Arsenic Speciation and Cadmium Determination in Tobacco Leaves, Ash and Smoke

Harmful and Potentially Harmful Constituents in E-Liquids and Aerosols from Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS)

In 2012, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) published an established list of 93 harmful and potentially harmful constituents (HPHCs) targeting four tobacco product types (cigarettes, cigarette tobacco, roll-your-own tobacco, smokeless tobacco). In 2016, the FDA finalized the deeming rule to regulate electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS). However, knowledge gaps exist regarding whether certain HPHCs are present in ENDS e-liquids and aerosols. We identified and addressed these gaps by conducting literature searches and then experimentally quantifying HPHCs in the e-liquid and aerosol of 37 ENDS brands based on gaps in the literature. The literature searches identified 66 e-liquid HPHCs and 68 aerosol HPHCs that have limited to no information regarding the quantifiability of these constituents. A contracted ISO 17025 accredited laboratory performed the HPHC quantifications. The availability of validated analytical methods in the contracted laboratory determined the HPHCs included in the study scope (63/66 for e-liquids, 64/68 for aerosols). Combining the results from the quantifications and literature searches, 36 (39%) and 34 (37%) HPHCs were found quantifiable (≥limit of quantification [LOQ]) in ENDS e-liquids and aerosols, respectively, with 25 HPHCs being quantifiable in both matrices. Quantifiability results imply potential HPHC transfers between matrices, leaching from components, or formations from aerosol generation. The study results can inform the scientific basis for manufacturers and regulators regarding regulatory requirements for HPHC reporting. The HPHC quantities can also inform evaluations of the public health impact of ENDS and public communications regarding ENDS health risks.

Are lead, cadmium and mercury risk factors for resistant hypertension?

BACKGROUND

Lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd) and mercury (Hg) are toxic trace elements that represent a public health problem as risk factors for cardiovascular disease and hypertension (HT) and could also contribute to the development of resistant hypertension (rHT) AIMS: To compare the blood concentrations of Pb, Cd and Hg in subjects with resistant and non-resistant HT and to define whether there is a relationship between its levels and rHT.

METHODS

Cross-sectional study. Subjects aged ≥ 21 to ≤ 80 years with a body mass index < 40 kg/m2 were recruited on a discretionary basis from October 2001 to October 2004 in a hypertension unit of a tertiary hospital amongst those sent to the hypertension unit by their family physician. Resistant hypertension was defined according to the American Heart Association (AHA) criteria. Whole blood concentrations of Cd, Pb and Hg were measured by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry.

RESULTS

46 out of 73 included subjects (63%) suffered from rHT. Blood Pb median: HT 3.9 (IQR 2.7-5.2) vs. rHT 3.6 (IQR 2.8-6.0) µg/dL (p=0.941). Blood Cd median: HT 0.07 (IQR 0.07-0.80) vs. rHT 0.30 (IQR 0.07-0.65) µg/L (p=0.681). Blood Hg median: HT 7.9 (IQR 5.8-12.9) vs. rHT 7.3 (IQR 4.6-13.3) µg/L (p=0.611). Considering the 75th percentile of each element (Pb: 5.55 µg/dL, Cd: 0.75 µg/L, Hg: 13.15 µg/L), a multiple logistic regression analysis (adjusted for age, BMI, diabetes mellitus, clearance of creatinine and only for Cd the smoking habit) showed an OR = 3.44 (0.84-14.10, p=0.086) for Pb, OR = 1.80 (0.39-8.24, p=0.451), for Cd and OR = 2.31 (0.59-9.14, p=0.232) for Hg. Moreover, the stratified analyses showed that men with Pb ≥5.55 µg/dL have a 14 times higher risk of suffering from rHT (p=0.026). Interestingly, a 9-fold increased risk was found for non-obese subjects with elevated Pb levels, above 5.55 µg/dL (p=0.029). Also in men, the probability of suffering from rHT was more than 7 times higher if Cd levels were ≥ 0.75 µg/L (p=0.076). Most smokers had higher Cd levels, with a high risk of suffering from rHT (ORa 12.6 (0.8-200.2), p=0.072).

CONCLUSION

A higher blood Pb levels, defined by the 75th percentile (Pb ≥ 5.55 µg/dL), is associated with a greater risk of suffering from rHT and to a lesser extent in the case of Cd and Hg.

When smoke meets gut: deciphering the interactions between tobacco smoking and gut microbiota in disease development

Tobacco smoking is a prevalent and detrimental habit practiced worldwide, increasing the risk of various diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cardiovascular disease, liver disease, and cancer. Although previous research has explored the detrimental health effects of tobacco smoking, recent studies suggest that gut microbiota dysbiosis may play a critical role in these outcomes. Numerous tobacco smoke components, such as nicotine, are found in the gastrointestinal tract and interact with gut microbiota, leading to lasting impacts on host health and diseases. This review delves into the ways tobacco smoking and its various constituents influence gut microbiota composition and functionality. We also summarize recent advancements in understanding how tobacco smoking-induced gut microbiota dysbiosis affects host health. Furthermore, this review introduces a novel perspective on how changes in gut microbiota following smoking cessation may contribute to withdrawal syndrome and the degree of health improvements in smokers.

Assessment of human exposure to cadmium and its nephrotoxicity in the Chinese population

BACKGROUND

Cadmium (Cd) is a toxic heavy metal that widely detected in environment and accumulated in kidney, posing a great threat to human health. However, there is a lack of systematic investigation of exposure profile and association of Cd exposure with renal function in the Chinese population.

METHODS

Related articles were searched from PubMed, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Internet, and Wanfang to construct an aggregate exposure pathway (AEP) framework for Cd and to explore the correlation between Cd and renal function using random effects models.

RESULTS

A total of 220 articles were included in this study, among which 215 investigated human exposure and 12 investigated the association of Cd with renal outcomes. The AEP framework showed that 96.5 % and 62.5 % of total Cd intake were attributed to dietary intake in nonsmokers and smokers, respectively. And 35.2 % originated from cigarette smoke inhalation in smokers. In human body, Cd was detected in blood, urine, placenta, etc. Although the concentrations of Cd in blood and urine from subjects living in polluted areas showed a sharp downward trend since the early 21st century, higher concentration of Cd in the environment and human body in polluted areas was found. Kidney was the target organ. The level of blood Cd was positively associated with urinary β2-microglobulin [β2-MG, r (95 % CI) = 0.12 (0.05, 0.19)], albumin [0.13 (0.06, 0.20)], and retinol-binding protein [RBP, 0.14 (0.03, 0.24)]. Elevated urinary Cd was correlated with increases in β2-MG [0.22 (0.15, 0.29)], albumin [0.23 (0.16, 0.29)], N-acetyl-β-d-glucosaminidase [NAG, 0.33 (0.22, 0.44)], and RBP [0.22 (0.14, 0.30)].

CONCLUSIONS

Foods and cigarette smoke were two major ways for Cd intake, and Cd induced renal injury in the Chinese population. This study enhanced the understanding of human exposure and nephrotoxicity of Cd, and emphasized the need for controlling Cd level in polluted areas.

Arsenic exposure and lung function decline in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients: The mediating influence of systematic inflammation and oxidative stress

Lung tissue is one of the target sites of arsenic (As). The goal of this investigation was to assess the associations of blood As concentration with pulmonary function indicators in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), as well as the roles of systemic inflammation and oxidative stress in this relationship. All 791 COPD patients were selected. Blood As concentration, and tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and 8-iso-prostaglandin-F2α (8-iso-PGF2α) were detected in the serum of COPD cases. Blood As was robustly related to pulmonary function parameters in an inverse dose-dependent manner. Multivariate linear regression analyses verified that a 1-unit increase of blood As was linked to declines of 0.263 L in FVC, 0.288 L in FEV1, 3.454 in FEV1/FVC%, and 0.538 in predicted FEV1%, respectively. The potential for pulmonary function decline gradually increased across the elevated tertiles of blood As. Nonsmokers were susceptible to As-induced pulmonary function reduction. Blood As was positively linked to the levels of TNF-α and 8-iso-PGF2α. Increased TNF-α and 8-iso-PGF2α partially mediated As-induced the reductions in FEV1 and FVC among COPD patients. As exposure is intensely linked to pulmonary function reduction. Systematic inflammation and oxidative stress partially mediate such associations in COPD patients.

Tobacco smoking induces metabolic reprogramming of renal cell carcinoma

BACKGROUNDClear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is the most common histologically defined renal cancer. However, it is not a uniform disease and includes several genetic subtypes with different prognoses. ccRCC is also characterized by distinctive metabolic reprogramming. Tobacco smoking (TS) is an established risk factor for ccRCC, with unknown effects on tumor pathobiology.METHODSWe investigated the landscape of ccRCCs and paired normal kidney tissues using integrated transcriptomic, metabolomic, and metallomic approaches in a cohort of white males who were long-term current smokers (LTS) or were never smokers (NS).RESULTSAll 3 Omics domains consistently identified a distinct metabolic subtype of ccRCCs in LTS, characterized by activation of oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) coupled with reprogramming of the malate-aspartate shuttle and metabolism of aspartate, glutamate, glutamine, and histidine. Cadmium, copper, and inorganic arsenic accumulated in LTS tumors, showing redistribution among intracellular pools, including relocation of copper into the cytochrome c oxidase complex. A gene expression signature based on the LTS metabolic subtype provided prognostic stratification of The Cancer Genome Atlas ccRCC tumors that was independent of genomic alterations.CONCLUSIONThe work identified the TS-related metabolic subtype of ccRCC with vulnerabilities that can be exploited for precision medicine approaches targeting metabolic pathways. The results provided rationale for the development of metabolic biomarkers with diagnostic and prognostic applications using evaluation of OXPHOS status. The metallomic analysis revealed the role of disrupted metal homeostasis in ccRCC, highlighting the importance of studying effects of metals from e-cigarettes and environmental exposures.FUNDINGDepartment of Defense, Veteran Administration, NIH, ACS, and University of Cincinnati Cancer Institute.

Dietary intake and urinary excretion of methylated arsenicals of Japanese adults consuming marine foods and rice

Dietary intake and urinary excretion of monomethylarsonic acid (MMA), dimethylarsinic acid (DMA) and arsenobetaine (AsB) were measured in 150 adult Japanese subjects. Duplicate diet (DD) samples and first void of urine on the next morning of DD sampling day were collected and analysed for arsenic species with liquid chromatography-ICP mass spectrometry. Median (min-max) intakes of MMA, DMA and AsB were <2.3 (<2.3-<2.3), 4.57 (<2.3-24.3), and 13.6 (<2.4-231) μg As/day, respectively, and median urinary concentrations were 1.90 (<0.37-26.), 21.9 (<0.27-141) and 19.6 (<0.37-1063) ng As/mg creatinine, respectively. Interrelationships between intake levels and urinary concentrations were mostly significant with positive coefficients indicating mutual association due to co-exposure, metabolism and/or dietary habit. Urinary concentrations and intake levels of AsB were also positively correlated confirming the applicability of urine analysis as biomarker of exposure. The present descriptive results provide with essential piece of information in assessing health risk of methylated arsenicals for population who consume marine products and rice.

Recent Advances in Speciation Analyses of Tobacco and Other Important Economic Crops

Background:

Speciation analysis is defined as the analytical activities of identifying and/or measuring the quantities of one or more individual chemical species in a sample. The knowledge of elemental species provides more complete information about mobility, bioavailability and the impact of elements on ecological systems or biological organisms. It is no longer sufficient to quantitate the total elemental content of samples to define toxicity or essentiality. Thus speciation analysis is of vital importance and generally offers a better understanding of a specific element.

Discussion:

Thorough speciation scheme consisting of sampling, sample preparation, species analysis and evaluation were described. Special emphasis is placed on recent speciation analysis approaches including both direct and coupling methods. A current summary of advantages and limitations of the various methods as well as an illustrative method comparison are presented. Certain elements and species of interest are briefly mentioned and practical examples of speciation applications in tobacco and other important economic crops are also discussed.

Aim/Conclusion:

This review aims to offer comprehensive knowledge about elemental speciation and provide readers with valuable information. Many strategies have been developed for the determination of multiple elemental species in tobacco and other important economic crops. Nevertheless, it is an eternal pursuit to establish speciation methods which can balance accuracy, agility as well as universality.

Genotoxicity and phytotoxicity comparison of cigarette butt with cigarette ash

The damage potential of cigarette butt and cigarette ash was determined and compared using genotoxicity and phytotoxicity assessments. The concentrations of five heavy metals, As, Cr, Cd, Pb, and Ni, were determined in both cigarette butt and ash leachates to find out if the results of heavy metals are in parallel with toxicity findings. Cigarette ashes and cigarette butts were soaked in distilled water for 7 days. Six leachate butt concentrations, including 200, 100, 50, 25, 12.5, and 6.25 piece/L, were examined. HUVEC cells (human umbilical vein endothelial cells) were exposed to these dilution series for genotoxicity, and Vicia faba seeds were exposed to the same dilution series for phytotoxicity assessments. Three parameters of genotoxicity, including tail length, %DNA in tail, and tail moment, were obtained by the comet assay method, and three parameters of phytotoxicity, including germination rate, root length, and water content percentage, were employed. The results showed that cigarette ash at the concentrations of 50, 25, 12.5, and 6.25 pc/L brings about DNA damage. Meanwhile, cigarette butt causes DNA damage at the concentrations of 100, 50, 25, and 12.5 pc/L. The highest concentrations (200 pc/L for cigarette butt and 200 and 100 pc/L for cigarette ash) were considered lethal for HUVEC cells. Besides, the levels of genotoxicity in the cigarette ash were twice as high as those in the cigarette butt. The Vicia faba phytotoxicity test demonstrated a germination rate restriction from 100 to 52 and 100 to 0% for cigarette butt and cigarette ash, respectively. It also caused a reduction in the length of roots from 35 to 7.85 and 3 mm for cigarette butt and cigarette ash, respectively. The moisture amounts of cigarette remnants had a decline from 93.14 to 44.61 and 36.72% for cigarette butt and cigarette ash, respectively. Concentrations of As, Cr, Cd, Pb, and Ni were 17.45, 2.5, 0.15, 6, and 0.62 ppb in the butt leachate and 7.21, 2.64, 0.29, 13.61, and 1.24 ppb in the ash leachate, respectively, indicating that heavy metals could explain the higher toxicity of cigarette ash. Based on the present study, cigarette ash imposes not only higher levels of genotoxicity and phytotoxicity but also more values of toxic heavy metals on our planet. Thus, cigarette ash plays a major role in environmental pollution, and the importance of cigarette ashes should receive attention even more than cigarette butts. This paper casts new light on the toxic impacts of cigarette ash.

Biomonitoring of arsenic in woodworkers exposed to CCA and evaluation of other non-occupational sources in Uruguay

In Uruguay wood-impregnation plants use chromated copper arsenate (CCA) as preservative applying good manufacture practices (GMP). This study aims a retrospective evaluation of toxicologically relevant species levels in CCA exposed woodworker's urine (As-U) and an assessment of the effects of work risk factors and non-occupational sources in As-U of workers from a selected plant. From 2014 to 2016, As-U in 212 urine samples (As-U) of 73 woodworkers from six CCA impregnation plants were determined. In one of these plants, 35 workers were interviewed to obtain individual data of work tasks, lifestyles, diet, habits, etc. that may contribute to their overall exposure to Arsenic. Responses were statistically evaluated. Out of the 212 urine samples from 73 woodworkers, 96% showed lower levels of As-U than those established by health regulations (<35μgL^-1). According to their work tasks 34% of 35 surveyed workers showed high exposure risk to As and 29% moderate exposure risk. Although they have lower levels of As-U owing to their personal protective equipment, As-U significantly correlate to work risk factors. Consumption of bottled water could also contribute to As-U levels as a non-occupational source. These results confirm that efforts of Uruguayan authorities to promote GMP were successful and justify the importance and frequency of As-U systematic biomonitoring for occupational risk assessment. A significant accomplishment of this work is that non-occupational sources of As-like bottled water consumption should also be considered in future studies.