Evaluation of Health Risk from Concentrations of Heavy Metal in PM-10 and PM-2.5 particles at Sasang Industrial Complex of Busan, Korea

We investigated the distribution of hazardous heavy metals (As, Cr6+, Ni, Cd, Pb, and Mn) and estimated the health risk related to the heavy metals in fine dust (PM-10 and PM-2.5) of Sasang industrial complex, Busan, Korea. The concentration of fine dust in the industrial complex was 1.2 times higher than in a residential area, while harmful heavy metals showed a difference of at least 1.3 times (Cd) and up to 6.5 times (Ni). The concentration of fine dust and carcinogenic heavy metals in the industrial complex increased significantly compared to the residential area in spring (March to May) and winter (December to February) months. A risk assessment was performed using Monte-Carlo simulations containing a four-step procedure. During hazard identification, As, Cr6+ Ni, Cd, and Pb were categorized as human carcinogens and probable human carcinogens and evaluated for their levels of excess cancer risk. For concentrations of over 90% Cr6+ and As, the excess cancer risk was over 10-5 (1 person per 100,000). The non-cancer hazard index of As, Cr6+, Cd, and Mn was below the limit value of 1.

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Costal Sediments and Indian Halibuts of Asaluyeh, Kangan, Khark, Emam Hasan and Bushehr Coasts, Iran: Distribution Pattern and Health Risk Assessment

A total 20 sediment and 20 Indian halibut samples were sampled from Asaluyeh, Kangan, Khark, Emam Hasan and Bushehr coast, Bushehr province, Iran for studying distribution and health risk assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). PAHs were analyzed using HPLC. The mean ƩPAHs concentrations in sediment and Indian halibut samples were 6.894 ± 1.4301 and 14.807 ± 7.486 mg/kg, respectively. There was a significant positive relationship (P < 0.05) between ƩPAHs, 2–3 ring compounds, and 4 ring compounds in the sediments and Indian halibut samples. ƩPAHs concentration in sediments and Indian halibuts was higher in Asaluyeh area followed by Khark area. The values of PAHs pollution in the Bushehr province coastline were low to very high. The toxic equivalent quotient (TEQ), excess cancer risk (ECR), and the incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) were applied for health risk assessment. Based on TEQ calculation, DA was a good marker in assessing PAHs related to health risk. DDI values for ∑PAHs and ∑CPAHs (carcinogenic PAHs) were also highest in Asaluyeh and Kangan, respectively. ILCR values for sediments in 10% of all stations and cumulative ECR values for Indian halibuts in all studied areas exceeded the USEPA acceptable level thus suggesting a potential cancer risk. Thus, regular monitoring of PAHs pollutants in the coastlines of Bushehr province is recommended.

Distribution, Source Appropriation, and Human Health Risk Assessment of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons due to Consumption of Callinectes amnicola from Woji Creek in Sambreiro River

Crabs (Callinectes amnicola) and surface water sampled from the Sambreiro River, Rivers State of Nigeria, were analyzed for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons concentrations for four months (December (2019), January, February, and March (2020)). Excess cancer risk due to ingestion of the crabs was assessed for individuals of the age groups: 3 to < 6 years, 16 to < 21 years, 21 to < 50 years, and ≥ 50 years. Although concentrations in surface water (ΣPAH16 = 0.125±011 mg/L) were lower than in the previous study, results obtained revealed considerably higher concentrations of aromatic hydrocarbons in crab tissues (ΣPAH16=10.659±2.399 mg/kg). Hepatopancreas (ΣPAH16=6.590±0.266 mg/kg) accumulated the highest concentration of hydrocarbons followed by the gills (ΣPAH16=2.349±0.029 mg/kg), then the muscles (ΣPAH16=1.720±0.320 mg/kg). Source appropriation results revealed a combination of the petrogenic and pyrogenic contribution of hydrocarbons in the crab tissues. The trend for the toxicity equivalent quotient was hepatopancreas > muscles > gills; while the excess cancer risk exceeded for all age groups, suggesting that humans are at risk of cancer arising from the ingestion of crab species from this study location.

Micronutrients in Preventing Cancer: A Critical Review of Research

About 30–40 percent of all cancers can be prevented by adopting a proper lifestyle and dietary measures. Obesity, sugars and refined flour products that contribute to impaired glucose metabolism (which leads to diabetes), low fiber intake, consumption of red meat, and imbalance of omega 3 and omega 6 fats all contribute to excess cancer risk. However, intake of flaxseed, especially its lignan fraction, and abundant portions of fruits and vegetables will lower cancer risk. Garlic, which contains Allium, cruciferous vegetables, and broccoli sprouts being the richest source of sulforophane, are especially beneficial, for cancer prevention. Protective elements in a cancer prevention diet include all the micronutrients, such as, selenium, folic acid, vitamin B-12, vitamin D, chlorophyll, and antioxidants such as the carotenoids (α-carotene, β-carotene, lycopene, lutein, cryptoxanthin). Further, Ascorbic acid has limited benefits orally, but could be very beneficial intravenously. Supplementary use of oral digesti e enzymes and probiotics also has merit as anticancer dietary products. When a diet is compiled according to the proper guidelines, there would be at least a 60–70 percent decrease in breast cancers, colorectal cancers, and prostate cancers, and even a 40–50 percent decrease in lung cancer, along with similar reductions in cancers at other sites. Such a diet would be conducive in preventing cancer and would favor recovery from cancer as well.

CT DOSIMETRY FOR THE AUSTRALIAN COHORT DATA LINKAGE STUDY

Children undergoing computed tomography (CT) scans have an increased risk of cancer in subsequent years, but it is unclear how much of the excess risk is due to reverse causation bias or confounding, rather than to causal effects of ionising radiation. An examination of the relationship between excess cancer risk and organ dose can help to resolve these uncertainties. Accordingly, we have estimated doses to 33 different organs arising from over 900 000 CT scans between 1985 and 2005 in our previously described cohort of almost 12 million Australians aged 0–19 years. We used a multi-tiered approach, starting with Medicare billing details for government-funded scans. We reconstructed technical parameters from national surveys, clinical protocols, regulator databases and peer-reviewed literature to estimate almost 28 000 000 individual organ doses. Doses were age-dependent and tended to decrease over time due to technological improvements and optimisation.

Radiological and chemical risk assessment from uranium concentrations in groundwater samples collected from Al-Kufa area, Iraq

In nature, uranium is composed of three isotopes, 238U, 235U, and 234U. Emitting alpha particles leads to radionuclides decay. The aim of this work is to set up a database for uranium concentrations in groundwater samples collected from Kufa city, Al-Najaf governorate, Iraq. Twenty four samples have been examined for detecting the presence of uranium levels using a CR-39 detector. The measured uranium concentrations were used to determine uranium isotopes with their ingested radiological toxicity risk (annual effective dose of uranium isotopes and excess cancer risk) and chemical toxicity risk (lifetime average daily dose and hazard quotient) from consumption of the water samples in the present study. The results show that the average value of uranium concentrations, uranium isotopes 238U, 235U, and 234U (1.20 ± 0.04) μg/L, (1.48 ± 0.06) Bq/L, (0.069 ± 0.002) Bq/L and (1.49 ± 0.06) Bq/L respectively. Also, it is concluded that the total average annual effective dose and excess cancer risk in all regions under study were (0.10 ± 0.004) mSv/y and (0.31 ± 0.013) × 10−3 respectively. Moreover, the average value lifetime average daily dose, and hazard quotient was 0.0389 ± 0.0016 μg/kg.day and 0.0649 ± 0.0026 respectively. All results of radiological and chemical risk assessment from uranium concentrations in groundwater samples collected from the Al-Kufa area when used as drinking water were within the global limitations of the organization International Commission on Radiological Protection (1.9 μg/L; 1 mSv/y and 0.18 mSv/y) and World Health Organization recommended (0.6 μg/kg/day). Finally, it can be concluded that uranium concentrations do not affect human health according to radiation contents.

Prediction of Potential Offsite TEDE, Excess Cancer Risk, Dominant Exposure Pathways and Activity Concentration for Hypothetical Onsite Soil Contamination At the Proposed Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant

The present study evaluates the potential offsite radiological hazards by calculating Total Effective Dose Equivalent (TEDE) & Excess Cancer Risk if onsite soil contamination occurs at the proposed Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (RNPP) site, Bangladesh. The assessment was perform assuming a hypothetical soil contamination associated with Fukushima Nuclear disaster with the help of the RESRAD (Residual Radioactivity) OFFSITE computer program developed by Argonne National Laboratory, USA. Six radionuclides namely Cs-134, Cs-136, Cs-137, La-140, Te-129m and Sr-90 has been considered. The maximum TEDE was found to be approximately 2.8 mSv/yr and the maximum total excess cancer risk was found to be 3.25×10-3. The number of dominant exposure pathways and maximum contributor pathways and duration of dominance of different nuclides has been identified. Ingestion of fish is identified as the principal pathway to both TEDE and excess cancer risk. Time variation of activity concentration and dose/source ratio has also been studied.

Can body size explain the excess cancer risk in men?

e13593 Background: Men are at increased risk of a majority of malignancies affecting both sexes. Since tall stature is associated with elevated cancer risk and since men are taller than women, we decided to investigate to what extent body stature, as a proxy for stem cell number within tissue, can explain the excess cancer risk in men. Methods: We performed a population-based cohort study investigating the association between male sex and cancer, accounting for body height. The analyses included all Swedish men and women with an adult height registration in either the Swedish Passport Register, the Conscription Register, and/or the Medical Birth Register (n = 6,156,659). Height data was linked to the Swedish Cancer Register where we observed 285,778 non-sex-specific cancer cases, diagnosed in 1960-2012. We applied contemporary causal mediation analysis methodology to assess the relative effect of male sex on lifetime cancer risk mediated by body height. Results: A vast majority of the investigated cancer sites were significantly associated with male sex (33 of 39) and height (27 of 39). The proportion of the excess cancer risk in men explained by sex differences in body height ranged from 0.5% (laryngeal) to 100% (salivary glands, colon, melanoma, and AML). The effect of body height and the mediated effect through height on cancer risk was most consistent and pronounced in malignancies with weak, few, or no known risk factors. Conclusions: A large proportion of the excess cancer risk in men is explainable by height. There is no known, height-associated cancer risk factor strong enough to provide an alternative pathway. Our findings supports the notion that a substantial proportion of cancer cases arise stochastically rather than are caused by underlying hereditary and/or environmental factors.