1
|
Galarza E, Moulatlet GM, Rico A, Cabrera M, Pinos-Velez V, Pérez-González A, Capparelli MV. Human health risk assessment of metals and metalloids in mining areas of the Northeast Andean foothills of the Ecuadorian Amazon. INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT 2023; 19:706-716. [PMID: 36239162 DOI: 10.1002/ieam.4698] [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: 05/07/2022] [Revised: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Gold mining (GM) is a major source of metals and metalloids in rivers, causing severe environmental pollution and increasing the exposure risks to the residents of surrounding areas. Mining in Ecuadorian Amazonia has dramatically increased in recent years, but its impacts on Indigenous local populations that make use of rivers are still unknown. The aim of this study was to assess the risks to adults and children caused by the exposure to metals and metalloids in freshwater ecosystems contaminated with tailings released by GM activities in 11 sites of the upper Napo River basin, Ecuador. We selected a carcinogenic and a noncarcinogenic risk assessment method to estimate the hazard index (HI) and total cancer risk (TCR). The concentration of Ag, Al, As, Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb, Zn, B, and V in water and sediment samples was considered to assess the risks to human health. The calculated HI was 23-352 times greater than the acceptable limits in all sites for both children and adults. Mn and Fe were the main contributors (75% in water and 99% in sediment) to the total calculated risk based on the HI. The calculated TCR for children and adults exceeded approximately one to three times the permissible threshold in all sites. As and Pb contributed up to 93% of the total calculated risk based on TCR for both children and adults. This study demonstrates that the emission and mobilization of metals and metalloids caused by mining activities increase the risk to human health, to which we recommend further monitoring of freshwater contamination in the area and the implementation of preventive health management measures. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2023;19:706-716. © 2022 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emily Galarza
- Facultad de Ciencias de La Tierra y Agua, Universidad Regional Amazónica Ikiam, Tena, Ecuador
| | - Gabriel M Moulatlet
- Red de Biología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, A.C. INECOL, Xalapa, Veracruz, México
| | - Andreu Rico
- IMDEA Water Institute, Science and Technology Campus of the University of Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Spain
- Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, Paterna, Spain
| | - Marcela Cabrera
- Laboratorio Nacional de Referencia Del Agua, Universidad Regional Amazónica Ikiam, Tena, Ecuador
| | - Veronica Pinos-Velez
- Departamento de Recursos Hídricos y Ciencias Ambientales, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad de Cuenca, Cuenca, Ecuador
- Departamento de Biociencias, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad de Cuenca, Cuenca, Ecuador
| | - Andrés Pérez-González
- Grupo de Investigación en Quimiometría y QSAR, Facultad de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad del Azuay, Cuenca, Ecuador
| | - Mariana V Capparelli
- Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología-Estación El Carmen, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad del Carmen, México
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Pan J, Li X, Wei Y, Ni L, Xu B, Deng Y, Yang T, Liu W. Advances on the Influence of Methylmercury Exposure during Neurodevelopment. Chem Res Toxicol 2022; 35:43-58. [PMID: 34989572 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrestox.1c00255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) is a toxic heavy-metal element, which can be enriched in fauna and flora and transformed into methylmercury (MeHg). MeHg is a widely distributed environmental pollutant that may be harmful to fish-eating populations through enrichment of aquatic food chains. The central nervous system is a primary target of MeHg. Embryos and infants are more sensitive to MeHg, and exposure to MeHg during gestational feeding can significantly impair the homeostasis of offspring, leading to long-term neurodevelopmental defects. At present, MeHg-induced neurodevelopmental toxicity has become a hotspot in the field of neurotoxicology, but its mechanisms are not fully understood. Some evidence point to oxidative damage, excitotoxicity, calcium ion imbalance, mitochondrial dysfunction, epigenetic changes, and other molecular mechanisms that play important roles in MeHg-induced neurodevelopmental toxicity. In this review, advances in the study of neurodevelopmental toxicity of MeHg exposure during pregnancy and the molecular mechanisms of related pathways are summarized, in order to provide more scientific basis for the study of neurodevelopmental toxicity of MeHg.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jingjing Pan
- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, China Medical University, No.77 Puhe Road, Shenbei New District, Shenyang 110122, Liaoning China
| | - Xiaoyang Li
- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, China Medical University, No.77 Puhe Road, Shenbei New District, Shenyang 110122, Liaoning China
| | - Yanfeng Wei
- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, China Medical University, No.77 Puhe Road, Shenbei New District, Shenyang 110122, Liaoning China
| | - Linlin Ni
- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, China Medical University, No.77 Puhe Road, Shenbei New District, Shenyang 110122, Liaoning China
| | - Bin Xu
- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, China Medical University, No.77 Puhe Road, Shenbei New District, Shenyang 110122, Liaoning China
| | - Yu Deng
- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, China Medical University, No.77 Puhe Road, Shenbei New District, Shenyang 110122, Liaoning China
| | - Tianyao Yang
- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, China Medical University, No.77 Puhe Road, Shenbei New District, Shenyang 110122, Liaoning China
| | - Wei Liu
- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, China Medical University, No.77 Puhe Road, Shenbei New District, Shenyang 110122, Liaoning China
| |
Collapse
|