1
|
Dai L, Deng L, Wang W, Li Y, Wang L, Liang T, Liao X, Cho J, Sonne C, Shiung Lam S, Rinklebe J. Potentially toxic elements in human scalp hair around China's largest polymetallic rare earth ore mining and smelting area. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2023; 172:107775. [PMID: 36739854 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2023.107775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Revised: 01/02/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
There is a growing concern about human health of residents living in areas where mining and smelting occur. In order to understand the exposure to the potentially toxic elements (PTEs), we here identify and examine the cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) in scalp hair of residents living in the mining area (Bayan Obo, n = 76), smelting area (Baotou, n = 57) and a reference area (Hohhot, n = 61). In total, 194 hair samples were collected from the volunteers (men = 87, women = 107) aged 5-77 years old in the three areas. Comparing median PTEs levels between the young and adults, Ni levels were significantly higher in adults living in the smelting area while Cr was highest in adults from the mining area, no significant difference was found for any of the elements in the reference area. From the linear regression model, no significant relationship between PTEs concentration, log10(PTEs), and age was found. The concentrations of Ni, Cd, and Pb in hair were significantly lower in the reference area when compared to both mining and smelting areas. In addition, Cu was significantly higher in the mining area when compared to the smelting area. Factor analysis (FA) indicated that men and women from the smelting area (Baotou) and mining area (Bayan Obo), respectively, had different underlying communality of log10(PTEs), suggesting different sources of these PTEs. Multiple factor analysis quantilized the importance of gender and location when combined with PTEs levels in human hair. The results of this study indicate that people living in mining and/or smelting areas have significantly higher PTEs (Cu, Ni, Cd, and Pb) hair levels compared to reference areas, which may cause adverse health effects. Remediation should therefore be implemented to improve the health of local residents in the mining and smelting areas.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lijun Dai
- Key Laboratory of Land Surface Pattern and Simulation, Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Li Deng
- Ecological Environment Planning and Environmental Protection Technology Center of Qinghai Province, Xining 810007, China
| | - Weili Wang
- Key Laboratory of Global Change and Marine Atmospheric Chemistry, Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - You Li
- Key Laboratory of Land Surface Pattern and Simulation, Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Lingqing Wang
- Key Laboratory of Land Surface Pattern and Simulation, Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Ecological Environment Planning and Environmental Protection Technology Center of Qinghai Province, Xining 810007, China; University of Wuppertal, School of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Institute of Foundation Engineering, Water- and Waste-Management, Soil- and Groundwater-Management, Pauluskirchstraße 7, 42285 Wuppertal, Germany.
| | - Tao Liang
- Key Laboratory of Land Surface Pattern and Simulation, Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Xiaoyong Liao
- Key Laboratory of Land Surface Pattern and Simulation, Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Jinwoo Cho
- Department of Environment, Department of Environment and Energy, Sejong University, Seoul 05006, Republic of Korea
| | - Christian Sonne
- Department of Ecoscience, Arctic Research Centre (ARC), Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, PO Box 358, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark; Sustainability Cluster, School of Engineering, University of Petroleum & Energy Studies, Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248007, India
| | - Su Shiung Lam
- Higher Institution Centre of Excellence (HICoE), Institute of Tropical Aquaculture and Fisheries (AKUATROP), Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia; Center for Transdisciplinary Research, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai, India; University Centre for Research and Development, Department of Chemistry, Chandigarh University, Gharuan, Mohali, Punjab, India
| | - Jörg Rinklebe
- University of Wuppertal, School of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Institute of Foundation Engineering, Water- and Waste-Management, Soil- and Groundwater-Management, Pauluskirchstraße 7, 42285 Wuppertal, Germany; Department of Environment, Department of Environment and Energy, Sejong University, Seoul 05006, Republic of Korea
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
E T, D V, G D. Gender as a key factor in trace metal and metalloid content of human scalp hair. A multi-site study. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2016; 573:996-1002. [PMID: 27607902 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.08.178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2016] [Revised: 08/25/2016] [Accepted: 08/26/2016] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
This multi-site study discusses the content of metals and metalloids (MM) in scalp hair of children, living in different environmental contexts, with the purpose of verifying if hair level of some MM is distinctively gender-specific. A total of 943 hair samples (537 females and 406 males) from adolescents were analyzed for their content of Al, As, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Li, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Rb, Sb, Se, Sr, U, V and Zn. Elemental quantification was performed by ICP-MS. The obtained data identified different metal distributions in adolescent girls which exhibited significantly higher hair concentrations of some trace metals, especially Sr, Zn and Ni, than boys. On the base of the median value, hair of female donors contained 3.8 times more Sr (6.6μg/g) than males (1.7μg/g). Highest concentrations of Zn in females were observed in samples from the mining area of Sardinia (587μg/g). Nickel showed significant differences resulting 2.5-fold higher in female hair. Regardless of the residence site, these elements resulted always significantly different (at p<0.01) between female and male indicating that gender is a confounding factor that has to be more extensively considered for a correct interpretation of metal profiles in human hair.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tamburo E
- Dip. Scienze della Terra e del Mare (DiSTeM), via Archirafi 22, 90123, Palermo, Italy.
| | - Varrica D
- Dip. Scienze della Terra e del Mare (DiSTeM), via Archirafi 22, 90123, Palermo, Italy
| | - Dongarrà G
- Dip. Scienze della Terra e del Mare (DiSTeM), via Archirafi 22, 90123, Palermo, Italy
| |
Collapse
|