Trace element content in cereals from a gold mining site in Burkina Faso and intake risk assessment

Occupational, environmental, and toxicological health risks of mining metals for lithium-ion batteries: a narrative review of the Pubmed database

BACKGROUND

The global market for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) is growing exponentially, resulting in an increase in mining activities for the metals needed for manufacturing LIBs. Cobalt, lithium, manganese, and nickel are four of the metals most used in the construction of LIBs, and each has known toxicological risks associated with exposure. Mining for these metals poses potential human health risks via occupational and environmental exposures; however, there is a paucity of data surrounding the risks of increasing mining activity. The objective of this review was to characterize these risks.

METHODS

We conducted a review of the literature via a systematic search of the PubMed database on the health effects of mining for cobalt, lithium, manganese, and nickel. We included articles that (1) reported original research, (2) reported outcomes directly related to human health, (3) assessed exposure to mining for cobalt, lithium, manganese, or nickel, and (4) had an available English translation. We excluded all other articles. Our search identified 183 relevant articles.

RESULTS

Toxicological hazards were reported in 110 studies. Exposure to cobalt and nickel mining were most associated with respiratory toxicity, while exposure to manganese mining was most associated with neurologic toxicity. Notably, no articles were identified that assessed lithium toxicity associated with mining exposure. Traumatic hazards were reported in six studies. Three articles reported infectious disease hazards, while six studies reported effects on mental health. Several studies reported increased health risks in children compared to adults.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this review suggest that occupational and environmental exposure to mining metals used in LIBs presents significant risks to human health that result in both acute and chronic toxicities. Further research is needed to better characterize these risks, particularly regarding lithium mining.

Pollution characteristics and health risk assessment of potentially toxic elements in soils around China's gold mines: a meta-analysis

Since toxic element pollution is widespread in soils near gold mines due to increasing mining activities, the adverse effects of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in the soils on ecological systems and human health cannot be ignored. However, assessments of PTE pollution in soils and their ecological-health risks on a national scale are still limited. Here, the concentrations of eight PTEs in soils near gold mines throughout China were obtained from published articles. Based on these data, the pollution levels and ecological-health risks of the eight PTEs in soils were comprehensively estimated. The results showed that the average contents of As, Cr, Cd, Pb, Hg, Cu, Ni, and Zn were 81.62, 79.82, 1.04, 206.03, 2.05, 40.82, 71.82, and 130.42 mg kg^-1, respectively, which exceeded the corresponding background values for soils. Most of the examined soils were heavily polluted by Hg and Cd, and higher pollution levels were found in the Henan and Shaanxi Provinces than in other regions. The average potential ecological risk value of all PTEs was 2534.71, indicating the presence of very high risks. Contribution of Hg to the potential ecological risk was more than 80%. For adults, all hazard index (HI) values of noncarcinogenic risks were below the safe level of 1.00. For children, none of the HI values exceeded the safe level, with the exception of As (HI = 1.81); nevertheless, four PTEs (As, Cr, Cu, and Ni) presented unacceptable carcinogenic risks. This study provides scientific basis for controlling PTE contamination and reducing the health risks in soils near gold mines worldwide.

Health significant alarms of toxic carcinogenic risk consumption of blood meal metals contamination in poultry at a gold mining neighborhood, northern Thailand

The proposes of this study were to compare THg (total mercury), Pb(Lead), Cd(Cadmium), and Mn (Manganese) contamination in poultry blood between polluted areas (≤ 25 km) and unpolluted areas (> 25 km) adjacent to the largest gold mining in northern Thailand. The THg level in the free-grazing duck in polluted areas was significantly higher than unpolluted area. Both THg and Pb levels in free-grazing duck were also highest in polluted areas. In contrast, the level of (Mn) in chicken blood was the highest in polluted areas. Cadmium in farmed duck from polluted areas was significantly higher than unpolluted areas. The target hazard quotient (THQ) and hazard index (HI) of Hg, Pb, Cd, and Mn in all age groups in both areas did not exceed 1, meaning there is no possibility of the non-carcinogenic toxicity. Whereas, the incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) of both Pb and Cd exceeded 1 × 10^-4 in all age groups and these were particularly higher in the polluted area and considered to yield significant health effects of increasing the cancer risk. The ILCR in descending order for Pb and Cd was 13-18 years old = 18-35 years old > 6-13 years old = 35-65 years old > 3-6 years old > 65 up years old, respectively. The results revealed that the human cancer risk related to consuming poultry blood contaminated with both Pb and Cd in all age groups must be of concern, especially 13-18 and 18-35 years, it must be recommended to avoid raising animals in contaminated areas, especially free-grazing duck.

Analysis of the soil to food crops transfer factor and risk assessment of multi-elements at the suburban area of Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam using instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA)

The contamination of heavy metals in agricultural ecosystem is one of the most important problems in developing countries as Vietnam. In this study, we investigated the multi-element concentrations in soil, vegetables, soil-to-plant transfer factors and target hazard quotient (THQ) due to the consumption of heavy metals in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. In general, the element concentrations in soil and plants were similar to different studies in the world and in the range of allowable values provided by WHO and the Ministry of Health of Vietnam. The transfer factors indicated the influence of element characteristics and plant genotypes on the accumulation and translocation of elements from soil to plants. It is found that I. batatas, B. alba, A, tricolor, O. basilicum, and B. juncea could be potential candidates for phytoremediation in soil contaminated of heavy metals. The results of individual and total THQ were below unity for Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Zn, As, and Sb. The total THQ is in the range from 0.11 for R. sativus to 0.84 for B. alba with the average value of 0.43, in which Mn and As are the major contributions to the total THQ with the average values of 75% and 18%, respectively. The safety assessment based on national regulations and THQ indicated that the consumption of investigated vegetables poses no risk to the consumers.

Trace metal(loid)s contamination in paddy rice (Oryza sativa L.) from wetlands near two gold mines in Côte d'Ivoire and health risk assessment

This study examined the concentrations of arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), and mercury (Hg) in rice grains grown in wetlands associated with gold mining in central-southern of Côte d'Ivoire to evaluate potential health risks exposure via rice consumption. In total, 30 rice grains were sampled around Agbaou and Bonikro gold mines. Arsenic and cadmium concentrations were determined using an inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometer (ICP-OES), while atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) was used for mercury. Results showed that As and Hg average concentrations in rice were above the permissible limits, while Cd average concentrations were below the permissible limit established by FAO/WHO in both sites. Except for Hg at Agbaou, no significant (p < 0.05) difference was found between trace metal concentrations in the two sites. The average daily intake (ADI) of As via rice consumption exceeded the USEPA reference dose (RfD) of 0.0003 μg g^-1 day^-1, indicating that rice ingestion is a pathway of As exposure for adults and children in the area. The average values of non-carcinogen (HQ) for As and carcinogen (CR) for As and Cd risks index suggest that potential health risks exist for both adults and children due to rice consumption at Agbaou and Bonikro. The maximum safe weekly consumption (MSWC) of rice relative to As, Cd, and Hg was estimated for the study area. Overall, this study provides strong evidence that As could threaten local population health in Côte d'Ivoire regions where gold mine extraction is occurring through rice ingestion.

Human Health Risk Assessment and Potentially Harmful Element Contents in the Cereals Cultivated on Agricultural Soils

Potentially harmful element (PHE) contents were investigated in six species of cereals in southern Poland, with human health risk implications assessed afterwards. The PHE contents belonged to the following ranges (mg/kg wet weight): As below the limit of detection ( oat (HQ = 0.38) > maize (HQ = 0.02). The total non-carcinogenic risk value of the statistical daily consumption of cereals was acceptable low (HQ = 0.58). The acceptable cancer risk (CR) level of 1.0 × 10-5 investigated only for As was not exceeded under any of the intake scenarios. Concerning the mean As content in cereals consumed daily in statistical amounts the CR value was equal to 5.1 × 10-8. The health risk value according to the Pb content in cereals using the margin of exposure (MOE) approach was equal to 1.27, indicating an acceptable low risk.