canada. Both bisphenol A (BPA) and trans,trans-muconic acid concentrations have increased over time. Heavy metal concentrations (blood lead, and cadmium) in children and adolescents were approximately half that of adults, while some organic substances (e.g., phthalates and BPA) were high. BPA showed higher levels than in the US or Canada, whereas BPF and BPS showed lower detection rates in this cycle; however, as these are increasingly used as a substitute for BPA, further research is necessary. As environmental chemicals may affect childhood health and development, additional analyses should assess exposure sources and routes through continuous observations.

Lead and cadmium tolerance and accumulation of proanthocyanidin- deficient mutants of the fern Athyrium yokoscense

The fern Athyrium yokoscense often flourishes around mine sites in Japan and can tolerate and accumulate heavy metals such as lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd). In this work, we examined whether proanthocyanidins, also called condensed tannins, were involved in the mechanisms of Pb and Cd tolerance and accumulation of A. yokoscense because proanthocyanidins are known to alleviate metal stress in several plant species and are present at high levels in A. yokoscense. For this purpose, we used mutant gametophytes deficient in proanthocyanidins, in which the relative proanthocyanidin contents were 20% of those of the wild-type gametophytes. Although the proanthocyanidin contents of the mutant were quite low, the growth of the mutant was very similar to that of the wild-type gametophytes even in the presence of 80 mg/kg Pb or 48 mg/kg Cd. Under the same conditions, the mutant gametophytes also accumulated Pb and Cd as much as the wild-type gametophytes did. These results indicate that the proanthocyanidins in A. yokoscense are not important for the Pb and Cd tolerance and accumulation properties.

High Performance of UiO-66 Metal-Organic Framework Modified with Melamine for Uptaking of Lead and Cadmium from Aqueous Solutions

In this paper, UiO-66 metal-organic framework (MOF) was prepared by a hydrothermal method and modified consequently with melamine (MUiO-66), as so as enhance the adsorption properties of these materials in liquid-phase adsorption. With respect to this, the adsorption of lead and cadmium divalent ions was performed under varying conditions of pH, metal ion concentration, contact time, adsorbent dose and temperature. Morphology, texture properties, functional groups, crystallinity and thermal properties of both MOFs were examined. UiO-66 composed of sphere-like particles and covered by layers of melamine with enhancing in crystallinity and active sites as well as the total surface area increased from 1080 to 1160 m2/g. The modified UiO-66 with melamine (MUiO-66) showed a notable adsorption capacity of 177.5 and 146.6 mg/g for Pb and Cd (II) ions, respectively. Adsorption of both metals fitted well with the pseudo-second-order kinetic and Langmuir models and controlled by a physisorption mechanism at pH of 5. Also, adsorption process is an endothermic in nature and desorption is achieved well for three cycles by MUiO-66. Therefore, UiO-66 and MUiO-66 obtained in this work have a great promise in adsorption of heavy metals such as Pb and Cd(II) ions from wastewater.

Characterization and Assessment of Stormwater Runoff Quality from Automobile Workshops in Nigeria Using Multivariate Linear Regression

An investigation into the pollution of stormwater runoff from automobile workshops in Nigeria was performed. Also, multivariate regression was used to predict the pH, oil, and grease (O&G) as well as the electrical conductivity (EC) in relation to the characteristics of the solids and metals pollutants of the untreated automobile workshop stormwater. The results indicated that automobile workshops contributed notable amounts of pollutants to stormwater runoff. Results were compared with Nigerian and USEPA standards. It was found that most of the parameters had mean value ranges far greater than standard limits. The multivariate regression showed variations in the results obtained from different automobile workshops. These variations could be due to the influence of factors such as the volume of automobile servicing activities and the waste generated from these activities that flow in the stormwater runoff. However, the bulk of the EC and pH of the stormwater were associated with the concentrations of the total dissolved solids and copper while the bulk of the O&G concentration was associated with the concentrations of lead and cadmium. It is recommended to treat automobile workshop stormwater to prevent detrimental effects in aquatic systems. Future research is aimed at modeling such treatment using multivariate regression techniques is warranted.