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

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.

Speciation and Bioaccessibility of Arsenic in Rice and Its Implication in Risk Assessment

Numerous studies have studied the health risk assessment of human exposure to As or bioaccessible As via rice intake, however, the bioaccessibility of different As species in rice is seldom reported. In the present study, 31 rice samples were collected from markets or individual growers to investigate the speciation and bioaccessibility of As. Five different species (AsⅢ, AsV, DMA, MMA and AsB) were detected in rice samples from different regions, among which AsⅢ accounted for the largest proportion (62.95% in average), followed by DMA and AsV. In addition, the cooking method could facilitate the release of As from rice into gastric and intestinal juice, and subsequently increase the bioaccessibility of As. The bioaccessibility of inorganic As in cooked rice ranged from 71.83% to 100%, and that of organic As ranged from 31.69% to 61.04%. Non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risk assessment of children and adults exposure to As via rice intake considering the bioaccessibility of cooked rice was carried out. The hazard quotient (HQ) of iAs and total As for children ranged from 0.21 to 1.61 and 0.48 to 2.26, respectively, while those for adults ranged from 0.12 to 0.88 and 0.26 to 1.23, respectively. Incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) for children and adults ranged from 9.57 × 10-5 to 7.25 × 10-4 and 5.21 × 10-5 to 3.95 × 10-4, respectively. The results of risk assessment indicated that children would face a higher health risk than adults when they took the same type of rice as their staple food.

Gaseous Pollutants From A Small-Scale Aerobic Biological Treatment Facility: Odor And Carcinogenic Risk Assessment

BACKGROUND: Biological treatment technology is good for the recovery of resources and energy from municipal solid waste (MSW) and cutting down biodegradable components in landfill waste. Recently, the aerobic biological treatment of MSW has increased in rural areas of China. These facilities are usually open setup and closed to nearby residents, and complaints tend to be received regarding odorous gases. A semi-in-vessel setup facility was occured in recent years, and its impact on the environment and personnel is not clear.RESULTS: Ammonia was the predominant compound released from the windrow and its concentration was one order of magnitude higher than those of other compounds. Terpenes and reduced sulfur compounds (RSCs) persisted throughout the entire active fermentation process, with only slight decreases. The biofilter pool had a greater odor impact on the surrounding neighborhood than the waste unloading and sorting operation. The concentrations of most compounds were reduced by the biofilter pool. Ten major substances that caused odors at the periphery of the facility were analyzed, where most comprised RSCs. The odor impact of the facility was low but it was associated with a carcinogenic risk to the operators, thereby indicating the need to improve personal protection.Conclusions: Large amounts of ammonia and volatile organic compounds were released from the composting units, but they had a low odor impact on the environment because of the semi-in-vessel setup. The odor impact of the facility was low but it was associated with a carcinogenic risk to the operators. This technology can be popularized in rural areas.

Micro and Macroelements in Honey and Atmospheric Pollution (NW and Central Poland)

Urban vegetation is generally exposed to high levels of air pollution in airborne particles, with the greatest exposure in the EU being seen in Poland. With the continuing growth of urban populations, there is a need to confirm whether honey produced from urban areas is of similar high quality to that from rural areas. A total of 27 honey samples were collected from urban and rural apiaries and tested for the concentrations of 19 elements by ICP-OES. The results were compared with data on honey produced in old and new EU countries (metadata). Our evaluation used a novel approach to determine threshold values in the identification of the bioproduct contamination index. The analysed urban honey samples demonstrated higher concentrations of K, Sr, Ba, Ni, and Co, and lower levels of Mn and B than rural honey samples. Contamination by PM10 particles and the toxic elements contained in them proved to be a poor predictor of the content of these elements in honey, in contrast to the effect of atmospheric pollution measured during firework shows, which demonstrated higher concentrations of Ba, Pb, Ca, Cu, and Mg. The non-carcinogenic risk assessment indicated that the analysed honey samples are of good quality and are comparable or of even better quality than honey products from other EU countries.