-
BMJ Global Health Dec 2023Social determinants of health, such as living and working conditions, economical and environmental context and access to care, combine to impact the health of...
INTRODUCTION
Social determinants of health, such as living and working conditions, economical and environmental context and access to care, combine to impact the health of individuals and communities. In French Guiana (FG), the persons working in informal artisanal and small-scale gold mining in the rainforest are a particularly vulnerable population which lives in precarious conditions and far from the health system. Previous studies have demonstrated their high morbidity due to infectious diseases. This study aims to describe the social determinants of health in this specific population.
METHODS
This international multicentre cross-sectional survey included people working on the informal FG gold mines at the crossing points located at both borders with Suriname and Brazil. After collecting written informed consent, a structured questionnaire was administered.
RESULTS
From September to December 2022, 539 gold miners were included. These poorly educated migrants, mainly from Brazil (99.1%) did not have access to drinkable water (95.4%), lived in close contact with wild fauna by hunting, eating bushmeat or being bitten and were exposed to mercury by inhalation (58.8%) or ingestion (80.5%). They report frequent accidents (13.5%) and chronic treatment interruptions (26.6% of the 11.9% reporting chronic treatment). Half of them considered themselves in good health (56.4%).
CONCLUSION
This study shows a singular combination of adverse exposures of gold miners working in FG such as zoonoses, heavy metal poisoning, aggression of wild fauna. For ethical as well as public health reasons, actions towards health equity must be considered at different levels: individual, community, environmental, systemic and global level. As end users of minerals, we must assume our responsibilities for the well-being of the extractors by including health in political decisions to engage together in global health.
TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER
NCT05540470.
Topics: Humans; Cross-Sectional Studies; Gold; French Guiana; Social Determinants of Health; Mining
PubMed: 38103896
DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2023-012991 -
Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine... May 2024This review provides information about heavy metal occurrence in the environment, destructive mechanisms, and lethal effects on fish. (Review)
Review
AIM
This review provides information about heavy metal occurrence in the environment, destructive mechanisms, and lethal effects on fish.
SUMMARY
Heavy metals (HMs) are one of the major causes of environmental contamination globally. The advancement of industries has led to the emanation of toxic substances into the environment. HMs are stable, imperishable compounds and can accumulate in different fish organs when they reach the aquatic regimes. The most ubiquitous HMs are chromium, arsenic, mercury, cadmium, lead, copper, and nickel which can pollute the environment and affect the physiology of fishes. Accumulation of metals in the fish organs causes structural lesions and functional disturbances. Contamination of heavy metals induces oxidative stress, histopathological manifestations, and altered transcriptional gene regulation in the exposed fishes.
CONCLUSION
Heavy metal bioaccumulation leads to different anomalies in the non-target species. Metal toxicity may cause aquatic organisms to exhibit cellular dysfunction and disturb ecological equilibrium.
Topics: Animals; Antioxidants; Bioaccumulation; Environmental Monitoring; Metals, Heavy; Cadmium; Heavy Metal Poisoning; Fishes; Water Pollutants, Chemical
PubMed: 38183919
DOI: 10.1016/j.jtemb.2023.127377 -
Cirugia Espanola Oct 2023
Topics: Humans; Mercury; Lymphatic System
PubMed: 36933888
DOI: 10.1016/j.cireng.2023.03.002 -
Environmental Science and Pollution... Mar 2024During migration, birds explore various habitats at stopover sites that differ in food resources and contamination levels. In this study, hepatic concentrations of 21...
During migration, birds explore various habitats at stopover sites that differ in food resources and contamination levels. In this study, hepatic concentrations of 21 elements (metals and metalloids) in 11 species of birds, representing various foraging habitats (such as aquatic, aquatic/terrestrial, and terrestrial) and migration modes (migratory and sedentary) representing various foraging guilds (omnivores, piscivores, and molluscivores), were analyzed. The samples (N = 84) were collected during the autumn migration period in Poland. The concentrations of elements determined in this study exhibited high inter-species variability, reflecting the diversity in contamination levels depending on food resources used by specific bird groups. Many of the investigated individuals from different species showed exceeded levels of subclinical toxicity and moderate clinical poisoning due to Cd and Hg. Higher concentrations of As, Hg, and Ba and lower V concentrations were found in migratory birds as compared to sedentary birds. Species foraging in terrestrial habitat had different concentrations of some elements compared to aquatic and aquatic/terrestrial species. Some specific inter-species differences in hepatic elemental concentrations were found. Differences in elemental concentrations among various groups can primarily be attributed to their foraging guilds, with certain elements, particularly As, V, and Hg, playing a significant role in the dissimilarity of elemental concentrations between foraging habitat groups and migratory mode groups. The data collected confirmed the limited ability of As to enter ecosystem pathways. The results of this study contribute to understanding the year-round exposure of migratory birds to environmental contamination, which can have carry-over effects on their performance in wintering and breeding grounds.
Topics: Animals; Birds; Ecosystem; Liver; Mercury; Metalloids; Metals; Poland
PubMed: 38400961
DOI: 10.1007/s11356-024-32502-y -
International Journal of Molecular... Mar 2024The ongoing anthropogenic pollution of the biosphere with As, Cd, Hg and Pb will inevitably result in an increased influx of their corresponding toxic metal(loid)... (Review)
Review
The ongoing anthropogenic pollution of the biosphere with As, Cd, Hg and Pb will inevitably result in an increased influx of their corresponding toxic metal(loid) species into the bloodstream of human populations, including children and pregnant women. To delineate whether the measurable concentrations of these inorganic pollutants in the bloodstream are tolerable or implicated in the onset of environmental diseases urgently requires new insight into their dynamic bioinorganic chemistry in the bloodstream-organ system. Owing to the human exposure to multiple toxic metal(loid) species, the mechanism of chronic toxicity of each of these needs to be integrated into a framework to better define the underlying exposure-disease relationship. Accordingly, this review highlights some recent advances into the bioinorganic chemistry of the Cd, Hg and CHHg in blood plasma, red blood cells and target organs and provides a first glimpse of their emerging mechanisms of chronic toxicity. Although many important knowledge gaps remain, it is essential to design experiments with the intent of refining these mechanisms to eventually establish a framework that may allow us to causally link the cumulative exposure of human populations to multiple toxic metal(loid) species with environmental diseases of unknown etiology that do not appear to have a genetic origin. Thus, researchers from a variety of scientific disciplines need to contribute to this interdisciplinary effort to rationally address this public health threat which may require the implementation of stronger regulatory requirements to improve planetary and human health, which are fundamentally intertwined.
Topics: Child; Humans; Female; Pregnancy; Cadmium; Mercury; Heavy Metal Poisoning; Environmental Pollutants; Environmental Pollution; Environmental Monitoring; Metals, Heavy; Soil Pollutants; Risk Assessment; China
PubMed: 38542366
DOI: 10.3390/ijms25063393 -
The Science of the Total Environment May 2024Health hazards caused by metal exposure in household dust are concerning environmental health problems. Exposure to toxic metals in household dust imposes unclear but...
Health hazards caused by metal exposure in household dust are concerning environmental health problems. Exposure to toxic metals in household dust imposes unclear but solid health risks, especially for children. In this multicenter cross-sectional study, a total of 250 household dust samples were collected from ten stratified cities in China (Panjin, Shijiazhuang, Qingdao, Lanzhou, Luoyang, Ningbo, Xi'an, Wuxi, Mianyang, Shenzhen) between April 2018 and March 2019. Questionnaire was conducted to gather information on individuals' living environment and health status in real-life situations. Multivariate logistic regression and principal component analysis were conducted to identify risk factors and determine the sources of metals in household dust. The median concentration of five metals in household dust from 10 cities ranged from 0.03 to 73.18 μg/g. Among the five heavy metals, only chromium in household dust of Mianyang was observed significantly both higher in the cold season and from the downwind households. Mercury, cadmium, and chromium were higher in the third-tier cities, with levels of 0.08, 0.30 and 97.28 μg/g, respectively. There were two sources with a contribution rate of 38.3 % and 25.8 %, respectively. Potential risk factors for increased metal concentration include long residence time, close to the motorway, decoration within five years, and purchase of new furniture within one year. Under both moderate and high exposure scenarios, chromium showed the highest level of exposure with 6.77 × 10 and 2.28 × 10 mg·kg·d, and arsenic imposed the highest lifetime carcinogenic risk at 1.67 × 10 and 3.17 × 10, respectively. The finding highlighted the priority to minimize childhood exposure of arsenic from household dust.
Topics: Child; Humans; Environmental Monitoring; Social Conditions; Arsenic; Dust; Cities; Cross-Sectional Studies; Metals, Heavy; Heavy Metal Poisoning; Chromium; China; Risk Assessment
PubMed: 38494014
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171669 -
Environmental Pollution (Barking, Essex... Jul 2024Numerous edible mushrooms accumulate Potentially Toxic Elements (PTE), such as cadmium, mercury, and lead, within their sporocarps. This accumulation poses a potential...
Numerous edible mushrooms accumulate Potentially Toxic Elements (PTE), such as cadmium, mercury, and lead, within their sporocarps. This accumulation poses a potential risk of poisoning for humans and is influenced by factors such as the mushroom species, type of element, and the level of industrialization in the region. In our study, we investigated how soil and tree stand characteristics, including C/N ratio, pH, tree diversity, canopy cover, and the proportion of deciduous trees, influence PTE concentration in mushrooms. We collected edible mushrooms from 20 plots situated in the Białowieża Primeval Forest, one of Europe's best-preserved lowland forests. Plots varied in terms of tree species composition, with other factors minimized. We used ICP-MS (Inductively Coupled Plasma - Mass Spectrometry) technique to analyze the concentration of eight PTE (Ag, As, Cd, Ni, Pb, Sb, Sr, Tl) in eight edible mushroom species (M.procera, L.perlatum, R. butyracea, R.cyanoxantha, R.heterophylla, L.vellereus, A.mellea, and Xerocomellus chrysenteron). Our research revealed that the presence of the effect of specific factors on concentration of PTE and its direction depends on mushroom species and type of PTE. The proportion of deciduous tree species and pH of the topsoil layer emerged as the most influential factors affecting PTE concentration in mushroom samples. Tree species richness in the canopy layer did not affect PTE concentration in mushrooms, except for the concentration of Pb in X. chrysenteron. We observed a consistent profile of PTE concentration in mushrooms with similar ecological roles (ectomycorrhizal, saprotrophic, parasite mushrooms) and from comparable phylogenetic affinities.
Topics: Agaricales; Soil Pollutants; Environmental Monitoring; Soil; Poland; Trees; Forests
PubMed: 38754693
DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.124152 -
Journal of Agricultural and Food... Sep 2023The health hazard posed by Hg makes it imperative to develop a fast and convenient means for detecting Hg in water samples and living objects. While fluorescence sensing...
The health hazard posed by Hg makes it imperative to develop a fast and convenient means for detecting Hg in water samples and living objects. While fluorescence sensing technology is considered a promising candidate, the poor water solubility and fluorescence quenching in aqueous solutions of most existing probes limit their practical application. To overcome this, we developed a natural flavylium-inspired fluorescent probe with excellent water solubility. Our probe demonstrated outstanding performance of high sensitivity (LOD = 0.47 nM), fast response (<10 min), and great selectivity for Hg. Notably, we validated its applicability in real water, urine samples, and living cells. Furthermore, the probe was successfully applied to evaluate the effectiveness of antidotes for clinical Hg poisoning.
Topics: Antidotes; Fluorescent Dyes; Mercury; Fluorescence; Water
PubMed: 37639577
DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.3c04537 -
Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine... Jul 2023Premature neonates might be exposed to toxic metals during their stay in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), which could adversely affect neurodevelopment; however,...
BACKGROUND
Premature neonates might be exposed to toxic metals during their stay in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), which could adversely affect neurodevelopment; however, limited evidence is available. The present study was therefore designed to assess the exposure to mercury, lead, cadmium, arsenic, and manganese of preterm neonates who received total parenteral nutrition (TPN) and/or red blood cell (RBC) transfusions during their NICU stay and the risk of neurodevelopment delay at the age of 2 months.
METHODS
We recruited 33 preterm neonates who required TPN during their NICU admission. Blood samples were collected for metal analysis at two different time points (admission and before discharge). Metals in the daily TPN received by preterm neonates were analyzed. Neurodevelopment was assessed using the Ages and Stages Questionnaire Edition 3 (ASQ-3).
RESULTS
All samples of TPN had metal contamination: 96% exceeded the critical arsenic limit (0.3 μg/kg body weight/day); daily manganese intake from TPN for preterm neonates exceeded the recommended dose (1 µg/kg body weight) as it was added intentionally to TPN solutions, raising potential safety concerns. All samples of RBC transfusions exceeded the estimated intravenous reference dose for lead (0.19 µg/kg body weight). Levels of mercury, lead and manganese in preterm neonates at discharge decreased 0.867 µg/L (95% CI, 0.76, 0.988), 0.831 (95%CI, 0.779, 0.886) and 0.847 µg/L (95% CI, 0.775, 0.926), respectively. A decrease in ASQ-3-problem solving scores was associated with higher levels of blood lead in preterm neonates taken at admission (ß = -0.405, 95%CI = -0.655, -0.014), and with plasma manganese (ß = -0.562, 95%CI = -0.995, -0.172). We also observed an association between decreased personal social domain scores with higher blood lead levels of preterm neonates before discharge (ß = -0.537, 95%CI = -0.905, -0.045).
CONCLUSION
Our findings provide evidence to suggest negative impacts on the neurodevelopment at 2 months of preterm infants exposed to certain metals, possibly related to TPN intake and/or blood transfusions received during their NICU stay. Preterm neonates may be exposed to levels of metals in utero.
Topics: Infant, Newborn; Humans; Infant; Infant, Premature; Infant, Low Birth Weight; Lead; Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; Manganese; Arsenic; Heavy Metal Poisoning; Mercury
PubMed: 37060676
DOI: 10.1016/j.jtemb.2023.127173 -
Toxicology Research Apr 2024Because of their beneficial properties, natural products, especially medicinal plants, are becoming increasingly popular worldwide and play a significant role in...
Because of their beneficial properties, natural products, especially medicinal plants, are becoming increasingly popular worldwide and play a significant role in research. This study was aimed to evaluate the nephroprotective effect of sinapic acid against mercuric chloride-induced renal toxicity in mice. The mice were allocated to four groups named a normal group (G1), model group (G2; received HgCl, 1 mg/kg bw), treatments groups (G3 and G4: received 50 and 100 mg/kg bw of sinapic acid together with HgCl2). Mice received HgCl remarkably showed alteration in all examined biochemical biomarkers (urea, creatinine, and bilirubin), and induced alteration in blood cell picture and anemia. HgCl intoxication decreased both systemic and renal antioxidant activity and induced over all oxidative stress as indicated by alteration in inflammation and oxidative stress associated markers. HgCl affected renal histology with leukocytic and inflammatory cell infiltration, fibrosis and tubular necrosis. Administration of sinapic acid (50 and 100 mg/kg bw) markedly restored the HgClinduced oxidative stress (serum and renal: MDA, GSH, CAT, SOD, and T-AOC), proinflammatory cytokines (serum and renal: TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, and PGE2) and restored the changes on biochemical markers, and hematological parameters (hemoglobin, erythrocytes, platelets, and leukocytes). Taken together, the results of the present study disclose that sinapic acid has the potential to attenuate HgCl-induced renal toxicity and may be an ideal choice against mercury poisoning.
PubMed: 38660688
DOI: 10.1093/toxres/tfae066