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Thurston SW, Ruppert D, Korrick SA. A novel approach to assessing the joint effects of mercury and fish consumption on neurodevelopment in the New Bedford Cohort. Am J Epidemiol 2025; 194:172-184. [PMID: 38940366 PMCID: PMC11735962 DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwae149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2023] [Revised: 05/01/2024] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Understanding health risks from methylmercury (MeHg) exposure is complicated by its link to fish consumption, which may confound or modify toxicities. One solution is to include fish intake and a biomarker of MeHg exposure in the same analytical model, but resulting estimates do not reflect the independent impact of accumulated MeHg or fish exposure. In fish-eating populations, this can be addressed by separating MeHg exposure into fish intake and average mercury content of the consumed fish. We assessed the joint association of prenatal MeHg exposure (maternal hair mercury level) and fish intake (among fish-eating mothers) with neurodevelopment in 361 children aged 8 years from the New Bedford Cohort (New Bedford, Massachusetts; born in 1993-1998). Neurodevelopmental assessments used standardized tests of IQ, language, memory, and attention. Covariate-adjusted regression assessed the association of maternal fish consumption, stratified by tertile of estimated average fish mercury level, with neurodevelopment. Associations between maternal fish intake and child outcomes were generally beneficial for those in the lowest average fish mercury tertile but detrimental in the highest average fish mercury tertile, where, for example, each serving of fish was associated with 1.3 fewer correct responses (95% CI, -2.2 to -0.4) on the Boston Naming Test. Standard analyses showed no outcome associations with hair mercury level or fish intake. This article is part of a Special Collection on Environmental Epidemiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sally W Thurston
- Department of Biostatistics and Computational Biology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, United States
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, United States
| | - David Ruppert
- School of Operations Research and Information Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, United States
- Department of Statistics and Data Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, United States
| | - Susan A Korrick
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, United States
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, United States
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Rothenberg SE, Korrick SA, Harrington D, Thurston SW, Janssen SE, Tate MT, Nong Y, Nong H, Liu J, Hong C, Ouyang F. Hair mercury isotopes, a noninvasive biomarker for dietary methylmercury exposure and biological uptake. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE. PROCESSES & IMPACTS 2024; 26:1975-1985. [PMID: 39193654 PMCID: PMC11560691 DOI: 10.1039/d4em00231h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/29/2024]
Abstract
Background. Fish and rice are the main dietary sources of methylmercury (MeHg); however, rice does not contain the same beneficial nutrients as fish, and these differences can impact the observed health effects of MeHg. Hence, it is important to validate a biomarker, which can distinguish among dietary MeHg sources. Methods. Mercury (Hg) stable isotopes were analyzed in hair samples from peripartum mothers in China (n = 265). Associations between mass dependent fractionation (MDF) (δ202Hg) and mass independent fractionation (MIF) (Δ199Hg) (dependent variables) and dietary MeHg intake (independent variable) were investigated using multivariable regression models. Results. In adjusted models, hair Δ199Hg was positively correlated with serum omega-3 fatty acids (a biomarker for fish consumption) and negatively correlated with maternal rice MeHg intake, indicating MIF recorded in hair can be used to distinguish MeHg intake predominantly from fish versus rice. Conversely, in adjusted models, hair δ202Hg was not correlated with measures of dietary measures of MeHg intake. Instead, hair δ202Hg was strongly, negatively correlated with hair Hg, which explained 27-29% of the variability in hair δ202Hg. Conclusions. Our results indicated that hair Δ199Hg can be used to distinguish MeHg intake from fish versus rice. Results also suggested that lighter isotopes were preferentially accumulated in hair, potentially reflecting Hg binding to thiols (i.e., cysteine); however, more research is needed to elucidate this hypothesis. Broader impacts include 1) validation of a non-invasive biomarker to distinguish MeHg intake from rice versus fish, and 2) the potential to use Hg isotopes to investigate Hg binding in tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E Rothenberg
- College of Health, Oregon State University, 103 Milam Hall, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA.
| | - Susan A Korrick
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Donald Harrington
- Department of Biostatistics and Computational Biology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Sally W Thurston
- Department of Biostatistics and Computational Biology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Sarah E Janssen
- U.S. Geological Survey Upper Midwest Water Science Center, Madison, WI, 53726, USA
| | - Michael T Tate
- U.S. Geological Survey Upper Midwest Water Science Center, Madison, WI, 53726, USA
| | - YanFen Nong
- Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Daxin County, China
| | - Hua Nong
- Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Daxin County, China
| | - Jihong Liu
- Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA
| | - Chuan Hong
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA
| | - Fengxiu Ouyang
- Ministry of Education and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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Sánchez-Fortún M, Carrasco JL, Díez S, Amouroux D, Tessier E, López-Carmona S, Sanpera C. Temporal mercury dynamics throughout the rice cultivation season in the Ebro Delta (NE Spain): An integrative approach. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 250:118555. [PMID: 38412914 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.118555] [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: 12/21/2023] [Revised: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 02/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
During the last few decades, inputs of mercury (Hg) to the environment from anthropogenic sources have increased. The Ebro Delta is an important area of rice production in the Iberian Peninsula. Given the industrial activity and its legacy pollution along the Ebro river, residues containing Hg have been transported throughout the Ebro Delta ecosystems. Rice paddies are regarded as propitious environments for Hg methylation and its subsequent incorporation to plants and rice paddies' food webs. We have analyzed how Hg dynamics change throughout the rice cultivation season in different compartments from the paddies' ecosystems: soil, water, rice plants and fauna. Furthermore, we assessed the effect of different agricultural practices (ecological vs. conventional) associated to various flooding patterns (wet vs. mild alternating wet and dry) to the Hg levels in rice fields. Finally, we have estimated the proportion of methylmercury (MeHg) to total mercury in a subset of samples, as MeHg is the most bioaccumulable toxic form for humans and wildlife. Overall, we observed varying degrees of mercury concentration over the rice cultivation season in the different compartments. We found that different agricultural practices and flooding patterns did not influence the THg levels observed in water, soil or plants. However, Hg concentrations in fauna samples seemed to be affected by hydroperiod and we also observed evidence of Hg biomagnification along the rice fields' aquatic food webs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moisès Sánchez-Fortún
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Josep Lluís Carrasco
- Biostatistics, Department of Basic Clinical Practice, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Sergi Díez
- Environmental Chemistry Department, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research, IDAEA-CSIC, E-08034, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - David Amouroux
- Université de Pau et des Pays de L'Adour, E2S UPPA, CNRS, IPREM, Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physico-chimie pour l'Environnement et les Matériaux, Pau, France.
| | - Emmanuel Tessier
- Université de Pau et des Pays de L'Adour, E2S UPPA, CNRS, IPREM, Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physico-chimie pour l'Environnement et les Matériaux, Pau, France.
| | - Sophie López-Carmona
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; UFR Sciences et Techniques, Université de Nantes, Nantes, France.
| | - Carola Sanpera
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
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Li L, Li K, Zhou X, Knowles RL. Maximising the potential of Chinese birth cohort studies: a systematic review of mother-baby cohorts in mainland China. Public Health 2024; 227:119-130. [PMID: 38168592 DOI: 10.1016/j.puhe.2023.11.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES There is now a growing interest in early-life influences on adult diseases in China. A number of birth cohorts have been established. This systematic review provided a better understanding of the development of mother-baby cohorts in China. STUDY DESIGN Systematic review. METHODS We conducted a systematic review for research or profile papers in English/Chinese that reported data from mother-baby cohorts in mainland China, with ≥1y follow-up after birth. We identified 315 papers, corresponding to 31 cohorts from 19 provinces/megacities. RESULTS All cohorts started in 1999-2017 (21 after 2010) and were set up with broad objectives or specific scientific focus. The baseline sample size varied, from <500 to >300,000 mothers. A majority of cohorts were initiated during pregnancy and followed children to <10y, only six to adolescence and none into adulthood. These cohorts mostly collected samples from mothers and babies, in addition to using interviews/questionnaires to collect information about pregnancy, birth and child health. Most cohorts were recruited from a single province/city. The large western region was understudied. CONCLUSIONS Mother-baby cohorts have developed rapidly in China, but usually with a short follow-up duration. Extending the follow-up of children and developing cross-cohort collaboration will increase the diversity, size and coverage of the sample, allow studying early influences on life-course health and identify targets for early intervention in the Chinese population.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Li
- Population, Policy and Practice Research and Teaching Department, University College London Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, UK.
| | - K Li
- UCL Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care, UK.
| | - X Zhou
- Institute of Social Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, China; Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, China.
| | - R L Knowles
- Population, Policy and Practice Research and Teaching Department, University College London Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, UK.
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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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Tian K, Guo D. Comparison of the accumulation of toxic metal biomarkers in Asian subgroups and other races in the United States: NHANES 2015-2016. CHEMOSPHERE 2023:139319. [PMID: 37356594 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.139319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/27/2023]
Abstract
Toxic metals such as lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg) and arsenic (As) that lead to many visceral organ and nervous system diseases have attracted global attention due to their gradual accumulation in human bodies. The tolerance levels of exposure to toxic metals among race/ethnic groups are different due to the variance of sociodemographic, dietary, and behavioral characteristics. Few studies focused on investigating the biomarker levels of toxic metals in different race/ethnic groups and the potential mechanisms for controlling the accumulation in human bodies. Therefore, we selected eight biomarkers for four toxic metals from the National Health and Nutrition and Examination Survey (NHANES) in the 2-year data cycle of 2015-2016 to reveal the accumulation levels in different races. According to the NHANES rules, we applied probability sampling weights. The geometric mean levels of these biomarkers were calculated in all five race/ethnic groups (Mexican American, white, black, Asian, and other Hispanic) and two Asian subgroups (U.S.-born Asian, and other-born Asian), and compared with each other. The results showed that all the biomarkers in other-born Asians were 1.1-6.7 times in blood and 1.1-3.6 times in urine higher than other race/ethnic groups. Except Hg and As, the lowest biomarker levels were recorded in U.S.-born Asians, only 0.6-0.9 times of lead and 0.3-0.8 times of cadmium than other race/ethnic groups. Furthermore, the major factors of higher Hg and As biomarker levels in Asians were dietary intake of seafood and rice, indicating different accumulation mechanisms among Asians and other race/ethnic groups, especially for U.S.-born Asians. These findings provided new insight into a deeper understanding the accumulation of toxic metals and human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kunkun Tian
- School of Petroleum and Environment Engineering, Yan'an University, Yan'an, Shaanxi, 716000, China; College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210095, China
| | - Di Guo
- School of Petroleum and Environment Engineering, Yan'an University, Yan'an, Shaanxi, 716000, China.
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Li Y, Zhu N, Hu W, Liu YR, Jia W, Lin G, Li H, Li Y, Gao Y, Zhao J. New insights into sulfur input induced methylmercury production and accumulation in paddy soil and rice. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2023; 455:131602. [PMID: 37178535 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.131602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Revised: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Sulfur has a high affinity for mercury (Hg) and can serve as effective treating agent for Hg pollution. However, conflict effects between reducing Hg mobility and promoting Hg methylation by sulfur were found in recent studies, and there is a gap in understanding the potential mechanism of MeHg production under different sulfur-treated species and doses. Here, we investigated and compared the MeHg production in Hg-contaminated paddy soil and its accumulation in rice under elemental sulfur or sulfate treatment at a relatively low (500 mg·kg-1) or high (1000 mg·kg-1) level. The associated potential molecular mechanisms are also discussed with the help of density functional theory (DFT) calculation. Pot experiments demonstrate that both elemental sulfur and sulfate at high exposure levels increased MeHg production in soil (244.63-571.72 %) and its accumulation in raw rice (268.73-443.50 %). Coupling the reduction of sulfate or elemental sulfur and decrease of soil redox potential leads to the detachment of Hg-polysulfide complexes from the surface of HgS which can be explained by DFT calculations. Enhancement of free Hg and Fe release through reducing Fe(III) oxyhydroxides further promotes soil MeHg production. The results provide clues for understanding the mechanism by which exogenous sulfur promotes MeHg production in paddies and paddy-like environments and give new insights for decreasing Hg mobility by regulating soil conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunyun Li
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Ecology-Toxicological Effects & Control for Emerging Contaminants, Key Laboratory of Ecological Environment and Information Atlas, College of Environmental and Biological Engineering, Putian University, Putian 351100, China; Department of Environmental Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Nali Zhu
- School of Environment, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, China
| | - Wenjun Hu
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Ecology-Toxicological Effects & Control for Emerging Contaminants, Key Laboratory of Ecological Environment and Information Atlas, College of Environmental and Biological Engineering, Putian University, Putian 351100, China
| | - Yu-Rong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology and College of Resources and Environment, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Wen Jia
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Ecology-Toxicological Effects & Control for Emerging Contaminants, Key Laboratory of Ecological Environment and Information Atlas, College of Environmental and Biological Engineering, Putian University, Putian 351100, China
| | - Guoming Lin
- Centre for Bioimaging Sciences, Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117557, Singapore.
| | - Hong Li
- CAS Key Laboratory for Biological Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yufeng Li
- CAS Key Laboratory for Biological Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yuxi Gao
- CAS Key Laboratory for Biological Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jiating Zhao
- Department of Environmental Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; CAS Key Laboratory for Biological Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
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Punshon T, Jackson BP, Donohue A, Hong C, Rothenberg SE. Distribution and accumulation of mercury in pot-grown African rice cultivars (Oryza glaberrima Steud. and Oryza sativa L.) determined via LA-ICP-MS. ENVIRONMENTAL GEOCHEMISTRY AND HEALTH 2022; 44:4077-4089. [PMID: 34981270 PMCID: PMC9376884 DOI: 10.1007/s10653-021-01169-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
There is limited information concerning the distribution of mercury in rice, particularly in African rice. The objective was to compare the distribution of total mercury (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) in African rice (Oryza glaberrima Steud.) and Asian rice (O. sativa L.). It is hypothesized that increased mineral accumulation and greater stress tolerance in O. glaberrima will affect the uptake and distribution of THg and MeHg, compared to O. sativa. Rice varieties from the Republic of Mali, including O. glaberrima (n =1) and O. sativa (n = 2), were cultivated in a greenhouse, in mercury-spiked soil (50 mg/kg) (n =3 replicates/variety). THg and MeHg concentrations were analyzed in the grain (brown rice), and the THg distribution was analyzed using laser ablation inductively coupled-plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). THg and MeHg concentrations did not differ between O. glaberrima and O. sativa grain. However, in both O. sativa varieties, THg was highly concentrated in the scutellum, which surrounds the embryo and is removed during polishing. Conversely, in O. glaberrima grain, THg was widely distributed throughout the endosperm, the edible portion of the grain. Differences in the THg distribution in O. glaberrima grain, compared to O. sativa, may elevate the risk of mercury exposure through ingestion of polished rice. The novelty of this study includes the investigation of a less-studied rice species (O. glaberrima), the use of a highly sensitive elemental imaging technique (LA-ICP-MS), and its finding of a different grain THg distribution in O. glaberrima than has been observed in O. sativa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tracy Punshon
- Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, 03755, USA
| | | | - Alexis Donohue
- University of South Carolina, Arnold School of Public Health, Columbia, South Carolina, 29208, USA
| | - Chuan Hong
- University of South Carolina, Arnold School of Public Health, Columbia, South Carolina, 29208, USA
| | - Sarah E Rothenberg
- University of South Carolina, Arnold School of Public Health, Columbia, South Carolina, 29208, USA.
- College of Public Health and Human Sciences, Oregon State University, 103 Milam Hall, Corvallis, Oregon, 97331, USA.
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Liu K, Wu Q, Wang S, Chang X, Tang Y, Wang L, Liu T, Zhang L, Zhao Y, Wang Q, Chen J. Improved atmospheric mercury simulation using updated gas-particle partition and organic aerosol concentrations. J Environ Sci (China) 2022; 119:106-118. [PMID: 35934455 DOI: 10.1016/j.jes.2022.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Revised: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The gaseous or particulate forms of divalent mercury (HgII) significantly impact the spatial distribution of atmospheric mercury concentration and deposition flux (FLX). In the new nested-grid GEOS-Chem model, we try to modify the HgII gas-particle partitioning relationship with synchronous and hourly observations at four sites in China. Observations of gaseous oxidized Hg (GOM), particulate-bound Hg (PBM), and PM2.5 were used to derive an empirical gas-particle partitioning coefficient as a function of temperature (T) and organic aerosol (OA) concentrations under different relative humidity (RH). Results showed that with increasing RH, the dominant process of HgII gas-particle partitioning changed from physical adsorption to chemical desorption. And the dominant factor of HgII gas-particle partitioning changed from T to OA concentrations. We thus improved the simulated OA concentration field by introducing intermediate-volatility and semi-volatile organic compounds (I/SVOCs) emission inventory into the model framework and refining the volatile distributions of I/SVOCs according to new filed tests in the recent literatures. Finally, normalized mean biases (NMBs) of monthly gaseous element mercury (GEM), GOM, PBM, WFLX were reduced from -33%-29%, 95%-300%, 64%-261%, 117%-122% to -13%-0%, -20%-80%, -31%-50%, -17%-23%. The improved model explains 69%-98% of the observed atmospheric Hg decrease during 2013-2020 and can serve as a useful tool to evaluate the effectiveness of the Minamata Convention on Mercury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaiyun Liu
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Sources and Control of Air Pollution Complex, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Qingru Wu
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Sources and Control of Air Pollution Complex, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Shuxiao Wang
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Sources and Control of Air Pollution Complex, Beijing 100084, China.
| | - Xing Chang
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Sources and Control of Air Pollution Complex, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Yi Tang
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Sources and Control of Air Pollution Complex, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Long Wang
- Institute of Atmospheric Environment, Guangdong provincial academy of environmental science, Guangzhou 510045, China
| | - Tonghao Liu
- China National Environmental Monitoring Centre, Beijing 100012, China
| | - Lei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Yu Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Qin'geng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Jinsheng Chen
- Center for Excellence in Regional Atmos. Environ., Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China
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Lin S, Li J, Wu J, Yang F, Pei L, Shang X. Interactive effects of maternal exposure to chemical fertilizer and socio-economic status on the risk of low birth weight. BMC Public Health 2022; 22:1206. [PMID: 35710359 PMCID: PMC9204990 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-022-13604-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Maternal exposure to chemical fertilizer and disadvantaged maternal socio-economic status (SES) have been found to associate with increased risk of low birth weight (LBW). However, whether the two factors would interact to elevate the risk of LBW remains unknown. The present study aimed to explore the interactive effects of maternal exposure to chemical fertilizer during pregnancy and low SES on the risk of term LBW (tLBW). Methods In this population-based case–control study, 179 tLBW cases (birthweight < 2500 g and gestational age ≥ 37 weeks) and 204 controls (birthweight ≥ 2500 g and gestational age ≥ 37 weeks) were chosen from the Perinatal Health Care Surveillance System of Pingding County, Shanxi Province, China between 2007 and 2012. Data on basic socio-demographic, dietary and lifestyle characteristics and environmental exposure were directly extracted from the system. Maternal exposure to chemical fertilizer was measured at both household level and village level. Household-level exposure was indicated by household chemical fertilizer use in farming during pregnancy and the data was collected by trained healthcare workers after the selection of cases and controls in 2013. Village-level exposure was indicated by annual amount of village chemical fertilizer consumption per acre and the data came from the Annals of National Economics Statistics of Pingding County in 2010. Interactions between maternal exposure to chemical fertilizer and SES were assessed in logistic regressions using relative excess risk due to interaction (RERI), which indicates an additive interaction if larger than 0. Results The combination of low maternal SES and high exposure to village-level chemical fertilizer consumption was associated with increased risk of tLBW (aOR = 2.62, 95%CI: 1.44 ~ 4.77); The combination of low maternal SES and exposure to household chemical fertilizer use was associated with elevated risk of tLBW (aOR = 2.18, 95%CI: 1.24 ~ 3.83). Additive interactions were detected between high exposure to village-level chemical fertilizer consumption and low maternal SES (RERI:1.79, P < 0.001) and between exposure to household chemical fertilizer use and low maternal SES (RERI:0.77, P < 0.05). Conclusions Our study suggested negative impacts of potential agricultural pollutants on adverse pregnancy outcomes, especially in disadvantaged socio-economic populations. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-022-13604-z.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiqi Lin
- Institute of Population Research/China Center on Population Health and Development, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Jiajia Li
- Institute of Population Research/China Center on Population Health and Development, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Jilei Wu
- Institute of Population Research/China Center on Population Health and Development, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Fan Yang
- Institute of Population Research/China Center on Population Health and Development, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Lijun Pei
- Institute of Population Research/China Center on Population Health and Development, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.
| | - Xuejun Shang
- Department of Andrology, School of Medicine, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University, No.305, East Zhongshan Road, Nanjing, 210002, Jiangsu, China.
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11
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Yao Z, Liu J, Mao X, Chen G, Ma Z, Li B. Ultratrace mercury speciation analysis in rice by in-line solid phase extraction - liquid chromatography - atomic fluorescence spectrometry. Food Chem 2022; 379:132116. [PMID: 35063845 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2022.132116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Revised: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 01/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
For the first time, Hg2+ and methylmercury speciation analysis was accomplished by in-line SPE-LC-AFS. After modification with 0.1 mL of 0.001% (m:v) sodium diethyldithiocarbamate, a C18 microcolumn retained Hg2+ and MetHg in rice extract within 3 min; the captured Hg species were separated within 12 min in 0.25% (v:v) 2-mercaptoethanol + 60 mmol L-1 (m:v) ammonium acetate + 4% (v:v) acetonitrile. Under optimized conditions, the detection limits were 0.3 ng L-1 for Hg2+ and 0.2 ng L-1 for MetHg, respectively, with 10 mL injection vs. 0.1 mL eluent; in-line SPE achieved ∼ 100x enrichment. Method precision and accuracy were satisfactory at < 2% relative standard deviations (RSDs) for 20 ng L-1 of Hg2+ and MetHg and 95-102% recoveries for real rice samples. In-line SPE obviated human involvement and avoided invalid transportation between interfaces, rendering this SPE-LC-AFS method easy, compact, robust, yet sensitive in mercury speciation analysis to uphold food safety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenzhen Yao
- Institute of Quality Standard and Testing Technology for Agro-products, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and Key Laboratory of Agro-food Safety and Quality, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing 100081, China; Institute of Quality Standard and Testing Technology, BAAFS (Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences), Beijing 100097, China
| | - Jixin Liu
- Institute of Quality Standard and Testing Technology for Agro-products, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and Key Laboratory of Agro-food Safety and Quality, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing 100081, China; Beijing Ability Technology Company, Limited, Beijing 100081, China.
| | - Xuefei Mao
- Institute of Quality Standard and Testing Technology for Agro-products, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and Key Laboratory of Agro-food Safety and Quality, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing 100081, China.
| | - Guoying Chen
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Eastern Regional Research Center, 600 E. Mermaid Lane, Wyndmoor, PA 19038, USA
| | - Zhihong Ma
- Institute of Quality Standard and Testing Technology, BAAFS (Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences), Beijing 100097, China
| | - Bingru Li
- Institute of Quality Standard and Testing Technology, BAAFS (Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences), Beijing 100097, China
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12
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Liu K, Wu Q, Wang S, Ouyang D, Li Z, Ding D, Li G, Tang Y, Xiang L, Han D, Wen M, Liu T, Duan L, Tian H, Hao J. Highly Resolved Inventory of Mercury Release to Water from Anthropogenic Sources in China. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2021; 55:13860-13868. [PMID: 34590832 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c03759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
This study developed an up-to-date and point-source-based inventory of mercury (Hg) releases to water in China by applying probabilistic release factors that combined industry removal efficiencies, reuse of reclaimed water, and receiving water types. In 2017, the national mercury release to water was estimated to be 50 (35-66) tons, in which 47%, 8%, 7%, and 25% were from nonferrous metal smelting, vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) production, coal-fired boilers, and domestic sewage, respectively. Approximately 95% of mercury was released to inland rivers, and the rest was discharged to lakes or coastal water. The significant sources were identified based on their mercury releases to water. The control of mercury release to water in China shall focus on zinc smelting plants, municipal sewage treatment plants, and the VCM production process. For zinc smelting plants, China can tighten the limit of mercury concentration in discharged wastewater and combine Hg-catcher device in traditional integrated treatment. For municipal sewage treatment plants and the VCM production process, promoting processes of Hg-free production can reduce mercury inputs at the source. Our study provides insights for other parties to identify the relevant sources of mercury release to water and to conduct control measures, so as to promote the global convention implementation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaiyun Liu
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Qingru Wu
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Sources and Control of Air Pollution Complex, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Shuxiao Wang
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Sources and Control of Air Pollution Complex, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Daiwei Ouyang
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Zhijian Li
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Dian Ding
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Guoliang Li
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Yi Tang
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Longyi Xiang
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Deming Han
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Minneng Wen
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Tonghao Liu
- China National Environmental Monitoring Centre, Beijing 100012, China
| | - Lei Duan
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Sources and Control of Air Pollution Complex, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Hezhong Tian
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation & Pollution Control, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Jiming Hao
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Sources and Control of Air Pollution Complex, Beijing 100084, China
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13
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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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14
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Zheng J, Li M, Tang B, Luo W, Ma Y, Ren M, Yu Y, Luo X, Mai B. Levels, Spatial Distribution, and Impact Factors of Heavy Metals in the Hair of Metropolitan Residents in China and Human Health Implications. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2021; 55:10578-10588. [PMID: 34296597 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c02001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Chronic exposure to low levels of heavy metals threatens human health. However, few studies evaluated the health effects and spatial distributions of chronic exposure to heavy metals in metropolitan residents throughout mainland China using unified sampling methods and evaluation indicators at the national level. Here, the concentrations and spatial distributions of heavy metals (As, Cd, Cr, Sb, Pb, and Hg) in the hair of 1202 metropolitan residents from mainland China were analyzed, and differences in age and sex were evaluated. Most target metals exhibited higher concentrations in the hair of residents from South Central China. Generally, male hair had higher As and Se concentrations, whereas female hair had higher Cd and Pb levels (p < 0.05). A significant pairwise correlation existed between most metals in hair, especially Cd-Pb (r = 0.638, p < 0.05). The Se/heavy metal molar ratio is used as an indicator to assess the detoxification ability. The results demonstrated that protecting metropolitan residents in South Central China from heavy metals in their daily life is crucial, particularly for Hg, Pb, and Cr with Se/(Hg, Pb, or Cr) molar ratios < 1. This is the first study to comprehensively consider the antagonistic effects of Se and heavy metals using the molar ratio of Se/heavy metals to evaluate health implications and propose health management policies for metropolitan residents in China.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Zheng
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Guangzhou 510655, P. R. China
| | - Min Li
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Guangzhou 510655, P. R. China
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Resources Utilization and Protection, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Guangzhou 510640, P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P. R. China
| | - Bin Tang
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Guangzhou 510655, P. R. China
| | - Weikeng Luo
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Guangzhou 510655, P. R. China
| | - Yan Ma
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Guangzhou 510655, P. R. China
| | - Mingzhong Ren
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Guangzhou 510655, P. R. China
| | - Yunjiang Yu
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Guangzhou 510655, P. R. China
| | - Xiaojun Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Resources Utilization and Protection, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Guangzhou 510640, P. R. China
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Joint Laboratory for Environmental Pollution and Control, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Guangzhou 510640, P. R. China
| | - Bixian Mai
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Resources Utilization and Protection, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Guangzhou 510640, P. R. China
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Joint Laboratory for Environmental Pollution and Control, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Guangzhou 510640, P. R. China
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15
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Nascimento PC, Ferreira MKM, Balbinot KM, Alves-Júnior SM, Viana Pinheiro JDJ, Silveira FM, Martins MD, Crespo-Lopez ME, Lima RR. Methylmercury-Induced Toxicopathologic Findings in Salivary Glands of Offspring Rats After Gestational and Lactational Exposure. Biol Trace Elem Res 2021; 199:2983-2991. [PMID: 33009984 DOI: 10.1007/s12011-020-02409-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2020] [Accepted: 09/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Methylmercury (MeHg) is one of the main global pollutants. The vulnerability of fetus and newborn to MeHg-induced changes is extensively reported, making relevant investigation possible for alternative sample matrix for human biological monitoring for at this stage of life. This study aimed to characterize tissue change effects of environmental-experimental MeHg on salivary glands of offspring rats after pre- and postnatal exposure. For this, pregnant Wistar rats were orally exposed to MeHg (40 μg/kg BW/day) or only vehicle (control group), from the gestational period to the end of the lactation period. Salivary glands (SG) were collected from the offspring to analyze possible Hg levels and main findings by histopathological evaluations and CK19 and α-SMA immunostaining. The results indicated that Hg levels in SG of intoxicated offspring were associated with histologic abnormalities, such as acinar atrophy and an increase in the intercellular matrix among the acini, as well as damages in the architecture of epithelium and myoepithelial cells, evidenced by a decrease in immunostaining area. Thus, this is the first study to show in the literature the toxicopathologic findings on SG of offspring after pre- and postnatal exposure to MeHg. Moreover, it presents the SG as an attractive target to futures studies, mainly in children exposed to environmentally relevant doses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priscila Cunha Nascimento
- Laboratory of Functional and Structural Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Para, Rua Augusto Corrêa n° 1, Campus do Guamá, Belém, Pará, 66075-110, Brazil
| | - Maria Karolina Martins Ferreira
- Laboratory of Functional and Structural Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Para, Rua Augusto Corrêa n° 1, Campus do Guamá, Belém, Pará, 66075-110, Brazil
| | | | - Sérgio Melo Alves-Júnior
- School of Dentistry, Institute of Health Sciences, Federal University of Pará, Belém, Pará, Brazil
| | | | - Felipe Martins Silveira
- Department of Oral Pathology, School of Dentistry, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Manoela Domingues Martins
- Department of Oral Pathology, School of Dentistry, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Maria Elena Crespo-Lopez
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Pará, Belém, Pará, Brazil
| | - Rafael Rodrigues Lima
- Laboratory of Functional and Structural Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Para, Rua Augusto Corrêa n° 1, Campus do Guamá, Belém, Pará, 66075-110, Brazil.
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16
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Xie Q, Wang Y, Li S, Zhang C, Tian X, Cheng N, Zhang Y, Wang D. Total mercury and methylmercury in human hair and food: Implications for the exposure and health risk to residents in the Three Gorges Reservoir Region, China. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2021; 282:117041. [PMID: 33838440 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.117041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Revised: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/27/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Three Gorges Dam (TGD) is the largest hydroelectric construction in the world, and its potential impacts on the ecological environment and human health risks have invoked considerable global concern. However, as a mercury (Hg) sensitive system, limited work was conducted on the Hg exposure level of local residents around the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR). Thus, 540 human hair samples and 22 species of local food samples were collected to assess the Hg exposure and human health risk to the residents located in the Three Gorges Reservoir Region (TGRR) and to investigate their dietary exposure to Hg. The results showed that the geometric mean concentrations of total mercury (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) in hair were 0.42 ± 0.43 μg g-1 and 0.23 ± 0.32 μg g-1, respectively, lower than the reference level (1.0 μg g-1) recommended by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), indicating a low level Hg exposure for residents around the TGR. No significant difference in the accumulation of Hg in hair between the gender subgroups was observed, whereas age difference, smoking and alcohol drinking behavior, and fish consumption frequency were significant predictors of hair Hg level. Besides, THg and MeHg of all the investigated food samples did not exceed the corresponding Chinese national standard. The average probable daily intakes (PDIs) of THg and MeHg were 0.032 μg kg-1 day-1 and 0.007 μg kg-1 day-1, which were obviously below the recommended values of 0.57 μg kg-1 day-1 and 0.1 μg kg-1 day-1, respectively. The cereal (mainly rice) contribution of THg (76.0%) and MeHg (74.4%) intakes to the local residents around the TGR was much higher than that of fish (10.7% and 22.9%, respectively) due to the considerable rice consumption. Overall, residents around the TGR were at a low Hg exposure and rice consumption was the major pathway for Hg exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing Xie
- Interdisciplinary Research Center for Agriculture Green Development in Yangtze River Basin, College of Resources and Environment, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Yongmin Wang
- Interdisciplinary Research Center for Agriculture Green Development in Yangtze River Basin, College of Resources and Environment, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Shouying Li
- Interdisciplinary Research Center for Agriculture Green Development in Yangtze River Basin, College of Resources and Environment, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Cheng Zhang
- Interdisciplinary Research Center for Agriculture Green Development in Yangtze River Basin, College of Resources and Environment, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Xiaosong Tian
- Interdisciplinary Research Center for Agriculture Green Development in Yangtze River Basin, College of Resources and Environment, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Nan Cheng
- Interdisciplinary Research Center for Agriculture Green Development in Yangtze River Basin, College of Resources and Environment, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Yongjiang Zhang
- Interdisciplinary Research Center for Agriculture Green Development in Yangtze River Basin, College of Resources and Environment, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China; Department of Environment and Quality Test, Chongqing Chemical Industry Vocational College, Chongqing, 401220, China
| | - Dingyong Wang
- Interdisciplinary Research Center for Agriculture Green Development in Yangtze River Basin, College of Resources and Environment, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China.
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Lum JTS, Chan YN, Leung KSY. Current applications and future perspectives on elemental analysis of non-invasive samples for human biomonitoring. Talanta 2021; 234:122683. [PMID: 34364482 DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2021.122683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Revised: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/09/2022]
Abstract
Humans are continuously exposed to numerous environmental pollutants including potentially toxic elements. Essential elements play an important role in human health. Abnormal elemental levels in the body, in different forms that existed, have been reported to be correlated with different diseases and environmental exposure. Blood is the conventional biological sample used in human biomonitoring. However, blood samples can only reflect short-term exposure and require invasive sampling, which poses infection risk to individuals. In recent years, the number of research evaluating the effectiveness of non-invasive samples (hair, nails, urine, meconium, breast milk, placenta, cord blood, saliva and teeth) for human biomonitoring is increasing. These samples can be collected easily and provide extra information in addition to blood analysis. Yet, the correlation between the elemental concentration in non-invasive samples and in blood is not well established, which hinders the application of those samples in routine human biomonitoring. This review aims at providing a fundamental overview of analytical methods of non-invasive samples in human biomonitoring. The content covers the sample collection and pretreatment, sample preparation and instrumental analysis. The technical discussions are separated into solution analysis and solid analysis. In the last section, the authors highlight some of the perspectives on the future of elemental analysis in human biomonitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judy Tsz-Shan Lum
- Department of Chemistry, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
| | - Yun-Nam Chan
- Department of Chemistry, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
| | - Kelvin Sze-Yin Leung
- Department of Chemistry, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; HKBU Institute of Research and Continuing Education, Shenzhen Virtual University Park, Shenzhen, China.
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18
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Du B, Li P, Feng X, Yin R, Zhou J, Maurice L. Monthly variations in mercury exposure of school children and adults in an industrial area of southwestern China. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2021; 196:110362. [PMID: 33169691 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.110362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2020] [Revised: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 10/16/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Recent studies have shown that rice consumption can be the major pathway for human methylmercury (MeHg) exposure in inland China. However, few studies have considered the susceptible population of school children's exposure through rice ingestion. In this study, monthly variations in total Hg (THg)/MeHg concentrations in rice, fish, hair, and urine samples were studied to evaluate the Hg (both THg and MeHg) exposure in Guiyang, a typical industrial area with high anthropogenic emission of Hg. A total of 17 primary school (school A) students, 29 middle school (school B) students, and 46 guardians participated in this study for one year. Hair THg, hair MeHg, and urine THg concentrations ranged from 355-413 ng g-1, 213-236 ng g-1, and 469-518 ng g-1 Creatinine (ng·g-1 Cr), respectively, and no significant differences were observed between different genders and age groups. Hair and urine Hg concentrations showed slightly higher values in the cold season (October to February) than the hot season (March to September), but without significant difference. High monthly variability of individual hair and urine Hg concentrations suggested that long-term study could effectively decrease the uncertainty. The school students showed significantly higher urine THg concentrations than adults due to children's unique physiological structure and behaviors. Probable daily intake (PDI) of MeHg via rice and fish ingestion averaged at 0.0091, 0.0090, and 0.0079 μg kg-1 d-1 for school A students, school B students, and their guardians, respectively, which means that 86%, 84%, and 87% of the PDI were originated from rice ingestion, respectively. Therefore, more attention should be paid to children as a susceptible population. The results indicated low risk of Hg exposure via rice and fish consumption for urban residents in a Chinese industrial city.
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Affiliation(s)
- Buyun Du
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, 550081, China; Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Environmental Protection, Nanjing, 210042, China
| | - Ping Li
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, 550081, China.
| | - Xinbin Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, 550081, China.
| | - Runsheng Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Ore Deposit Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, 550081, China
| | - Jun Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Soil Environment and Pollution Remediation, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Laurence Maurice
- Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées, Laboratoire Géosciences Environnement Toulouse, IRD-CNRS-Université Toulouse, 14 Avenue Edouard Belin, Toulouse, 31400, France
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19
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Rothenberg SE, Korrick SA, Liu J, Nong Y, Nong H, Hong C, Trinh EP, Jiang X, Biasini FJ, Ouyang F. Maternal methylmercury exposure through rice ingestion and child neurodevelopment in the first three years: a prospective cohort study in rural China. Environ Health 2021; 20:50. [PMID: 33910568 PMCID: PMC8082930 DOI: 10.1186/s12940-021-00732-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2020] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Rice is an important dietary source for methylmercury; however, rice does not contain the same beneficial nutrients as fish. Our main objective was to assess associations of prenatal methylmercury exposure through rice ingestion with child neurodevelopment in rural China. METHODS Eligible peripartum women were enrolled (n = 391), provided peripartum hair samples, and children's neurodevelopment was assessed at 12 months (n = 264, 68%) and 36 months (n = 190, 48%) using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development, 2nd Edition, including the Mental Developmental Index (MDI) and the Psychomotor Developmental Index (PDI). Associations between prenatal methylmercury exposure during the third trimester [log2 maternal hair total mercury (THg)] and child's neurodevelopment were assessed using linear mixed models for repeated measures. RESULTS In adjusted models, a doubling in maternal hair THg corresponded to a 1.3-point decrement in the MDI score [95% confidence interval (CI): - 2.6, - 0.14], and a 1.2-point decrement in the PDI score (95% CI: - 2.6, 0.14). Overall, adverse associations between maternal hair THg and MDI scores attenuated over time. However, associations were robust and stable over time among children whose primary caregiver was their parent(s). During the study follow-up, an increasing proportion of children were raised by grandparents (12 months: 9% versus 36 months: 27%), a trend associated with rural-to-urban parental migration for work. CONCLUSIONS For young children living in rural China, a biomarker of prenatal methylmercury exposure was associated with decrements in cognitive function assessed between 12 and 36 months of age. Changes in the family structure over the study follow-up time interval potentially impacted children's sensitivity to prenatal methylmercury exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E Rothenberg
- College of Public Health and Human Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA.
| | - Susan A Korrick
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jihong Liu
- Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Yanfen Nong
- Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Daxin County, China
| | - Hua Nong
- Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Daxin County, China
| | - Chuan Hong
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Eva P Trinh
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
- Present address: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Xu Jiang
- Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
- Present address: Department of Psychological Studies in Education, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Fred J Biasini
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Fengxiu Ouyang
- Ministry of Education and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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20
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Rothenberg SE, Chen Q, Shen J, Nong Y, Nong H, Trinh EP, Biasini FJ, Liu J, Zeng X, Zou Y, Ouyang F, Korrick SA. Neurodevelopment correlates with gut microbiota in a cross-sectional analysis of children at 3 years of age in rural China. Sci Rep 2021; 11:7384. [PMID: 33795717 PMCID: PMC8016964 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-86761-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2020] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
We investigated cross-sectional associations between children's neurodevelopment and their gut microbiota composition. Study children (36 months of age) lived in rural China (n = 46). Neurodevelopment was assessed using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development, 2nd Edition, yielding the Mental Developmental Index (MDI) and Psychomotor Developmental Index (PDI). Children's gut microbiota was assessed using 16S rRNA gene profiling. Microbial diversity was characterized using alpha diversity patterns. Additionally, 3 coabundance factors were determined for the 25 most abundant taxa. Multivariable linear regression models were constructed to examine the relationships between Bayley scores (MDI and PDI) and children's gut microbiota. In adjusted models, MDI and PDI scores were not associated with alpha diversity indices. However, in adjusted models, MDI and PDI scores were positively associated with the first coabundance factor, which captured positive loadings for the genera Faecalibacterium, Sutterella, and Clostridium cluster XIVa. For an interquartile range increase in the first coabundance factor, MDI scores increased by 3.9 points [95% confidence interval (CI): 0, 7.7], while PDI scores increased by 8.6 points (95% CI 3.1, 14). Our results highlight the potential for gut microbial compositional characteristics to be important correlates of children's Bayley Scales performance at 36 months of age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E Rothenberg
- College of Public Health and Human Sciences, Oregon State University, 103 Milam Hall, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA.
| | - Qiurong Chen
- Key Laboratory of Systems Biomedicine (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Center for Systems Biomedicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jian Shen
- Key Laboratory of Systems Biomedicine (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Center for Systems Biomedicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yanfen Nong
- Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Daxin County, China
| | - Hua Nong
- Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Daxin County, China
| | - Eva P Trinh
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Fred J Biasini
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Jihong Liu
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Xiaoyun Zeng
- Department of Epidemiology and Statistics, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Yunfeng Zou
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Fengxiu Ouyang
- Ministry of Education and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Susan A Korrick
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
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21
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Feng L, Zhang C, Liu H, Li P, Hu X, Wang H, Chan HM, Feng X. Impact of low-level mercury exposure on intelligence quotient in children via rice consumption. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2020; 202:110870. [PMID: 32593806 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2020.110870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2020] [Revised: 05/27/2020] [Accepted: 06/06/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Wanshan is a city in southwest China that has several inactive mercury (Hg) mines. The local population are exposed to methylmercury (MeHg) due to the consumption of Hg contaminated rice. The relationship between Hg exposure and the cognitive functions of local children is unknown. This study investigated the relationship between hair Hg concentrations and the intelligence quotient (IQ) of 314 children aged 8-10 years, recruited from three local primary schools in Wanshan area in 2018 and 2019. IQ was evaluated using Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children - Fourth Edition (WISC-IV). The average THg concentration in children's hair samples was 1.53 μg g-1 (range: 0.21-12.6 μg g-1), and 65.6% exceeded the United States Environment Protection Agency (USEPA) recommended value of 1 μg g-1. Results of logistic regression analysis showed that children with hair Hg ≥ 1 μg g-1 were 1.58 times more likely to have an IQ score <80, which is the clinical cut-off for borderline intellectual disability (R2 = 0.20, p = 0.03). Increasing of 1 μg g-1 hair Hg resulted in 1 point of IQ loss in Wanshan children, which was.much higher than that via fish consumption. The economical cost due to Hg exposure was estimated to be $69.8 million (9.43% of total GDP) in the Wanshan area in 2018.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Feng
- School of Public Health/Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Monitoring and Disease Control, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550025, China
| | - Chanchan Zhang
- School of Public Health/Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Monitoring and Disease Control, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550025, China
| | - Haohao Liu
- School of Public Health/Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Monitoring and Disease Control, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550025, China
| | - Ping Li
- School of Public Health/Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Monitoring and Disease Control, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550025, China; State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, 550081, China.
| | - Xuefeng Hu
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Huiqun Wang
- School of Public Health/Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Monitoring and Disease Control, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550025, China
| | - Hing Man Chan
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Xinbin Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, 550081, China
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22
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Wells EM, Kopylev L, Nachman R, Radke EG, Segal D. Seafood, wine, rice, vegetables, and other food items associated with mercury biomarkers among seafood and non-seafood consumers: NHANES 2011-2012. JOURNAL OF EXPOSURE SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENTAL EPIDEMIOLOGY 2020; 30:504-514. [PMID: 32015433 PMCID: PMC7183423 DOI: 10.1038/s41370-020-0206-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2019] [Revised: 12/03/2019] [Accepted: 12/23/2019] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Fish/seafood consumption is a source of mercury; other dietary sources are not well described. This cross-sectional study used National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011-2012 data. Participants self-reported consuming fish/seafood (N = 5427) or not (N = 1770) within the past 30 days. Whole blood total mercury (THg), methylmercury (MeHg), and urinary mercury (UHg) were determined. Diet was assessed using 24 h recall. Adjusted regression models predicted mercury biomarker concentrations with recent food consumption, while controlling for age, sex, education, and race/ethnicity. Geometric mean THg was 0.89 µg/L (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.78, 1.02) (seafood consumers) and 0.31 µg/L (95% CI: 0.28, 0.34) (non-seafood consumers); MeHg and UHg concentrations follow similar patterns. In adjusted regressions among seafood consumers, significant associations were observed between mercury biomarkers with multiple foods, including fish/seafood, wine, rice, vegetables/vegetable oil, liquor, and beans/nuts/soy. Among non-seafood consumers, higher THg was significantly associated with mixed rice dishes, vegetables/vegetable oil, liquor, and approached statistical significance with wine (p < 0.10); higher MeHg was significantly associated with wine and higher UHg was significantly associated with mixed rice dishes. Fish/seafood consumption is the strongest dietary predictor of mercury biomarker concentrations; however, consumption of wine, rice, vegetables/vegetable oil, or liquor may also contribute, especially among non-seafood consumers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen M Wells
- School of Health Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
- Department of Public Health, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
| | - Leonid Kopylev
- National Center for Environmental Assessment, Office of Research and Development, US Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Rebecca Nachman
- National Center for Environmental Assessment, Office of Research and Development, US Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Elizabeth G Radke
- National Center for Environmental Assessment, Office of Research and Development, US Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Deborah Segal
- National Center for Environmental Assessment, Office of Research and Development, US Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, USA
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23
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Xu X, Han J, Pang J, Wang X, Lin Y, Wang Y, Qiu G. Methylmercury and inorganic mercury in Chinese commercial rice: Implications for overestimated human exposure and health risk. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2020; 258:113706. [PMID: 31864929 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2019.113706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2019] [Revised: 11/28/2019] [Accepted: 11/29/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
China is the largest rice producer and consumer in the world, and mercury (Hg) levels, particularly methylmercury (MeHg), in rice and health exposure risks are public concerns. Total Hg (THg) and MeHg levels in 767 (domestic = 709 and abroad = 58) Chinese commercial rice were investigated to evaluate Hg pollution level, dietary exposures and risks of IHg and MeHg. The mean rice THg and MeHg levels were 3.97 ± 2.33 μg/kg and 1.37 ± 1.18 μg/kg, respectively. The highest daily intake of MeHg and IHg were obtained in younger groups, accounted for 6% of the reference dose-0.1 μg/kg bw/day for MeHg, 0.3% of the provisional tolerance week intake-0.571 μg/kg bw/day for IHg. Residents in Central China and Southern China meet the highest rice Hg exposure, which were more than 7 times of those in Northwest China. Lower concentrations than earlier studies were observed along the implementations of strict policies since 2007. This may indicate that a declining temporal trend of Hg in Chinese grown rice and associated exposures could be obtained with the implementations of strict policies. Though there exist Hg pollution in commercial rice, Hg levels in Chinese commercial rice is generally safe compared with Hg polluted sites. Populations dwelling in China have relatively a quite low and safe MeHg and IHg exposure via the intake of commercial rice. Strict policies contributed to the decrease in THg and MeHg levels in Chinese-grown rice. More attention should be paid to younger groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaohang Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, 550081, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Jialiang Han
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, 550081, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Jian Pang
- Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang, 550001, China
| | - Xun Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, 550081, China
| | - Yan Lin
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research, Oslo, 0349, Norway
| | - Yajie Wang
- College of Food Safety, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550025, China
| | - Guangle Qiu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, 550081, China.
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24
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Liu M, Cheng M, Zhang Q, Hansen G, He Y, Yu C, Lin H, Zhang H, Wang X. Significant elevation of human methylmercury exposure induced by the food trade in Beijing, a developing megacity. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2020; 135:105392. [PMID: 31864030 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2019.105392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2019] [Revised: 12/02/2019] [Accepted: 12/03/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Methylmercury (MeHg) poses health risks to humans worldwide. The investigation of a longer chain of biogeochemical MeHg transport from production to consumption than that addressed in previous studies could provide additional scientific foundation for the reduction of risks. The main objective of this study is to identify the impacts of the interregional food trade along with the age, gender and socioeconomic status of people on human MeHg exposure in a developing megacity. Based on a field investigation, sampling and measurements, we provide experimental evidence regarding the substantial displacement of human MeHg exposure from production areas to consumption areas induced by the food trade. In 2018, 20% and 64% of the exposure in Beijing originated from the international and interprovincial food trade, respectively. Meanwhile, the ingestion of fish contributed 79% to the total exposure, followed by rice (4.4%), crab (3.8%) and shrimp (2.7%), and the exposure risk in urban districts was higher than that in rural areas by a factor of 2.2. A significantly higher contribution of imported deep-sea species to exposure among young people than among older people was observed (P < 0.01**), and a larger contribution of the international food trade to the MeHg exposure risk for women of childbearing age (average: 27%) than that among other groups (average: 10%) was found. Overall, our efforts demonstrate the dramatic impact of the food trade on MeHg exposure in a developing megacity, and we suggest that MeHg-susceptible populations in China should choose indigenous fish species (e.g., hairtail, yellow croaker and carp species) rather than imported deep-sea species as their dietary protein source.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maodian Liu
- Ministry of Education Laboratory of Earth Surface Process, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Menghan Cheng
- 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; School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Gunnar Hansen
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of Connecticut, 1080 Shennecossett Road, Groton, CT 06340, USA
| | - Yipeng He
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of Connecticut, 1080 Shennecossett Road, Groton, CT 06340, USA
| | - Chenghao Yu
- 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
| | - Haoran Zhang
- Ministry of Education Laboratory of Earth Surface Process, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, 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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25
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Rothenberg SE, Wagner CL, Hamidi B, Alekseyenko AV, Andrea Azcarate-Peril M. Longitudinal changes during pregnancy in gut microbiota and methylmercury biomarkers, and reversal of microbe-exposure correlations. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2019; 172:700-712. [PMID: 30903970 PMCID: PMC6675619 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2019.01.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2018] [Revised: 01/06/2019] [Accepted: 01/08/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Gut microorganisms contribute to the metabolism of environmental toxicants, including methylmercury (MeHg). Our main objective was to investigate whether associations between biomarkers for prenatal MeHg exposure and maternal gut microbiota differed between early and late gestation. METHODS Maternal blood and stool samples were collected during early (8.3-17 weeks, n=28) and late (27-36 weeks, n=24) gestation. Total mercury and MeHg concentrations were quantified in biomarkers, and inorganic mercury was estimated by subtraction. The diversity and structure of the gut microbiota were investigated using 16S rRNA gene profiling (n = 52). Biomarkers were dichotomized, and diversity patterns were compared between high/low mercury concentrations. Spearman's correlation was used to assess bivariate associations between MeHg biomarkers (stool, blood, and meconium), and 23 gut microbial taxa (genus or family level, >1% average relative abundance). RESULTS Within-person and between-person diversity patterns in gut microbiota differed between early/late gestation. The overall composition of the microbiome differed between high/low MeHg concentrations (in blood and stool) during early gestation, but not late gestation. Ten (of 23) taxa were significantly correlated with MeHg biomarkers (increasing or decreasing); however, associations differed, depending on whether the sample was collected during early or late gestation. A total of 43% of associations (69/161) reversed the direction of correlation between early/late gestation. CONCLUSIONS The time point at which a maternal fecal sample is collected may yield different associations between gut microorganisms and MeHg biomarkers, which may be due in part to remodeling of maternal microbiota during pregnancy. Our results suggest the effectiveness of dietary interventions to reduce prenatal MeHg exposure may differ between early and late gestation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E Rothenberg
- School of Biological and Population Health Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA.
| | - Carol L Wagner
- Department of Pediatrics, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Bashir Hamidi
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Alexander V Alekseyenko
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - M Andrea Azcarate-Peril
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology and Microbiome Core Facility, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
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26
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Vianna ADS, Matos EPD, Jesus IMD, Asmus CIRF, Câmara VDM. Human exposure to mercury and its hematological effects: a systematic review. CAD SAUDE PUBLICA 2019; 35:e00091618. [PMID: 30758455 DOI: 10.1590/0102-311x00091618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2018] [Accepted: 10/25/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Mercury is a metal found in the environment from natural and anthropogenic sources. It is highly toxic to ecosystems and living beings. Most human exposures come from ingestion of contaminated seafood, outgassing from dental amalgam or occupational exposure (e.g. gold mining), among other cases. Large populations are exposed to mercury, making it a very important issue from the public health perspective. Adverse health effects are commonly seen in the nervous system, but every organ is a potential target, such as the bone marrow. The main goal of this study was to assess the available evidence on human exposure to mercury and its hematological effects. A search strategy was constructed, including key terms (MeSH, text word and equivalents) for querying 2 repositories of master dissertation and PhD thesis (Fiocruz/ARCA and University of São Paulo) and 4 different electronic databases: BVS/LILACS, MEDLINE/PubMed, Scopus and TOXLINE/NIH, for articles published from 1950 to February 2018. There was no language restriction and a tool (EPHPP) was used to assess the quality of included studies. According to pre-established criteria, 80 studies were retrieved, all of them observational (48 case reports, 24 cross-sectional, 6 case series and 2 cohorts), comprising 9,284 people. Despite the fact that most exposed ones (6,012) had normal blood cell count and mercury hematological effects did not seem very usual (1,914 cases: 14 severe and 29 deaths), three studies reported association (β) for anemia, lymphopenia, neutrophilia and basophilia. We concluded that the gathered information pointed to mercury hematotoxic effects, some of them may be serious and even fatal.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Carmen Ildes Rodrigues Fróes Asmus
- Instituto de Estudos de Saúde Coletiva, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil.,Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil
| | - Volney de Magalhães Câmara
- Instituto de Estudos de Saúde Coletiva, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil.,Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil
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27
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Liu M, Chen L, He Y, Baumann Z, Mason RP, Shen H, Yu C, Zhang W, Zhang Q, Wang X. Impacts of farmed fish consumption and food trade on methylmercury exposure in China. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2018; 120:333-344. [PMID: 30114623 PMCID: PMC6174094 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2018.08.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2018] [Revised: 08/02/2018] [Accepted: 08/02/2018] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
The global pollutant mercury (Hg), especially as methylmercury (MeHg), threatens human and ecosystem health. But major contributors of MeHg exposure to people in China remain highly debated. We developed the China Mercury Exposure Assessment (CMEA) model, which incorporates human exposure pathways for MeHg and total Hg (THg), the interregional, including international and interprovincial, food trading as well as human physiology to provide a comprehensive system that can evaluate the pathway of Hg forms to human consumers in China. Based on the CMEA model that employed the most comprehensive and recent data, we have found that the Probable Daily Intake (PDI) of MeHg for the Chinese population was 0.057 (range: 0.036-0.091 as 60% confidence interval) μg·kg-1·day-1, while that of THg was 0.35 (range: 0.22-0.55) μg·kg-1·day-1. MeHg exposure was dominated by fish intake, especially by farm-raised freshwater fish due to higher consumption of these fish. In 2011, fish intake contributed to 56% to the total MeHg exposure, followed by rice (26%). Consumption of farm-raised fish reduced human exposure to MeHg by 33%. On the other hand, interregional food trading increased MeHg exposure of the Chinese population, as a whole, by 7.6%. The international and interprovincial food trades contributed to 5.1% and 22% of MeHg intake, respectively. For the whole China, fish intake related exposure to MeHg was highest for the Eastern and Northeastern populations, while Tibetans were chronically exposed to the highest MeHg from other sources. Our findings highlight the importance of farmed fish and food trade for MeHg exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maodian Liu
- Ministry of Education Laboratory of Earth Surface Process, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; Department of Marine Sciences, University of Connecticut, 1080 Shennecossett Road, Groton, CT 06340, USA
| | - Long Chen
- Key Laboratory of Geographic Information Science, Ministry of Education, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China; School of Geographic Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Yipeng He
- Ministry of Education Laboratory of Earth Surface Process, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; Department of Marine Sciences, University of Connecticut, 1080 Shennecossett Road, Groton, CT 06340, USA
| | - Zofia Baumann
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of Connecticut, 1080 Shennecossett Road, Groton, CT 06340, USA
| | - Robert P Mason
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of Connecticut, 1080 Shennecossett Road, Groton, CT 06340, USA
| | - Huizhong Shen
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Chenghao Yu
- Ministry of Education Laboratory of Earth Surface Process, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- School of Environment and Natural Resources, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, 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; Chinese Academy of Sciences Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, Beijing 100101, 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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Wang Z, Sun T, Driscoll CT, Yin Y, Zhang X. Mechanism of Accumulation of Methylmercury in Rice ( Oryza sativa L.) in a Mercury Mining Area. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2018; 52:9749-9757. [PMID: 30129363 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.8b01783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Rice consumption is the primary pathway for methylmercury (MeHg) exposure at inland mercury (Hg) mining areas of China. The sources and processes of formation and translocation for MeHg in rice plant are complex and remain largely unknown. In this study, rice ( Oryza sativa L.) was exposed to isotopically labeled dimethylmercury (DMe199Hg) in field experiments using open top chambers to explore the response of MeHg accumulation in rice tissues to different levels of DMe199Hg in air. Rice leaves assimilated DMeHg from air, which was subsequently largely stored in aboveground tissues, including the rice grain, with only a small amount reaching the root. Combining these experimental results with field investigations of DMeHg concentrations in air beneath the rice canopy in a Hg mining area, we estimate that 15.5%, 10.8%, and 8.50% MeHg in the brown rice, the leaf, and the upper stalk, respectively, could be derived from atmospheric sources of DMeHg, while 99.5% of MeHg in rice root originated from the rice soil-water system. These findings help refine the mechanism of MeHg accumulation in rice that, in addition to soil, a fraction of MeHg in rice plants can be derived from DMeHg emissions from flooded rice paddies in Hg mining areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhangwei Wang
- Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences , Chinese Academy of Sciences , No. 18 Shuangqing Road , Beijing 100085 , China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100049 , China
| | - Ting Sun
- Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences , Chinese Academy of Sciences , No. 18 Shuangqing Road , Beijing 100085 , China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100049 , China
| | - Charles T Driscoll
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering , Syracuse University , 151 Link Hall , Syracuse , New York 13244 , United States
| | - Yongguang Yin
- Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences , Chinese Academy of Sciences , No. 18 Shuangqing Road , Beijing 100085 , China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100049 , China
| | - Xiaoshan Zhang
- Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences , Chinese Academy of Sciences , No. 18 Shuangqing Road , Beijing 100085 , China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100049 , China
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29
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Donohue A, Wagner CL, Burch JB, Rothenberg SE. Blood total mercury and methylmercury among pregnant mothers in Charleston, South Carolina, USA. JOURNAL OF EXPOSURE SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENTAL EPIDEMIOLOGY 2018; 28:494-504. [PMID: 29670220 PMCID: PMC7425126 DOI: 10.1038/s41370-018-0033-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2017] [Revised: 02/06/2018] [Accepted: 02/23/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Maternal blood total mercury (THg) is a biomarker for prenatal methylmercury (MeHg) exposure. Few studies have quantified both blood THg and MeHg during pregnancy, and few studies have reported longitudinal trends. OBJECTIVES We analyzed blood THg and MeHg in a cohort of pregnant mothers in Charleston, South Carolina (n = 83), and investigated whether blood THg or MeHg changed between early and late gestation. METHODS THg and MeHg were analyzed in blood samples from early (12 ± 1.7 weeks) and late (35 ± 2.2 weeks) gestation. RESULTS Blood %MeHg (of THg) averaged 63% (range: 10-114%) and 61% (range: 12-117%) during early and late gestation, respectively. In unadjusted analyses, blood MeHg decreased from early to late pregnancy (paired t-test, p = 0.04), while THg did not change (paired t-test, p = 0.34). When blood MeHg was normalized by the hematocrit, this decrease was no longer statistically significant (paired t-test, p = 0.09). CONCLUSIONS In unadjusted analyses, blood MeHg, but not THg, decreased significantly between early and late gestation; this decrease was due in part to hemodilution. Percent MeHg (of THg) varied by up to one order of magnitude. Results highlight the importance of Hg speciation in maternal blood samples to assess prenatal MeHg exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexis Donohue
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Carol L Wagner
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - James B Burch
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
- WJB Dorn, Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Sarah E Rothenberg
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA.
- School of Biological and Population Health Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA.
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30
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Liu M, He Y, Baumann Z, Yu C, Ge S, Sun X, Cheng M, Shen H, Mason RP, Chen L, Zhang Q, Wang X. Traditional Tibetan Medicine Induced High Methylmercury Exposure Level and Environmental Mercury Burden in Tibet, China. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2018; 52:8838-8847. [PMID: 30019578 PMCID: PMC6147262 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.8b01754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Highly elevated concentrations of total mercury (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) were found in the municipal sewage in Tibet. Material flow analysis supports the hypothesis that these elevated concentrations are related to regular ingestion of Hg-containing Traditional Tibetan Medicine (TTM). In Tibet in 2015, a total of 3600 kg of THg was released from human body into the terrestrial environment as a result of TTM ingestion, amounting to 45% of the total THg release into the terrestrial environment in Tibet, hence substantially enhancing the environmental Hg burden. Regular ingestion of TTM leads to chronic exposure of Tibetans to inorganic Hg (IHg) and MeHg, which is 34 to 3000-fold and 0-12-fold higher than from any other known dietary sources, respectively. Application of a human physiology model demonstrated that ingestion of TTM can induce high blood IHg and MeHg levels in the human body. Moreover, 180 days would be required for the MeHg to be cleared out of the human body and return to the initial concentration i.e. prior to the ingestion of 1 TTM pill. Our analysis suggests that high Hg level contained in TTM could be harmful to human health and elevate the environmental Hg burden in Tibet.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maodian Liu
- Ministry of Education Laboratory of Earth Surface Process, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of Connecticut, 1080 Shennecossett Road, Groton, CT 06340, USA
| | - Yipeng He
- Ministry of Education Laboratory of Earth Surface Process, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of Connecticut, 1080 Shennecossett Road, Groton, CT 06340, USA
| | - Zofia Baumann
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of Connecticut, 1080 Shennecossett Road, Groton, CT 06340, USA
| | - Chenghao Yu
- Ministry of Education Laboratory of Earth Surface Process, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Shidong Ge
- Ministry of Education Laboratory of Earth Surface Process, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Xuejun Sun
- Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environment Changes and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- Graduate University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Menghan Cheng
- Ministry of Education Laboratory of Earth Surface Process, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Huizhong Shen
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Robert P. Mason
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of Connecticut, 1080 Shennecossett Road, Groton, CT 06340, USA
| | - Long Chen
- Key Laboratory of Geographic Information Science (Ministry of Education), East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
- School of Geographic Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, 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
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, Beijing 100101, 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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31
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Gong Y, Nunes LM, Greenfield BK, Qin Z, Yang Q, Huang L, Bu W, Zhong H. Bioaccessibility-corrected risk assessment of urban dietary methylmercury exposure via fish and rice consumption in China. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 630:222-230. [PMID: 29477821 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.02.224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2017] [Revised: 02/18/2018] [Accepted: 02/18/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The role of seafood consumption for dietary methylmercury (MeHg) exposure is well established. Recent studies also reveal that rice consumption can be an important pathway for dietary MeHg exposure in some Hg-contaminated areas. However, little is known about the relative importance of rice versus finfish in MeHg exposure for urban residents in uncontaminated areas. Especially, the lack of data on MeHg bioaccessibility in rice hinders accurately assessing MeHg exposure via rice consumption, and its importance compared to fish. By correcting commonly used risk models with quantified MeHg bioaccessibility, we provide the first bioaccessibility-corrected comparison on MeHg risk in rice and fish for consumers in non-contaminated urban areas of China, on both city- and province-scales. Market-available fish and rice samples were cooked and quantified for MeHg bioaccessibility. Methylmercury bioaccessibility in rice (40.5±9.4%) was significantly (p<0.05) lower than in fish (61.4±14.2%). This difference does not result from selenium content but may result from differences in protein or fiber content. Bioaccessibility-corrected hazard quotients (HQs) were calculated to evaluate consumption hazard of MeHg for consumers in Nanjing city, and Monte Carlo Simulations were employed to evaluate uncertainty and variability. Results indicate that MeHg HQs were 0.14 (P50) and 0.54 (P90). Rice consumption comprised 27.2% of the overall dietary exposure to MeHg in Nanjing, while fish comprised 72.8%. Employing our bioaccessibility data combined with literature parameters, calculated relative contribution to MeHg exposure from rice (versus fish) was high in western provinces of China, including Sichuan (95.6%) and Guizhou (81.5%), and low to moderate in eastern and southern provinces (Guangdong: 6.6%, Jiangsu: 17.7%, Shanghai: 15.1%, Guangxi: 20.6%, Jiangxi: 22.8% and Hunan: 25.9%). This bioaccessibility-corrected comparison of rice versus fish indicates that rice consumption can substantively contribute to dietary MeHg exposure risk for urban populations in Asia, and should be regularly included in dietary MeHg exposure assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Gong
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Luís M Nunes
- University of Algarve, Civil Engineering Research and Innovation for Sustainability Center, Faro, Portugal
| | - Ben K Greenfield
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Edwardsville, IL 62026, USA
| | - Zhen Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Qianqi Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Lei Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenbo Bu
- Institute of Dermatology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Huan Zhong
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China; Environmental and Life Sciences Program (EnLS), Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada.
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32
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Tanner KC, Windham-Myers L, Marvin-DiPasquale M, Fleck JA, Tate KW, Linquist BA. Methylmercury Dynamics in Upper Sacramento Valley Rice Fields with Low Background Soil Mercury Levels. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY 2018; 47:830-838. [PMID: 30025065 DOI: 10.2134/jeq2017.10.0390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Few studies have considered how methylmercury (MeHg, a toxic form of Hg produced in anaerobic soils) production in rice ( L.) fields can affect water quality, and little is known about MeHg dynamics in rice fields. Surface water MeHg and total Hg (THg) imports, exports, and storage were studied in two commercial rice fields in the Sacramento Valley, California, where soil THg was low (25 and 57 ng g). The median concentration of MeHg in drainage water exiting the fields was 0.17 ng g (range: <0.007-2.1 ng g). Compared with irrigation water, drainage water had similar MeHg concentrations, and lower THg concentrations during the growing season. Significantly elevated drainage water MeHg and THg concentrations were observed in the fallow season compared with the growing season. An analysis of surface water loads indicates that fields were net importers of both MeHg (76-110 ng m) and THg (1947-7224 ng m) during the growing season, and net exporters of MeHg (35-200 ng m) and THg (248-6496 ng m) during the fallow season. At harvest, 190 to 700 ng MeHg m and 1400 to 1700 ng THg m were removed from fields in rice grain. Rice straw, which contained 120 to 180 ng MeHg m and 7000-10,500 ng m THg was incorporated into the soil. These results indicate that efforts to reduce MeHg and THg exports in rice drainage water should focus on the fallow season. Substantial amounts of MeHg and THg were stored in plants, and these pools should be considered in future studies.
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33
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Punshon T, Jackson BP. Essential micronutrient and toxic trace element concentrations in gluten containing and gluten-free foods. Food Chem 2018; 252:258-264. [PMID: 29478539 PMCID: PMC5830128 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2018.01.120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2017] [Revised: 01/04/2018] [Accepted: 01/18/2018] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
For individuals following a gluten-free (GF) diet, rice is commonly the major grain. People following a GF diet have a higher arsenic burden than the general population. We conducted a multielemental market basket study of GF and gluten containing ingredients and prepared foods (Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cr, Co, Se, Cd, Sb, Pb, total As, As species, total Hg and methylmercury). Foods containing rice were significantly higher in As, Hg and Pb and lower in Se, Fe, Cu and Zn. Wheat-based foods were higher in Cd. Mercury concentrations were low (<3.5 ng/g); speciation was predominantly methylmercury. Arsenic and mercury in rice were correlated. GF foods contained significantly more As and Hg. Eating a wide variety of GF grains may reduce contaminant exposure and increase micronutrient status compared to a rice-based GF diet.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tracy Punshon
- Department of Biological Sciences, Class of 1978 Life Sciences Center, 78 College Street, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755 USA.
| | - Brian P Jackson
- Department of Earth Sciences, 19 Fayerweather Hill Road, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755 USA.
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34
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Palacios-Torres Y, Caballero-Gallardo K, Olivero-Verbel J. Mercury pollution by gold mining in a global biodiversity hotspot, the Choco biogeographic region, Colombia. CHEMOSPHERE 2018; 193:421-430. [PMID: 29154117 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2017.10.160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2017] [Revised: 10/22/2017] [Accepted: 10/29/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) is a harmful pollutant released into the environment from gold mining activities, representing a risk to human health and the ecosystems. The aim of this study was to assess the levels of total Hg (T-Hg) in human hair, fish, sediments and air; and to determine fish consumption-based risks for T-Hg ingestion in the Choco biogeographic region, a global biodiversity hotspot located at the Colombian Pacific. Mercury concentrations in hair were measured in two locations, Quibdo, the state capital, and Paimado, a riverine community. The median T-Hg value in human hair in Quibdo was 1.26 μg/g (range: 0.02-116.40 μg/g), whereas in Paimado it was 0.67 μg/g (range: 0.07-6.47 μg/g). Mercury levels in examined locations were weakly associated with height (ρ = 0.145, P = 0.024). Air T-Hg levels in Quibdo were high inside gold shops being up to 200.9-fold greater than the background. Mercury concentrations in fish from Atrato River were above WHO limit (0.5 μg/g), with highest levels in Pseudopimelodus schultzi, Ageneiosus pardalis, Sternopygus aequilabiatus, Rhamdia quelen and Hoplias malabaricus, whereas the lowest appeared in Cyphocharax magdalenae and Hemiancistrus wilsoni. Based on fish consumption, these last two species offer low risk to human health. Sediment samples from fifty different sites of Atrato River showed low T-Hg concentrations, with little variability between stations. However, contamination factors revealed a moderate pollution in 44% of sampling sites along the river. In conclusion, Hg pollution is widespread in the Biogeographic Choco and governmental actions must be taken to protect the population and preserve its biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuber Palacios-Torres
- Environmental and Computational Chemistry Group, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zaragocilla Campus, University of Cartagena, Cartagena 130015, Colombia; Environmental Toxicology and Natural Resources Group. School of Natural Sciences, Technological University of Choco "Diego Luis Cordoba", Quibdo, Choco, A.A. 292, Colombia
| | - Karina Caballero-Gallardo
- Environmental and Computational Chemistry Group, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zaragocilla Campus, University of Cartagena, Cartagena 130015, Colombia
| | - Jesus Olivero-Verbel
- Environmental and Computational Chemistry Group, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zaragocilla Campus, University of Cartagena, Cartagena 130015, Colombia.
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35
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Tong Y, Wang M, Bu X, Guo X, Lin Y, Lin H, Li J, Zhang W, Wang X. Mercury concentrations in China's coastal waters and implications for fish consumption by vulnerable populations. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2017; 231:396-405. [PMID: 28818815 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2017.08.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2017] [Revised: 08/04/2017] [Accepted: 08/07/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
We assessed mercury (Hg) pollution in China's coastal waters, including the Bohai Sea, the Yellow Sea, the East China Sea and the South China Sea, based on a nationwide dataset from 301 sampling sites. A methylmercury (MeHg) intake model for humans based on the marine food chain and human fish consumption was established to determine the linkage between water pollutants and the pollutant intake by humans. The predicted MeHg concentration in fish from the Bohai Sea was the highest among the four seas included in the study. The MeHg intake through dietary ingestion was dominant for the fish and was considerably higher than the MeHg intake through water respiration. The predicted MeHg concentrations in human blood in the coastal regions of China ranged from 1.37 to 2.77 μg/L for pregnant woman and from 0.43 to 1.00 μg/L for infants, respectively, based on different diet sources. The carnivorous fish consumption advisory for pregnant women was estimated to be 288-654 g per week to maintain MeHg concentrations in human blood at levels below the threshold level (4.4 μg/L established by the US Environmental Protection Agency). With a 50% increase in Hg concentrations in water in the Bohai Sea, the bioaccumulated MeHg concentration (4.5 μg/L) in the fish consumers will be higher than the threshold level. This study demonstrates the importance in controlling Hg pollution in China's coastal waters. An official recommendation guideline for the fish consumption rate and its sources will be necessary for vulnerable populations in China.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yindong Tong
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Mengzhu Wang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Xiaoge Bu
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Xin Guo
- Tianjin Environmental Sanitation Engineering Design Institute, Tianjin, 300201, China
| | - Yan Lin
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research, Oslo, 0349, Norway
| | - Huiming Lin
- College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Jing Li
- College of Urban and Environment Science, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, 300387, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- School of Environment and Natural Resources, Renmin University of China, Beijing, 100872, China
| | - Xuejun Wang
- College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.
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36
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Rothenberg SE, Jackson BP, Carly McCalla G, Donohue A, Emmons AM. Co-exposure to methylmercury and inorganic arsenic in baby rice cereals and rice-containing teething biscuits. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2017; 159:639-647. [PMID: 28938205 PMCID: PMC5661960 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2017.08.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2017] [Revised: 08/29/2017] [Accepted: 08/29/2017] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Rice is an important dietary source for methylmercury (MeHg), a potent neurotoxin, and inorganic arsenic (As), a human carcinogen. Rice baby cereals are a dietary source of inorganic As; however, less is known concerning MeHg concentrations in rice baby cereals and rice teething biscuits. METHODS MeHg concentrations were measured in 36 rice baby cereals, eight rice teething biscuits, and four baby cereals manufactured with oats/wheat (n = 48 total). Arsenic (As) species, including inorganic As, were determined in rice baby cereals and rice teething biscuits (n = 44/48), while total As was determined in all products (n = 48). RESULTS Rice baby cereals and rice teething biscuits were on average 61 and 92 times higher in MeHg, respectively, and 9.4 and 4.7 times higher in total As, respectively, compared to wheat/oat baby cereals. For a 15-g serving of rice baby cereal, average MeHg intake was 0.0092μgday-1 (range: 0.0013-0.034μgday-1), while average inorganic As intake was 1.3μgday-1 (range: 0.37-2.3μgday-1). Inorganic As concentrations in two brands of rice baby cereal (n = 12/36 boxes of rice cereal) exceeded 100ng/g, the proposed action level from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Log10 MeHg and inorganic As concentrations in rice baby cereals were strongly, positively correlated (Pearson's rho = 0.60, p < 0.001, n = 36). CONCLUSIONS Rice-containing baby cereals and teething biscuits were a dietary source of both MeHg and inorganic As. Studies concerning the cumulative impacts of MeHg and inorganic As on offspring development are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E Rothenberg
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA; School of Biological and Population Health Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA.
| | - Brian P Jackson
- Trace Element Analysis Core Laboratory, Department of Earth Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - G Carly McCalla
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA; School of the Earth, Ocean and Environment, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Alexis Donohue
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Alison M Emmons
- Trace Element Analysis Core Laboratory, Department of Earth Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
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37
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Al-Saleh I, Abduljabbar M. Heavy metals (lead, cadmium, methylmercury, arsenic) in commonly imported rice grains (Oryza sativa) sold in Saudi Arabia and their potential health risk. Int J Hyg Environ Health 2017; 220:1168-1178. [PMID: 28780210 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2017.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2017] [Revised: 07/21/2017] [Accepted: 07/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The levels of heavy metals (lead, cadmium, methylmercury and arsenic) were determined in 37 brands of imported rice commonly consumed in Saudi Arabia after soaking and rinsing with water, and their potential health risks to residents were estimated by three indices: hazard quotient (HQ), hazard index (HI) and cancer risk (CR). The mean levels of lead, cadmium, methylmercury and total arsenic in soaked (rinsed) rice grains were 0.034 (0.057), 0.015 (0.027), 0.004 (0.007) and 0.202 (0.183) μg/g dry weight, respectively. Soaking or rinsing rice grains with water decreased lead and cadmium levels in all brands to safe levels. All brands had total arsenic above the acceptable regulatory limits, irrespective of soaking or rinsing, and eight soaked and 12 rinsed brands contained methylmercury. The levels of all heavy metals except cadmium were above the acceptable regulatory limits when the rice was neither rinsed nor soaked. Weekly intakes of lead, cadmium, methylmercury and total arsenic from soaked (rinsed) grains were 0.638 (1.068), 0.279 (0.503), 0.271 (0.309) and 3.769 (3.407) μg/kg body weight (bw). The weekly intakes of lead and methylmercury from the consumption of one rinsed and two soaked rice brands respectively, exceeded the Provisional Tolerance Weekly Intake set by the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization. The weekly intake of total arsenic for all brands was above the lowest benchmark dose lower confidence limit (BMDL01) level of 0.3μg/kg bw/d for an increased cancer risk set by European Food Safety Authority. Either soaking or rinsing grains before consumption can minimize the non-carcinogenic health risks to residents from cadmium and lead (HQ<1). Our local consumers, though, may experience health consequences from rice contaminated mainly with arsenic (HQ>1 all brands) and to a lesser extent with methylmercury (HQ>1 in 4 brands), even when soaked or rinsed with water before consumption. The combined non-carcinogenic effect of all metals expressed as HI was >1, including soaked or rinsed rice, with total arsenic the major contributor followed by methylmercury. CR for total arsenic, whether consuming soaked, rinsed, un-soaked or unrinsed grains, exceeded the acceptable level of 10-4. Long-term consumption of rice contaminated with heavy metals, particularly arsenic, can pose potential health risks to the local population, especially vulnerable groups (pregnant women, children, elderly and patients). More attention should thus be given to contaminated rice and preventive measures should be taken.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iman Al-Saleh
- Environmental Health Program, King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre, PO Box: 3354, Riyadh 11211, Saudi Arabia.
| | - Mai Abduljabbar
- Environmental Health Program, King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre, PO Box: 3354, Riyadh 11211, Saudi Arabia
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38
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Rothenberg SE, Yin R, Hurley JP, Krabbenhoft DP, Ismawati Y, Hong C, Donohue A. Stable Mercury Isotopes in Polished Rice (Oryza sativa L.) and Hair from Rice Consumers. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2017; 51:6480-6488. [PMID: 28482656 PMCID: PMC5464010 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.7b01039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) isotopic signatures were characterized in polished rice samples from China, U.S., and Indonesia (n = 45). Hg isotopes were also analyzed in paired hair samples for participants from China (n = 21). For the latter, we also quantified the proportion of methylmercury intake through rice (range: 31-100%), and the weekly servings of fish meals (range: 0-5.6 servings/weekly). For these participants, 29% (n = 6) never ingested fish, 52% (n = 11) ingested fish < twice/weekly, and 19% (n = 4) ingested fish ≥ twice/weekly. In rice and hair, both mass-dependent fractionation (MDF, reported as δ202Hg) and mass-independent fractionation (MIF, reported as Δ199Hg) of Hg isotopes were observed. Compared to rice, hair δ202Hg values were enriched on average (±1 standard deviation) by 1.9 ± 0.61‰, although the range was wide (range: 0.45‰, 3.0‰). Hair Δ199Hg was significantly inversely associated with %methylmercury intake from rice (Spearman's rho = -0.61, p < 0.01, n = 21), i.e., as the proportion of methylmercury intake from rice increased, MIF decreased. Additionally, hair Δ199Hg was significantly higher for participants ingesting fish ≥ twice/weekly compared to those who did not ingest fish or ingested fish < twice/weekly (ANOVA, p < 0.05, n = 21); Overall, results suggest that Hg isotopes (especially MIF) in human hair can be used to distinguish methylmercury intake from rice versus fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E. Rothenberg
- Department
of Environmental Health Sciences, University
of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina 29208, United States
- E-mail: ,
| | - Runsheng Yin
- State
Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550002, China
- Environmental
Chemistry and Technology Program, University
of Wisconsin−Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
- Department
of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Wisconsin−Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
| | - James P. Hurley
- Environmental
Chemistry and Technology Program, University
of Wisconsin−Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
- Department
of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Wisconsin−Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
| | - David P. Krabbenhoft
- U.S. Geological
Survey, 8505 Research Way, Middleton, Wisconsin 53562, United States
| | - Yuyun Ismawati
- BaliFokus Foundation, Mandalawangi No. 5, Jalan Tukad Tegalwangi, Denpasar 80223, Bali, Indonesia
- Medical
Research-International Health Center for International Health, Medical Center of the University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Chuan Hong
- Department
of Environmental Health Sciences, University
of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina 29208, United States
| | - Alexis Donohue
- Department
of Environmental Health Sciences, University
of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina 29208, United States
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39
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Sundseth K, Pacyna JM, Pacyna EG, Pirrone N, Thorne RJ. Global Sources and Pathways of Mercury in the Context of Human Health. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2017; 14:ijerph14010105. [PMID: 28117743 PMCID: PMC5295355 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph14010105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2016] [Revised: 01/06/2017] [Accepted: 01/19/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
This paper reviews information from the existing literature and the EU GMOS (Global Mercury Observation System) project to assess the current scientific knowledge on global mercury releases into the atmosphere, on global atmospheric transport and deposition, and on the linkage between environmental contamination and potential impacts on human health. The review concludes that assessment of global sources and pathways of mercury in the context of human health is important for being able to monitor the effects from implementation of the Minamata Convention targets, although new research is needed on the improvement of emission inventory data, the chemical and physical behaviour of mercury in the atmosphere, the improvement of monitoring network data, predictions of future emissions and speciation, and on the subsequent effects on the environment, human health, as well as the economic costs and benefits of reducing these aspects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyrre Sundseth
- NILU-Norwegian Institute for Air Research, Department of Environmental Impacts and Economics, Instituttveien 18, P.O. Box 100, Kjeller NO-2027, Norway.
| | - Jozef M Pacyna
- NILU-Norwegian Institute for Air Research, Department of Environmental Impacts and Economics, Instituttveien 18, P.O. Box 100, Kjeller NO-2027, Norway.
- AGH-University of Science and Technology, Department of Energy and Fuels, Krakow30-059, Poland.
| | - Elisabeth G Pacyna
- NILU-Norwegian Institute for Air Research, Department of Environmental Impacts and Economics, Instituttveien 18, P.O. Box 100, Kjeller NO-2027, Norway.
| | - Nicola Pirrone
- CNR-Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research, Area della Ricerca Roma 1, Via Salaria Km 29 300, Monterotondo (Rome) 00015, Italy.
| | - Rebecca J Thorne
- NILU-Norwegian Institute for Air Research, Department of Environmental Impacts and Economics, Instituttveien 18, P.O. Box 100, Kjeller NO-2027, Norway.
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Rothenberg SE, Anders M, Ajami NJ, Petrosino JF, Balogh E. Water management impacts rice methylmercury and the soil microbiome. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2016; 572:608-617. [PMID: 27450246 PMCID: PMC5099098 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.07.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2016] [Revised: 07/03/2016] [Accepted: 07/03/2016] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Rice farmers are pressured to grow rice using less water. The impacts of water-saving rice cultivation methods on rice methylmercury concentrations are uncertain. Rice (Oryza sativa L. cv. Nipponbare) was cultivated in fields using four water management treatments, including flooded (no dry-downs), alternating wetting and drying (AWD) (with one or three dry-downs), and furrow-irrigated fields (nine dry-downs) (n=16 fields). Anoxic bulk soil was collected from rice roots during the rice maturation phase, and rice grain was harvested after fields were dried. Total mercury and methylmercury concentrations were determined in soil and polished rice samples, and the soil microbiome was analyzed using 16S (v4) rRNA gene profiling. Soil total mercury did not differ between fields. However, compared to continuously flooded fields, soil and rice methylmercury concentrations averaged 51% and 38% lower in the AWD fields, respectively, and 95% and 96% lower in the furrow-irrigated fields, respectively. Compared to flooded fields, grain yield was reduced on average by <1% in the AWD fields and 34% in the furrow-irrigated fields. Additionally, using 16S (v4) rRNA gene profiling, the relative abundance of genera (i.e., highest resolution via this method) known to contain mercury methylators averaged 2.9-fold higher in flooded and AWD fields compared to furrow-irrigated fields. These results reinforce the benefits of AWD in reducing rice methylmercury concentrations with minimal changes in rice production yields. In the furrow-irrigated fields, a lower relative abundance of genera known to contain mercury methylators suggests an association between lower concentrations of soil and rice methylmercury and specific soil microbiomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E Rothenberg
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA.
| | - Merle Anders
- Department of Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences, University of Arkansas Rice Research & Extension Center, Stuttgart, AR, USA.
| | - Nadim J Ajami
- The Alkek Center for Metagenomics and Microbiome Research, Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
| | - Joseph F Petrosino
- The Alkek Center for Metagenomics and Microbiome Research, Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
| | - Erika Balogh
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA.
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Rothenberg SE, Yu X, Liu J, Biasini FJ, Hong C, Jiang X, Nong Y, Cheng Y, Korrick SA. Maternal methylmercury exposure through rice ingestion and offspring neurodevelopment: A prospective cohort study. Int J Hyg Environ Health 2016; 219:832-842. [PMID: 27503636 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2016.07.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2016] [Revised: 07/13/2016] [Accepted: 07/21/2016] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Dietary methylmercury intake can occur not only through fish ingestion but also through rice ingestion; however, rice does not contain the same beneficial micronutrients as fish. OBJECTIVES In rural China, where rice is a staple food, associations between prenatal methylmercury exposure (assessed using maternal hair mercury) and impacts on offspring neurodevelopment were investigated. METHODS A total of 398 mothers were recruited at parturition at which time a sample of scalp hair was collected. Offspring (n=270, 68%) were assessed at 12 months using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development-II, yielding age-adjusted scores for the Mental Developmental Index (MDI) and Psychomotor Developmental Index (PDI). RESULTS Among 270 mothers, 85% ingested rice daily, 41% never or rarely ingested fish/shellfish and 11% ingested fish/shellfish at least twice/weekly. Maternal hair mercury averaged 0.41μg/g (median: 0.39μg/g, range: 0.079-1.7μg/g). In unadjusted models, offspring neurodevelopment (both MDI and PDI) was inversely correlated with hair mercury. Associations were strengthened after adjustment for fish/shellfish ingestion, rice ingestion, total energy intake (kcal), and maternal/offspring characteristics for both the MDI [Beta: -4.9, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): -9.7, -0.12] and the PDI (Beta: -2.7, 95% CI: -8.3, 2.9), although confidence intervals remained wide for the latter. CONCLUSIONS For 12-month old offspring living in rural China, prenatal methylmercury exposure was associated with statistically significant decrements in offspring cognition, but not psychomotor development. Results expose potential new vulnerabilities for communities depending on rice as a staple food.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E Rothenberg
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA.
| | - Xiaodan Yu
- MOE-Shanghai Key Lab of Children's Environmental Health, XinHua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
| | - Jihong Liu
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Fred J Biasini
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Chuan Hong
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Xu Jiang
- Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Yanfen Nong
- Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Daxin, China
| | - Yue Cheng
- Department of Public Health, Xi'an Jiaotong University College of Medicine, Xi'an, China
| | - Susan A Korrick
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
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