Analysis and risk assessment of arsenic in the water sources of the cities Cuenca and Azogues, Ecuador

Arsenic (As) is a toxic element present in the environment posing a threat to consumers health. To identify the arsenic content in rivers, páramos, and wells in the city of Cuenca, and in rivers in the city of Azogues, two monitoring campaigns in the period August-November 2017 were conducted, respectively during a low and high flow hydrological period. The measurements encompassed physicochemical quality indicators such as pH, color, turbidity, and conductivity. Results show that the páramos and wells are free of As, while this toxic substance is present in surface water with higher levels in periods of high flow. A significant association between the concentration of As and the pH of river water was found. The risk of chronic toxicity from consumption is almost non-existent because the observed As levels exceed only exceptionally the permissible limit established by the Ecuadorian TULSMA (Unified Text of Secondary Environmental Legislation) regulation. The presence of As in surface water is the result of anthropological activities such as the use of pesticides. A permanent monitoring of the quality of water resources for human consumption is necessary, particularly in the rainy season, due to the diffuse and difficult to control pollution processes.

Factors Affecting the Aluminum, Arsenic, Cadmium and Lead Concentrations in the Knee Joint Structures

Background: Toxic elements, such as aluminum (Al), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), and lead (Pb), are persistent environmental pollutants that can cause adverse effects on the health of exposed individuals. Bone is one of the primary target organs of accumulation and potential damage from toxic elements.Objectives: This study was performed to determine the Al, As, Cd, and Pb concentrations in the femoral cancellous bone, femoral cartilage, anterior cruciate ligament, meniscus, tibial cartilage, tibial cancellous bone and infrapatellar fat pad. Furthermore, the aim of this study was to explore the relationships between toxic element concentrations and related factors such as gender, age, place of residence, hypertension and diabetes, and to determine the correlations among these toxic elements in knee joint structures.Methods: The samples used this study were collected from 51 patients following total knee arthroplasty. The Al, As, Cd, and Pb concentrations were determined using inductively coupled plasma optic emission spectrometry.Results: Significant differences were found in the Al, As, Cd, and Pb concentrations among the knee joint structures. Cd concentration in the tibial cancellous bone in women was significantly higher than in men. Pb concentration in the infrapatellar fat pad of urban patients was significantly higher as compared to rural patients. Al concentrations in the femoral cancellous bone, femoral cartilage, anterior cruciate ligament, meniscus and tibial cartilage were significantly higher in patients living in urban areas than in rural areas. As concentration in the tibial cancellous bone of diabetic patients was significantly higher compared to non-diabetic patients. In addition, significant Spearman's positive correlations were found between Al and Pb in the knee joint structures.Conclusion: The obtained results of the investigated toxic elements may serve as a basis for establishing the reference values of Al, As, Cd, and Pb in the knee joint structures. The results reported in the study provides novel data regarding the relationships between the toxic element concentrations and gender, age, place of residence, hypertension and diabetes in the studied structures of knee joint. Furthermore, new interactions among these toxic elements were noted.

Health Risk Assessment of Exposure to 15 Essential and Toxic Elements in Spanish Women of Reproductive Age: A Case Study

This case study investigates the exposure of 119 Spanish women of reproductive age to 5 essential (Co, Cu, Mn, V, Zn) and 10 toxic (Ba, Be, Cs, Ni, Pb, Pt, Sb, Th, Al, U) elements and assesses their risk. The essential elements (Co, Cu, Mn, V, and Zn) showed average concentrations (GM: geometric mean) of 0.8, 35, 0.5, 0.2, and 347 μg/L, respectively. Five of the toxic elements (Ba, Cs, Ni, Al, U) exhibited detection frequencies of 100%. The GM concentrations of the novel toxic elements were 12 μg/L (Al), 0.01 μg/L (Pt), 0.02 μg/L (U), 0.12 μg/L (Th), 0.009 μg/L (Be) and 4 μg/L (Cs). The urine analysis was combined with a survey to assess any variations between subgroups and potential predictors of exposure to elements in the female population. Significant differences were obtained between the rural and urban areas studied for the toxic element Cs, with higher levels found in mothers living in urban areas. In relation to diet, statistically significantly higher levels of essential (Cu) and toxic (Ba) elements were detected in women with a high consumption of fish, while mothers who consumed a large quantity of legumes presented higher levels of the toxic element Ni (p = 0.0134). In a risk-assessment context, hazard quotients (HQs) greater than 1 were only observed for the essential elements Zn and Cu in P95. No deficiency was found regarding the only essential element for which a biomonitoring equivalent for nutritional deficit is available (Zn). For the less-studied toxic elements (Al, Pt, U, Th, Be, and Cs), HQs were lower than 1, and thus, the health risk due to exposure to these elements is expected to be low for the female population under study.

Human health risk exposure and ecological risk assessment of potentially toxic element pollution in agricultural soils in the district of Frydek Mistek, Czech Republic: a sample location approach

Background Human activities considerably contribute to polluting potentially toxic element (PTEs) levels in soils, especially agricultural soils. The consistent introduction of PTEs in the environment and the soil pose health-related risks to humans, flora and fauna. One hundred and fifteen samples were collected in the district of Frydek Mistek (Czech Republic) in a regular grid form. The soil samples were air-dried, and the concentrations of PTEs (i.e. lead, arsenic, chromium, nickel, manganese, cadmium, copper, and zinc) were determined by ICP-OES (inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry). The purpose of this study is to create digitized soil maps that expose the human-related health risks posed by PTEs, estimate pollution indices, ascertain the spatially distributed patterns of PTEs, source apportionment and quantify carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health risks using the sample location approach. Results The results revealed that the pollution assessment of the soils in the study area using diverse pollution assessment indexes (pollution index, pollution load index, ecological risk and risk index), based on the application of the local background value and the European average value, displayed a range of pollution levels due to differences in the threshold limits from differing geochemical background levels. The principal components analysis and positive matrix factorization, respectively, identified the sources of pollution and the distribution of PTE sources. Mapping the health index and total carcinogenic risk highlighted hotspots of areas within the study area that require immediate remediation. The self-organizing map (SeOM) revealed a diversified colour pattern for the factor scores. A single neuron exhibited a high hotspot in all factor loadings on different blocks of neurons. Children’s CDItotal (Chronic Daily Intake total) values for non-carcinogenic risk and carcinogenic risk were found to be greater than adults’, as were their HQ (hazard quotients) and CR (carcinogenic risk) values. According to the health index of non-carcinogenic risk, 6.1% of the study area sampled posed a potential risk to children rather than adults. Corresponding to the sampled pointwise health risk assessment, 13.05% of the sampled locations are carcinogenic to children. The estimated health risk in the agricultural soil was high, with both carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks that could threaten persons living in the study area, particularly children. Conclusion In general, the continuous application of agriculturally related inputs such as phosphate fertilizers and other anthropogenic activities (e.g., steel industry) can increase the level of PTEs in soils. The use of mean, maximum, and minimum values in health risk estimation does not provide a comprehensive picture of a research area’s health state. This study recommends using a sampled pointwise or location health risks assessment approach, which allows researchers to identify high-risk environments that exceeds the recommended threshold as well as areas on the verge of becoming high risk, allowing for rapid remedial action.

Food’s Waste Water Biosolid Assessment against Toxic Element Absorbability of Food’s Cropping Soil Plant by Dominance Theory

The blending of the Food’s Waste Water Biosolid (FWWB) fertilizer with Food’s Cropping Soil (FsCS) results the absorption of the toxic macromicroorganisms from FsCS (is known as absorbability index). It is observed that such as blending not only increase the fertility and productivity of FsCS by neutralizing or absorbing the macromicroorganisms but also catering the necessary nutrition to plants. The authors sensed that a few research works are conducted recently in the dimension of evaluating the best FWWB among available FWWBs under O -(objective) FWWB’s parameter models. On potential analysis of published research works, the authors claimed that there is yet no research document, which can evaluate the best FWWB among available FWWBs or assess the best absorbability index of O -(objective) as well as S -(subjective) FWWB’s model corresponding to evaluated FWWBs or alternative points. It is accepted as a first research challenge. On extensive review, the authors determined that published FWWB’s parameter models are simulated by only single or nondynamic multivariable optimization techniques, which is accepted as a second research challenge. To address both research challenges, preliminary, the authors developed and proposed FWWB’s parameter model, consisted of physical, chemical, and biological parameters corresponding to O and S in nature via auditing a real case of FWWB alternative points such as Narendr Rice Mill- P 1 , Liese Mahamaya Rice Mill- P 2 , Vijay Rice Mill- P 3 , Mahim Rice Mill- P 4 , and Dhansingh Rice Mill- P 5 and their characteristics vs. parameters. Next, the authors framed the FWWB parameter model by acquiring O and S information against O -physical, chemical, and S -biological parameters corresponding to FWWB alternative points. To evaluate the results, the authors applied the robust multiparameter optimization “RMPO” (crisp VIKOR “VIseKriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje” and FMF “Full Multiplicative Form technique with dominance theory”) approach on defuzzified S -data and O -data to evaluate the best FWWB point among available based on absorbability index assessment. The results are described in summary part.

Toxic element distribution analysis in tailing technozems of the lead-zinc deposits in Eastern Transbaikalia

An analysis of chemical element distribution in technozems of tailing dumps of the lead-zinc deposits of Eastern Transbaikalia is carried out. The potential toxicity of tailing mine technozems was calculated. A comparative analysis of the toxic element concentrations in the technozems of the lead-zinc deposit tailing dumps has revealed significant differences in the concentrations of toxic elements. It was found that the highest concentrations of toxic elements of the first class of hazard (As, Pb, Zn, and Cd) are characterized by the technozems of the Blagodatsky Deposit, while the lowest concentrations by those of the Khapcheranginsky Deposit. It has been established that the greatest ecological hazard is posed by the tailing dump of the Blagodatsky lead-zinc deposit, whereas a significantly smaller one by tailing dumps of the Khapcheranginsky and Novo-Shirokinsky deposits.