Chromium in Postmortem Material

A review on chromium health hazards and molecular mechanism of chromium bioremediation

Living beings have been devastated by environmental pollution, which has reached its peak. The disastrous pollution of the environment is in large part due to industrial wastes containing toxic pollutants. The widespread use of chromium (Cr (III)/Cr (VI)) in industries, especially tanneries, makes it one of the most dangerous environmental pollutants. Chromium pollution is widespread due to ineffective treatment methods. Bioremediation of chromium (Cr) using bacteria is very thoughtful due to its eco-friendly and cost-effective outcome. In order to counter chromium toxicity, bacteria have numerous mechanisms, such as the ability to absorb, reduce, efflux, or accumulate the metal. In this review article, we focused on chromium toxicity on human and environmental health as well as its bioremediation mechanism.

Mercury Content in Impacted Wisdom Teeth from Patients of the Legnica-Głogów Copper Area-An In Vitro Pilot Study

The aim of this study was to determine the content of mercury in impacted third molars from Legnica-Głogów Copper Area residents to emphasize the effects of environmental pollution on the human body. A group of 72 patients with an average age of 27.3 ± 6.9 years participated in the study. Within this study, the research group (Legnica-Głogów Copper Area residents) comprised 51 individuals, while the control group (residents of Wrocław) consisted of 21 participants. A higher number of female individuals participated in the research (55). The amount of mercury present in the samples was determined through atomic absorption spectrometry with the use of a SpectraAA atomic absorption spectrometer and a V2 AA240FS flame attachment that utilized an air-acetylene flame. The accumulation of Hg in the teeth of members of the control group residing in Wrocław was studied, with a focus on identifying the risk factors that contribute to this phenomenon. The final model analyzed the presence of various factors, including thyroid and parathyroid gland diseases, cardiac diseases, and interval-scale Vit. D3 concentration. Among these factors, the presence of cardiac diseases was deemed statistically significant in relation to an increase in Hg concentration in third molars (rate ratio = 2.27, p < 0.0001). The concentration of mercury increased with the age and time of residence in the L-G Copper District.

Nickel Content in Human Internal Organs

With the growing interest in new applications of metals in modern technologies, an increase in their concentration in the environment can be observed, which, in consequence, may constitute a hazard to human health. That is why it is of a great importance to establish "reference" levels of particular elements (essential or toxic) in human biological samples.The aim of this paper was to determine nickel in autopsy tissues of non-occupationally exposed subjects in Southern Poland (n = 60). Measurements were performed by means of electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry after microwave-assisted acid digestion according to previously optimized and validated procedure. The results obtained indicate that data cover the wide range of concentrations and generally are consistent with other published findings. Nickel levels in the brain, stomach, liver, kidneys, lungs and heart (wet weight) were between 2.15-79.4 ng/g, 0.5-44.2 ng/g,7.85-519 ng/g, 12.8-725 ng/g, 8.47-333 ng/g and 2.3-97.7 ng/g, respectively. Females had generally lower levels of nickel in tissues than males (statistically significant relationships were found for the liver, kidneys and lungs), and median nickel concentrations in all studied material within all age groups had very similar values, with the exception of stomach.

Renal bioaccumulation of trace elements in urban and rural Sri Lankan populations: A preliminary study based on post mortem tissue analysis

INTRODUCTION

Environmental pollution, especially by toxic trace elements, is a global health concern. Heavy metals such as Cadmium (Cd), Arsenic (As) and Lead (Pb) are associated with numerous disorders and are considered by some as an aetiological factor for the Chronic Kidney Disease (CKDu1) epidemic in Sri Lanka. This study explores patterns of bioaccumulation of six trace elements in kidneys obtained during forensic autopsies from urban and rural regions in Sri Lanka.

METHODS

Kidney samples obtained from one urban district (n = 13) and three rural districts (n = 18) were lyophilized, microwave digested and profiled by ICP-MS techniques.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The mean age of the sampled population was 47.9 ± 11.3 yrs. Median (IQR) for Cd, As, Pb, Cr, Zn and Se were, 14.67(8.04-22.47) μg/g, 0.44(0.29-0.56) μg/g, 0.11(0.07-0.30) μg/g, 0.15(0.1096-0.3274), 25.55(17.24-39.35) μg/g and 0.52(0.37-0.84) μg/g, respectively. Cd, Zn and Se levels were significantly higher (p < 0.05) among the urban samples compared to that of the rural group. Zn and Se levels were higher among younger age groups. As, Pb and Cr did not show any significant differences between the two cohorts nor any correlations with age.

CONCLUSION

This population-specific baseline study provides an insight into the differences in exposure to toxic trace elements and essential elements between urban and rural populations. Residents in CKDu affected rural districts did not appear to be at risk of toxic heavy metal exposure, however their renal bioaccumulation of nephroprotective essential elements was lower than urban residents.

Biomonitoring of Trace Elements in Subjects Living Near a Hazardous Waste Incinerator: Concentrations in Autopsy Tissues

The only hazardous waste incinerator (HWI) in Spain started to operate in 1999. Twenty years later, the levels of 11 trace elements (As, Be, Cd, Cr, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sn, Tl and V) were analyzed in five different autopsy tissues (kidney, liver, brain, bone and lung) from 20 individuals who had been living near the facility. In 2019, As, Be, Tl and V were not detected in any of the analyzed tissues, while Hg could be only quantified in very few samples. The highest levels of Cd and Pb were found in kidney and bone, respectively, while those of Mn were observed in liver and kidney. In turn, the mean concentrations of Cr and Sn were very similar in all tissues. A consistent temporal trend (1998-2019) was only found for Cr and Pb. On the one hand, the mean Cr concentrations in kidney and bone have increased progressively since 1998. In contrast, the mean levels of Pb decreased significantly over time, probably due to ban of Pb as gasoline additive. The data global analysis indicates that the emissions of trace elements by the HWI have not increased the exposure and/or accumulation of these elements in individuals living near the facility.