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Song S, Huang T, Xu Y, Ling Z, Gou L, Mao X, Zhao Y, Chen K, Liu Y, Wei Z, Wang J, Gao H, Ma J. Tracking and optimizing toxic chemical exposure pathways through food trade: A case study in SCCPs contaminated seafood in China. PNAS NEXUS 2024; 3:pgae205. [PMID: 38846777 PMCID: PMC11154648 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgae205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2024] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024]
Abstract
Food safety is related to human health and sustainable development. International food trade poses food safety risks through the collateral transport of toxic chemicals that are detrimental to human health. Domestic interprovincial trade has similar effects within countries but has not been comprehensively investigated previously. Here, we assessed the effects of interprovincial trade on food safety and human dietary exposure to short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs), a group of emerging persistent toxic chemicals, in seafood across China by synthesizing data from field observation and various models. Our findings indicate that there is a higher level of SCCPs exposure risk in coastal provinces compared to inland provinces. Approximately, 70.3% of human exposure to SCCPs through seafood consumption in China was embodied in the interprovincial seafood trade in 2021. Specifically, the domestic trade led to a remarkable increase in SCCPs exposure in the coastal provinces in South China, attributable to low SCCPs pollution in these provinces and imported seafood from those provinces with high SCCPs pollution. In contrast, human exposure to SCCPs decreased in those coastal provinces in East China due to importing seafood from those provinces with low SCCPs concentrations. The interprovincial seafood trade routes were optimized by linear programming to minimize human exposure to SCCPs considering both shipping cost and health risk constraints. The optimized trade routes reduced the national per capita SCCPs exposure through seafood consumption by over 12%. This study highlights the importance of interprovincial food trade in the risk assessment of toxic chemicals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shijie Song
- Key Laboratory for Environmental Pollution Prediction and Control, Gansu Province, Key Laboratory of Western China's Environmental Systems (Ministry of Education), College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China
| | - Tao Huang
- Key Laboratory for Environmental Pollution Prediction and Control, Gansu Province, Key Laboratory of Western China's Environmental Systems (Ministry of Education), College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China
| | - Yuting Xu
- Key Laboratory for Environmental Pollution Prediction and Control, Gansu Province, Key Laboratory of Western China's Environmental Systems (Ministry of Education), College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China
| | - Zaili Ling
- College of Agricultural and Forestry Economics & Management, Lanzhou University of Finance and Economics, Lanzhou 730101, P. R. China
| | - Ling Gou
- Key Laboratory for Environmental Pollution Prediction and Control, Gansu Province, Key Laboratory of Western China's Environmental Systems (Ministry of Education), College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China
| | - Xiaoxuan Mao
- Key Laboratory for Environmental Pollution Prediction and Control, Gansu Province, Key Laboratory of Western China's Environmental Systems (Ministry of Education), College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China
| | - Yuan Zhao
- Key Laboratory for Environmental Pollution Prediction and Control, Gansu Province, Key Laboratory of Western China's Environmental Systems (Ministry of Education), College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China
| | - Kaijie Chen
- Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, P. R. China
| | - Yao Liu
- Key Laboratory for Environmental Pollution Prediction and Control, Gansu Province, Key Laboratory of Western China's Environmental Systems (Ministry of Education), College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China
| | - Zijian Wei
- Key Laboratory for Environmental Pollution Prediction and Control, Gansu Province, Key Laboratory of Western China's Environmental Systems (Ministry of Education), College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China
| | - Jiaxin Wang
- Key Laboratory for Environmental Pollution Prediction and Control, Gansu Province, Key Laboratory of Western China's Environmental Systems (Ministry of Education), College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China
| | - Hong Gao
- Key Laboratory for Environmental Pollution Prediction and Control, Gansu Province, Key Laboratory of Western China's Environmental Systems (Ministry of Education), College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China
| | - Jianmin Ma
- Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, P. R. China
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Li Y, Zhong Q, He P, Chen L, Zhou H, Wu X, Liang S. Dietary shifts drive the slowdown of declining methylmercury related health risk in China. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 340:122793. [PMID: 37879551 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.122793] [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: 04/27/2023] [Revised: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 10/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023]
Abstract
Chinese population suffers severe health risk from dietary methylmercury (MeHg) exposure. However, the temporal change of such risk and socioeconomic driving factors remain unknown. This study investigates this issue by compiling time-series inventory of China's MeHg-related health risk at the provincial scale and revealing critical socioeconomic influencing factors through structural decomposition analysis. Results show that the per-fetus IQ decrements from dietary MeHg exposure have declined by 60% nationally during 2004-2019. Such decline results from the joint effects of dietary shifts (contributing 44%) and the decrease of MeHg concentrations in foods consumed (contributing 56%). However, the declining trend has slowed down since 2014 and even leveled off after 2016, which is mainly affected by dietary pattern changes. Especially, the increased intake level and proportion of fishes in underdeveloped provinces of China have dominated the slowdown of declining trend after 2016. Moreover, the affluence and education levels have significantly negative associations with per-fetus IQ decrements. Rich and well-educated people have higher ability of risk perception, which indicates the importance of rational consumption patterns. Our findings can help develop socioeconomic regulatory policies on reducing per-fetus IQ decrements from dietary MeHg exposure in China.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yumeng Li
- School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Qiumeng Zhong
- Key Laboratory for City Cluster Environmental Safety and Green Development of the Ministry of Education, School of Ecology, Environment and Resources, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510006, China
| | - Pan He
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Long Chen
- Key Laboratory of Geographic Information Science (Ministry of Education), School of Geographic Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Haifeng Zhou
- School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Xiaohui Wu
- School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Sai Liang
- Key Laboratory for City Cluster Environmental Safety and Green Development of the Ministry of Education, School of Ecology, Environment and Resources, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510006, China.
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Qi P, Lang J, Qi H, Wang X. Emissions leakage embodied in inter-provincial trade brings unexpected air quality and health benefits. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 905:167085. [PMID: 37716684 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167085] [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: 07/01/2023] [Revised: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/18/2023]
Abstract
Inter-provincial trade can bring "emission leakage", and consequently influence the air quality and public health. However, there has been a lack of systematic research on air pollution and public health related to emission leakage embodied in inter-provincial trade of China. Here, we systematically evaluated for the first time the influence of emission leakage on national air pollution and related premature deaths in 2012 of China. Unexpected opposite influences of emission leakage on emission and air quality/public health were discovered. Emission leakage embodied in inter-provincial trade in 2012 of China led to an increase of 1.4 % to 4.8 % in national air pollutant emissions, but a decrease of 1.5 % (-0.8 μg·m-3) in population-weighted concentration of PM2.5, while avoiding 1.1 % (-1.4 × 104 people) of premature deaths. Therefore, to reveal the intrinsic mechanism of this opposite influences, we proposed two coefficients, the Concentration per unit primary PM2.5 emission (CPE, unit: μg·m-3/t) and the Death per unit primary PM2.5 emission (DPE, unit: people/t), to characterize the response of air quality and health to emission leakage embodied in inter-provincial trade. Statistical analysis indicated that both the above coefficients showed significant negative correlation (P < 0.05) with provincial PM2.5 emissions changes. The findings offer a means of adjustment and its related evaluation parameters for the emission transfer caused by inter-provincial trade, thereby contributing to further improvement environmental and health benefits through inter-provincial trade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Qi
- Key Laboratory of Beijing on Regional Air Pollution Control, Faculty of Environment and Life, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China
| | - Jianlei Lang
- Key Laboratory of Beijing on Regional Air Pollution Control, Faculty of Environment and Life, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China.
| | - Haoyun Qi
- Key Laboratory of Beijing on Regional Air Pollution Control, Faculty of Environment and Life, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China
| | - Xiaoqi Wang
- Key Laboratory of Beijing on Regional Air Pollution Control, Faculty of Environment and Life, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China
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Yu C, Lin H, Guo J, Peng M, Liu M, Tong Y, Lu Y, Wang X, Pan X. Significant impacts of river inputs on the distributions and transports of mercury and methylmercury in nearshore and open seas - Simulation based on field surveys and mass balance modeling. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2023; 180:108216. [PMID: 37738696 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2023.108216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2023] [Revised: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 09/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/24/2023]
Abstract
Rivers are important sources of Hg for adjacent seas, and seafood from nearshore waters is a major source of Hg exposure for humans. There is thus a key scientific concern regarding how much riverine Hg inputs influence Hg loads in nearshore waters as well as how far the impact range can extend from the river to the open sea. In addition, it is important to understand the influence of anthropogenic hydro-facilities and activities on Hg levels in downstream seas. Because of the concise mass exchange pattern between the seas and the previously demonstrated intensive Hg inputs under anthropogenic regulation from the Yellow River, the Bohai and Yellow Seas, which are key fishery and marine breeding areas for China, are an ideal research area for exploring the impacts of riverine Hg on nearshore and adjacent open seas. Field surveys were conducted in eight major rivers and two seas, and 433 water samples were collected. The main Hg input and output terms (rivers, ocean currents, underground discharge, sewage, coastal erosion, atmospheric deposition, surface evasion, sedimentation, and fisheries) were quantified in the Bohai and Yellow Seas. Owing to the high inputs from the Yellow and Yalu Rivers, elevated THg concentrations were found. Apart from direct MeHg discharge, riverine nutrients may also seemingly affect nearshore MeHg. Using mass balance models, we found that the Yellow River (9.8 t) was the dominant Hg source in the Bohai Sea, which accounted for more than half of all contributions, and the Bohai Sea played the role of a secondary source of Hg to the Yellow Sea, with a flux of 3.3 t. Anthropogenic hydro-activities in large rivers could significantly influence Hg outputs and loads in the nearshore and even open seas. This study provides useful information for water resource management applications to reduce potential MeHg risks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenghao Yu
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology for Industrial Pollution Control of Zhejiang Province, College of Environment, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China
| | - Huiming Lin
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Junming Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Mao Peng
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology for Industrial Pollution Control of Zhejiang Province, College of Environment, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China
| | - Maodian Liu
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Yindong Tong
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China; College of Ecology and Environment, Tibet University, Lhasa 850000, China
| | - Yifan Lu
- Zhejiang Construction Investment Environment Engineering Co., Ltd., Hangzhou 310014, China
| | - Xuejun Wang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
| | - Xiangliang Pan
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology for Industrial Pollution Control of Zhejiang Province, College of Environment, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China.
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5
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Xing Z, Chang R, Song Z, Zhang Y, Muntean M, Feng K, Liu Y, Ma Z, Wang J, Zhang J, Wang H. International trade shapes global mercury-related health impacts. PNAS NEXUS 2023; 2:pgad128. [PMID: 37228509 PMCID: PMC10205471 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgad128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Revised: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) is a strong neurotoxin with substantial dangers to human health. Hg undergoes active global cycles, and the emission sources there of can also be geographically relocated through economic trade. Through investigation of a longer chain of the global biogeochemical Hg cycle from economic production to human health, international cooperation on Hg control strategies in Minamata Convention can be facilitated. In the present study, four global models are combined to investigate the effect of international trade on the relocation of Hg emissions, pollution, exposure, and related human health impacts across the world. The results show that 47% of global Hg emissions are related to commodities consumed outside of the countries where the emissions are produced, which has largely influenced the environmental Hg levels and human exposure thereto across the world. Consequently, international trade is found to enable the whole world to avoid 5.7 × 105 points for intelligence quotient (IQ) decline and 1,197 deaths from fatal heart attacks, saving a total of $12.5 billion (2020 USD) in economic loss. Regionally, international trade exacerbates Hg challenges in less developed countries, while resulting in an alleviation in developed countries. The change in economic loss therefore varies from the United States (-$4.0 billion) and Japan (-$2.4 billion) to China (+$2.7 billion). The present results reveal that international trade is a critical factor but might be largely overlooked in global Hg pollution mitigation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Zhengcheng Song
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Atmospheric and Earth System Sciences, School of Atmospheric Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Yanxu Zhang
- To whom correspondence should be addressed: ;
| | - Marilena Muntean
- Directorate for Energy, Transport and Climate, Air and Climate Unit, European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC), Ispra, VA I-21027, Italy
| | - Kuishuang Feng
- Department of Geographical Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Yifan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Zongwei Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Jigan Wang
- School of Business, Hohai University, Nanjing 211100, China
| | - Jie Zhang
- School of Business, Hohai University, Nanjing 211100, China
| | - Haikun Wang
- To whom correspondence should be addressed: ;
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Wu J, Qu R, Wang Q, Yang X, Zhu H, Zhang A, Sun J. Human exposure to phthalate esters in soils embodied in interregional food trade in China. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2022; 315:120388. [PMID: 36220577 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2022] [Revised: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The ubiquitous occurrence of phthalate esters (PAEs) in agricultural soil results in their inevitable accumulation in crops, potentially increasing the risk of human exposure to PAEs via daily food intake. Dietary health risk of PAEs not only depends on locally produced food but also the imported food from other regions. However, the impact of interregional food trade on human dietary exposure to PAEs has been seldom assessed. Herein, we investigated the impact of interregional food trade on the dietary exposure to PAEs that contributed from soil contamination in China. The average daily dietary intake of PAEs for the Chinese general population was 24.3 μg/kg/day when assuming the total consumption of crops from local market only, while the average daily dietary intake of PAEs for the Chinese general population was decreased by 2.9% when the effects of interregional food trade were involved into the calculation. Additionally, the interregional food trade remarkably increased the daily dietary intake of PAEs in the regions of Beijing-Tianjin region (47.8%), North (21.4%) and Central (4.26%). As a result, the hazard quotient value of PAEs in the regions of Beijing-Tianjin region, North and Central increased by 29.4%, 11.0% and 5.0%, respectively, owing to the consumption of imported crops from the highly PAEs contaminated regions. In contrast, the daily intake and hazard quotient value of PAEs in the regions of Central Coast, Northwest, Northeast and South Coast decreased due to the interregional trade. These results indicated that the interregional food trade promoted the transfer of PAEs between regions and thus altered the potential risk to the local population. Overall, this study highlights the importance of taking the interregional food trade into account to provide a more accurate risk assessment of dietary exposure to pollutants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Wu
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology for Industrial Pollution Control of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, China
| | - Rongfei Qu
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology for Industrial Pollution Control of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, China
| | - Qianwen Wang
- Research and Teaching Center of Agriculture, Zhejiang Open University, Hangzhou, 310012, China
| | - Xindong Yang
- International Joint Research Center for Persistent Toxic Substances, College of Environment, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, China
| | - Haofeng Zhu
- International Joint Research Center for Persistent Toxic Substances, College of Environment, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, China
| | - Anping Zhang
- International Joint Research Center for Persistent Toxic Substances, College of Environment, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, China
| | - Jianqiang Sun
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology for Industrial Pollution Control of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, China.
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Liu M, Zhang Q, Yu C, Yuan L, He Y, Xiao W, Zhang H, Guo J, Zhang W, Li Y, Zhang Q, Chen L, Wang X. Observation-Based Mercury Export from Rivers to Coastal Oceans in East Asia. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2021; 55:14269-14280. [PMID: 34618428 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c03755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Globally, the consumption of coastal fish is the predominant source of human exposure to methylmercury, a potent neurotoxicant that poses health risks to humans. However, the relative importance of riverine inputs and atmospheric deposition of mercury into coastal oceans remains uncertain owing to a lack of riverine mercury observations. Here, we present comprehensive seasonal observations of riverine mercury and methylmercury loads, including dissolved and particulate phases, to East Asia's coastal oceans, which supply nearly half of the world's seafood products. We found that East Asia's rivers annually exported 95 ± 29 megagrams of mercury to adjacent seas, 3-fold greater than the corresponding atmospheric deposition. Three rivers alone accounted for 71% of East Asia's riverine mercury exports, namely: Yangtze, Yellow, and Pearl rivers. We further conducted a metadata analysis to discuss the mercury burden on seawater and found that riverine export, combined with atmospheric deposition and terrestrial nutrients, quantitatively elevated the levels of total, methylated, and dissolved gaseous mercury in seawater by an order of magnitude. Our observations support that massive amounts of riverine mercury are exported to coastal oceans on a continental scale, intensifying their spread from coastal seawater to the atmosphere, marine sediments, and open oceans. We suggest that the impact of mercury transport along the land-ocean aquatic continuum should be considered in human exposure risk assessments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maodian Liu
- Ministry of Education Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, United States
| | - Qianru Zhang
- Ministry of Education Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Chenghao Yu
- Ministry of Education Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Liuliang Yuan
- Ministry of Education Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Department of Life Science and Hong Kong Branch of the Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Kowloon 999077, Hong Kong
| | - Yipeng He
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of Connecticut, 1080 Shennecossett Road, Groton, Connecticut 06340, United States
| | - Wenjie Xiao
- Department of Ocean Science and Engineering & Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Archaea Geo-Omics, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), 523936 Guangzhou, China
| | - Haoran Zhang
- Ministry of Education Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Junming Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- School of Environment and Natural Resources, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, China
| | - Yanbin Li
- Key Laboratory of Marine Chemistry Theory and Technology, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China
| | - Qianggong Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environment Changes and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Long Chen
- Key Laboratory of Geographic Information Science (Ministry of Education), East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Xuejun Wang
- Ministry of Education Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
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Cheng M, Liu M, Li D, Luo Q, Zhang Z, Yuan L, Yu C, Xie H, Lin H, Zhang Q, Ji D, Wang X. Human Methylmercury Exposure and Potential Impacts in Central Tibet: Food and Traditional Tibetan Medicine. BULLETIN OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY 2021; 107:449-458. [PMID: 33839798 DOI: 10.1007/s00128-021-03216-5] [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: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Methylmercury presents potent neurotoxicity to humans. Fish consumption is the leading source of human exposure to methylmercury worldwide. However, the exposure source in Tibet remains poorly understood because of the scarcity of observational data on most Tibetan foods, although high mercury levels were recently detected in some traditional Tibetan medicines. Here, the results of field investigations show that the joint consumption of traditional Tibetan medicines (TTMs), fish, and rice constitutes a primary exposure pathway to methylmercury in Tibetans and that the probable daily intake of methylmercury is close to that for many coastal regions. People who are young and high-income may have higher methylmercury exposure levels mainly because of economic development and cultural exchanges among regions. Our analysis indicates that a large proportion of the Tibetan population are likely to face a high methylmercury exposure risk and that mercury-susceptible populations in Tibet should be attentive to consuming TTMs with fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Menghan Cheng
- Ministry of Education Laboratory of Earth Surface Process, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Maodian Liu
- Ministry of Education Laboratory of Earth Surface Process, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.
- School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA.
| | - Dou Li
- Department of Ocean Science, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clearwater Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Qing Luo
- Ministry of Education Laboratory of Earth Surface Process, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Zhihao Zhang
- Ministry of Education Laboratory of Earth Surface Process, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Liuliang Yuan
- Ministry of Education Laboratory of Earth Surface Process, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
- Department of Life Science, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clearwater Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Chenghao Yu
- Ministry of Education Laboratory of Earth Surface Process, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Han Xie
- Ministry of Education Laboratory of Earth Surface Process, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Huiming Lin
- Ministry of Education Laboratory of Earth Surface Process, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Qianru Zhang
- Ministry of Education Laboratory of Earth Surface Process, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - De Ji
- Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, Tibet University, Tibet, 850012, China
| | - Xuejun Wang
- Ministry of Education Laboratory of Earth Surface Process, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.
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9
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Zhang Z, Chen L, Cheng M, Liu M, Wang X. Biotransport of mercury and human methylmercury exposure through crabs in China - A life cycle-based analysis. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2021; 415:125684. [PMID: 33765564 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.125684] [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: 12/16/2020] [Revised: 02/28/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to methylmercury (MeHg) has various toxic effects on humans. The evaluation of human MeHg exposure has previously focused on fish consumption. However, in this study, we found that MeHg levels in domestic crabs in China were also relatively high (range: 50-1400 ng/g, dry weight). The high MeHg levels in crabs and their high consumption do not match the risk assessment of MeHg, indicating an underestimated exposure risk, especially in MeHg-sensitive groups such as pregnant women. The annual crab MeHg content output in China was estimated to be 30 ± 27 kg. A total of 6.8% of the country's land area contributes 71% of the MeHg output. However, 66% of the output is redistributed to non-crab-producing regions via interregional food trade, posing risks to the population on a national scale. The daily intake of MeHg from crabs could easily exceed the reference dose (0.1 µg/kg of body weight per day) suggested by the United States Environmental Protection Agency with consideration of coexposure from fish, rice, and other food sources. We suggest that future MeHg exposure analysis includes crab MeHg as a coexposure pathway to estimate the dietary MeHg limit accurately and emphasize the influence of interregional food trade on MeHg exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhihao Zhang
- Ministry of Education Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Long Chen
- Key Laboratory of Geographic Information Science, Ministry of Education, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Menghan Cheng
- Ministry of Education Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Maodian Liu
- School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, USA.
| | - Xuejun Wang
- Ministry of Education Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
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Zhu J, Tang L, Qiao S, Wang L, Feng Y, Wang L, Wu Q, Ding P, Zhang Z, Li L. Low-dose methylmercury exposure impairs the locomotor activity of zebrafish: Role of intestinal inositol metabolism. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2020; 190:110020. [PMID: 32777273 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.110020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2020] [Revised: 07/26/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Methylmercury (MeHg) is a ubiquitous environmental toxicant with neurotoxic effects. Although its neurotoxicity had been more studied, the role of gut microbiota remains unclear. In this study, adult zebrafish and larvae were exposed to MeHgCl at the dose of 0, 1 and 10 ng/mL. MeHgCl exposure impaired the locomotor activity via upregulation of apoptosis and autophagy related genes in the brain. Intestinal and cerebral metabolome indicated that phosphatidylinositol signaling system and inositol phosphate metabolism pathways were significantly impacted in adult zebrafish upon MeHgCl exposure. The levels of myo-inositol (MI) in the intestine and brain were decreased and positively correlated. 16 S rRNA sequencing data from adult zebrafish showed that MeHgCl exposure also shifted the structure of gut microbiota and reduced the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria, which were further identified at genus level as Aeromonas and Cetobacterium. Further functional analysis indicated that MeHgCl disrupted inositol phosphate metabolism of gut microbiota. Notably, MI supplementation restored the impairment of locomotor activity and inhibited the upregulation of apoptosis and autophagy related genes, such as bcl-2 and atg5. Thus, this study not only revealed the key role of gut microbiota in MeHgCl-mediated neurotoxicity but also gave new insights into antagonizing its toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Zhu
- Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, 101 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 211166, PR China
| | - Lei Tang
- Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, 101 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 211166, PR China
| | - Shanlei Qiao
- Key Lab of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, 101 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 211166, PR China
| | - Lijuan Wang
- Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, 101 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 211166, PR China
| | - Yiming Feng
- Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, 101 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 211166, PR China
| | - Li Wang
- Key Lab of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, 101 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 211166, PR China
| | - Qian Wu
- Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, 101 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 211166, PR China
| | - Ping Ding
- Xiang Ya School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410078, PR China
| | - Zhan Zhang
- Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, 101 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 211166, PR China; Key Lab of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, 101 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 211166, PR China.
| | - Lei Li
- Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, 101 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 211166, PR China; Key Lab of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, 101 Longmian Avenue, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 211166, PR China.
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