Dietary and drinking water intake of essential trace elements in a typical Kashin-Beck disease endemic area of Tibet, China

Dietary sources apportionment and health risk assessment for trace elements among residents of the Tethys-Himalayan tectonic domain in Tibet, China

Dietary intake of toxic elements (TEs) and essential trace elements (ETEs) can significantly impact human health. This study collected 302 samples, including 78 food, 104 drinking water, 73 cultivated topsoil, and 47 sedimentary rock from a typical area of Tethys-Himalaya tectonic domain. These samples were used to calculate the average daily dose of oral intake (ADDoral) and assess the health risks of five TEs and five ETEs. The results indicate that grain and meat are the primary dietary sources of TEs and ETEs for local residents. The intake of manganese (Mn) and copper (Cu) is mainly from local highland barley (66.90% and 60.32%, respectively), iron (Fe) is primarily from local grains (75.51%), and zinc (Zn) is mainly from local yak meat (60.03%). The ADDoral of arsenic (As), Mn, Fe and Zn were found to be higher than the maximum oral reference dose in all townships of study area, indicating non-carcinogenic health risks for local residents. Additionally, lead (Pb) and nickel (Ni) in 36.36% townships, and Cu in 81.82% townships were above the maximum oral reference dose, while As posed a carcinogenic risk throughout the study area. The concentrations of As, mercury (Hg), Pb, Mn, Cu Fe and selenium (Se) in grains were significantly correlated with those in soils. Moreover, the average concentrations of As in Proterozoic, Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous was 43.09, 12.41, 15.86 and 6.22 times higher than those in the South Tibet shell, respectively. The high concentrations of TEs and ETEs in the stratum can lead to their enrichment in soils, which, in turn, can result in excessive intake by local residents through the food chain and biogeochemical cycles . To avoid the occurrence of some diseases caused by dietary intake, it is necessary to consume a variety of exotic foods, such as high-selenium foods, foreign rice and flour in order to improve the dietary structure.

Selenium and Zinc Intakes of Staple Grains and Their Correlation with Urine Selenium and Zinc in the Tibetan Rural Residents along the Yarlung Zangbo River

Grains account for a large proportion of the diet of rural residents in Tibet. The lack of selenium (Se) and zinc (Zn) threatens the population's nutrition and health. However, the intakes of selenium and zinc in grains remains unclear. To clarify the nutritional status of selenium and zinc consumed from staple grains of residents along the Yarlung Zangbo River in Tibet, 341 grain samples and 242 urine samples were collected, and 244 food frequency questionnaires were completed along the Yarlung Zangbo River in 2020-2021. The results showed that the selenium concentrations of 88.5% of self-produced tsampa and 80.8% of self-produced flour were lower than the grain selenium threshold (<25 μg·kg^-1). The intake of selenium and zinc from staple grains (tsampa, flour, and rice) contributed 15.0% and 43.5% to the recommended nutrient intake (RNI) on average, respectively. A geographical detector model analyzed factors affecting urinary selenium and zinc levels. Selenium and zinc intakes in rice and flour, and dietary diversity score (DDS) were the main factors affecting urinary selenium and zinc (p < 0.01). Their interaction effects on urinary selenium and zinc were greater than those of a single factor. The staple grains of rural residents along the Yarlung Zangbo River were in a state of selenium deficiency. The zinc content of the staple grain purchased was lower than that of the main grain produced by rural residents. Changing the grain consumption pattern and adjusting the proportion of exogenous grains can improve selenium and zinc nutrition in residents.

Geographical pattern of minerals and its association with health disparities in the USA

This study aimed to determine the common latent patterns of geographical distribution of health-related minerals across the USA and to evaluate the real-world cumulative effects of these patterns on overall population health. It was an ecological study using county-level data (3080 contiguous counties) on the concentrations of 14 minerals (i.e., aluminum, arsenic, calcium, copper, iron, lead, magnesium, manganese, mercury, phosphorus, selenium, sodium, titanium, zinc) in stream sediments (or surface soils), and the measurements of overall health including life expectancy at birth, age-specific mortality risks and cause-specific (summarized by 21 mutually exclusive groups) mortality rates. Latent class analysis (LCA) was employed to identify the common clusters of life expectancy-related minerals based on their concentration characteristics. Multivariate linear regression analyses were then conducted to examine the relationship between the LCA-derived clusters and the health measurements, with adjustment for potential confounding factors. Five minerals (i.e., arsenic, calcium, selenium, sodium and zinc) were associated with life expectancy and were analyzed in LCA. Three clusters were determined across the USA, the 'common' (n = 2056, 66.8%), 'infertile' (n = 739, 24.0%) and 'plentiful' (n = 285, 9.3%) clusters. Residents in counties with the 'infertile' profile were associated with the shortest life expectancy, highest mortality risks at all ages, and highest mortality rates for many reasons including the top five leading causes of death: cardiovascular diseases, neoplasms, neurological disorders, chronic respiratory conditions, and diabetes, urogenital, blood and endocrine diseases. Results remained statistically significant after confounding adjustment. Our study brings novel perspectives regarding environmental geochemistry to explain health disparities in the USA.