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International Journal of Environmental... Jun 2020Human exposure to lead can occur in a variety of ways, all of which involve exposure to potentially toxic elements as environmental pollutants. Lead enters the body via... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Human exposure to lead can occur in a variety of ways, all of which involve exposure to potentially toxic elements as environmental pollutants. Lead enters the body via ingestion and inhalation from sources such as soil, food, lead dust and lead in products of everyday use and in the workplace. The aim of this review is to describe the toxic effects of lead on the human body from conception to adulthood, and to review the situation regarding lead toxicity in Poland.
RESULTS
Pb is very dangerous when it is absorbed and accumulates in the main organs of the body, where it can cause a range of symptoms that vary from person to person, the time of exposure and dose. Lead in adults can cause an increase in blood pressure, slow nerve conduction, fatigue, mood swings, drowsiness, impaired concentration, fertility disorders, decreased sex drive, headaches, constipation and, in severe cases, encephalopathy or death.
CONCLUSIONS
Exposure to lead in Poland remains an important public health problem. This review will cover the range of lead exposures, from mild to heavy. Public health interventions and policies also are needed to reduce occupational and environmental exposure to this element.
Topics: Adult; Aged; Dust; Environmental Exposure; Environmental Pollution; Humans; Lead; Lead Poisoning; Poland
PubMed: 32570851
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17124385 -
BMC Medicine Jun 2022Osteoarthritis (OA) is a worldwide public health concern, mainly afflicting older adults. Although the etiology of OA remains unclear, environmental factors are...
BACKGROUND
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a worldwide public health concern, mainly afflicting older adults. Although the etiology of OA remains unclear, environmental factors are increasingly considered as non-negligible risk factors. This study aims to evaluate the associations of urinary metals with OA risk and the mediated effect of biological aging.
METHODS
Nine urinary metal concentrations were detected among 12,584 U.S. adults based on the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), including barium (Ba), cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), cesium (Cs), molybdenum (Mo), lead (Pb), antimony (Sb), thallium (Tl), and uranium (Tu). Multivariable logistic regression and weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression were used to explore the associations of single metal and mixed metals with OA risk, respectively. Furthermore, biological aging was measured from different perspectives, including cell senescence (telomere length) and whole-body aging (phenotypic age and biological age). Mediation analyses were conducted to investigate the mediated effects of aging on the associations of metals with OA risk.
RESULTS
In the single-exposure model, Cd, Co, and Cs were identified to be positively associated with OA risk, with odds ratios (OR) ranging from 1.48 to 1.64 (all P < 0.05). Mixed-exposure analyses showed consistent associations (OR 1.23, 95%CI 1.10 to 1.37) and highlighted that Cd, Co, and Cs were responsible for the outcomes. Additionally, Cd, Co, Cs, Pb, and Tl were positively associated with biological aging markers, while all biological aging markers had significant associations with OA risk. Further mediation analyses showed that the associations of single metal (mainly Cd and Cs) and mixed metals with OA risk parallelly mediated by the above biological aging markers, with the proportion of mediation ranging from 16.89 to 69.39% (all P < 0.05). Moreover, such associations were also serially mediated through telomere length-biological age path and telomere length-phenotypic age path (the proportion of mediation: 4.17-11.67%), indicating that metals accelerated cell senescence to lead to whole-body aging and finally aggravated OA progress.
CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggested that exposure to metals increased OA risk, which was possibly and partly mediated by biological aging.
Topics: Aged; Aging; Biomarkers; Cadmium; Environmental Exposure; Humans; Lead; Nutrition Surveys; Osteoarthritis
PubMed: 35710548
DOI: 10.1186/s12916-022-02403-3 -
Metal Ions in Life Sciences Apr 2017After a chronic exposure, lead accumulates in the human body, especially in bones and teeth. Critical effects of lead affect the nervous system, reproduction, fertility...
After a chronic exposure, lead accumulates in the human body, especially in bones and teeth. Critical effects of lead affect the nervous system, reproduction, fertility as well as genotoxicity and carcinogenicity [1]. Analyses of lead concentrations in human biological material are performed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and atomic absorption spectrometry, but also electrochemical methods and X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy. The predominant sample matrices include blood and bone, as well as urine, hair, nail, and saliva. To characterize first biological effects, diverse parameters are discussed as "biomarkers of effect". These include δ-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALAD) and erythrocyte porphyrins (EPs) in blood as well as δ-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) in urine and plasma and coproporphyrin in urine. However, biomarkers of effect alone are not sufficiently sensitive for an early detection of a health impairment caused by lead. In summary, lead in blood is the most prominent and best validated biomarker for a lead exposure. A recommended diagnostic strategy for revealing lead-induced effects is the determination of lead in whole blood combined with the analysis of different effect parameters like ALA and coproporphyrin in urine and ALAD and zinc protoporphyrin (ZPP) in blood.
Topics: Biomarkers; Bone and Bones; Electrochemical Techniques; Environmental Exposure; Humans; Lead; Mass Spectrometry; Saliva
PubMed: 28731299
DOI: 10.1515/9783110434330-006 -
Metallomics : Integrated Biometal... Jun 2016
Topics: Brain; Female; Humans; Lead; Male; Manganese
PubMed: 27261156
DOI: 10.1039/c6mt90017h -
Metal Ions in Life Sciences Apr 2017Heavy metal exposure has long been associated with metallothionein (MT) regulation and its functions. MT is a ubiquitous, cysteine-rich protein that is involved in... (Review)
Review
Heavy metal exposure has long been associated with metallothionein (MT) regulation and its functions. MT is a ubiquitous, cysteine-rich protein that is involved in homeostatic metal response for the essential metals zinc and copper, as well as detoxification of heavy metals; the most commonly proposed being cadmium. MT binds in vivo to a number of metals in addition to zinc, cadmium and copper, such as bismuth. In vitro, metallation with a wide range of metals (especially mercury, arsenic, and lead) has been reported using a variety of analytical methods. To fully understand MT and its role with lead metabolism, we will describe how MT interacts with a wide variety of metals that bind in vitro. In general, affinity to the metal-binding cysteine residues of MT follows that of metal binding to thiols: Zn(II) < Pb(II) < Cd (II) < Cu(I) < Ag(I) < Hg(II) < Bi(III). To introduce the metal binding properties that we feel directly relate to the metallation of metallothionein by Pb(II), we will explore MT's interactions with metals long known as toxic, particularly, Cd(II), Hg(II), and As(III), along with xenobiotic metals, and how these metal-binding studies complement those of lead binding. Lead's effects on an organism's physiological functions are not fully understood, but it is known that chronic exposure inflicts amongst other factors pernicious anemia and developmental issues in the brain, especially in children who are more vulnerable to its toxic effects. Understanding the interaction of lead with metallothioneins throughout the biosphere, from bacteria, to algae, to fish, to humans, is important in determining pathways for lead to enter and damage physiologically significant protein function, and thereby its toxicity.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Lead; Lead Poisoning; Metallothionein; Protein Binding
PubMed: 28731302
DOI: 10.1515/9783110434330-009 -
Microbiology (Reading, England) Jan 2014Lead (Pb) is an element present in the environment that negatively affects all living organisms. To diminish its high toxicity, micro-organisms have developed several... (Review)
Review
Lead (Pb) is an element present in the environment that negatively affects all living organisms. To diminish its high toxicity, micro-organisms have developed several mechanisms that allow them to survive exposure to Pb(II). The main mechanisms of lead resistance involve adsorption by extracellular polysaccharides, cell exclusion, sequestration as insoluble phosphates, and ion efflux to the cell exterior. This review describes the various lead resistance mechanisms, and the regulation of their expression by lead binding regulatory proteins. Special attention is given to the Pbr system from Cupriavidus metallidurans CH34, which involves a unique mechanism combining efflux and lead precipitation.
Topics: Cupriavidus; Drug Resistance, Bacterial; Lead; Metabolic Networks and Pathways
PubMed: 24124204
DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.070284-0 -
Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology Jan 2022Discrepancies are present in the findings from clinical trials evaluating a physiological role of iron status in the lead-exposed population.
BACKGROUND
Discrepancies are present in the findings from clinical trials evaluating a physiological role of iron status in the lead-exposed population.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this article was to summarize the current understanding of cellular mechanisms of lead toxicity and present a comprehensive review of existing clinical trials related to associations of lead poisoning and iron status. Although an association of iron metabolism pathways that are affected by lead intoxication has been studied, there are still aspects that remain to be elucidated. The existence of additional Pb uptake pathways besides DMT1 transporter-mediated is postulated to non-specifically regulate lead absorption.
METHODS
Authors performed a systematic search of PubMed, EMBASE® and Web of Science databases to identify studies that reported an association between health risks of non-organic lead that are associated with iron status markers as possible effect modifier.
RESULTS
There were 58 studies that met the pre-defined inclusion criteria for the systematic review. There is a strong body of evidence supporting the hypothesis that alleviated blood lead level can be correlated with a reduced body iron store and increasing the risk of anemia. This association is of a high significance in cases of a young adolescent, weaker in groups of older children and often without a statistical significance in adults.
DISCUSSION
Discrepancies in the observations may result from different specificities of lead absorption pathways in children and adults, as well as the power of the statistical tests in varying population sizes. It may be assumed that the extent of iron deficits coupled together with source, timing, and severity of lead exposure, significantly influence the correlation between these factors. Some of the intervention programs of counteracting lead poisoning by iron supplementation proved to be effective and may be a promising prevention strategy for the exposed population.
Topics: Drug Interactions; Environmental Exposure; Environmental Pollutants; Humans; Iron; Lead; Occupational Exposure
PubMed: 34780723
DOI: 10.1016/j.taap.2021.115794 -
Pregnancy Hypertension Oct 2020Lead exposure has been associated with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. Angiogenic factors, including soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 (sFlt1) and placental growth...
OBJECTIVES
Lead exposure has been associated with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. Angiogenic factors, including soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 (sFlt1) and placental growth factor (PlGF), are aberrant in preeclampsia, but have not been correlated with lead levels. We evaluated the association of lead exposure with angiogenic factors.
STUDY DESIGN
This cross sectional study utilized a convenience sample of singleton pregnancies ≥34 weeks' gestation. Blood lead and angiogenic factors were measured before delivery; bone lead was measured postpartum. We dichotomized bone and blood lead into the top tertile versus the bottom tertiles and used log-binomial regression to assess the association between lead and a high angiogenic ratio.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
The outcomes were high sFlt1 to PlGF ratio and development of a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy.
RESULTS
We enrolled 102 participants, of whom 98 had at least one lead measurement and an angiogenic factor result. Median bone lead was 3.8 ug/g (2.0 - 6.6) and median blood lead was 0.2 ug/dL (0.2 - 0.4). Incidence of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy was 31%. When comparing the highest tertile of bone lead to the bottom two tertiles, there was no association with a high sFlt1/PlGF ratio or hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. Similar results were observed for the exposure of blood lead.
CONCLUSIONS
Lead exposure was not an important contributor to an elevated angiogenic factor ratio or hypertensive disorders of pregnancy in our U.S.
POPULATION
However, lead exposure was modest in our population and we cannot exclude a relationship with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.
Topics: Adult; Angiogenesis Inducing Agents; Bone and Bones; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Humans; Lead; Placenta Growth Factor; Pre-Eclampsia; Pregnancy; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1
PubMed: 32763807
DOI: 10.1016/j.preghy.2020.07.014 -
Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety Sep 2023Exposure to lead (Pb) and manganese (Mn) during early life influences neurodevelopment and increases the risk of neurodegenerative disorders. However, the level of...
Exposure to lead (Pb) and manganese (Mn) during early life influences neurodevelopment and increases the risk of neurodegenerative disorders. However, the level of developmental neurotoxicity due to combined exposure to the two metals remains unclear. Although the microbiota plays an essential part in the development of the nervous system via the gut-brain axis, there is a paucity of information regarding the interactions between exposure to Pb and Mn, the destruction of the microbiome, and neurodevelopmental impacts. To fill in this knowledge gap, we investigated the developmental neurotoxicity and effects on the microbiota of Pb (0.05 mg·L) alone and in combination with Mn (0.3 mg·L) in zebrafish larvae. Our results revealed that combined exposure precipitated higher malformation rates and lower locomotor activity levels than exposure to either Pb or Mn alone. Additionally, when we separated the combined exposure group from the other groups by applying unsupervised principal coordinates analysis (PCoA) and linear discriminant analysis (LEfSe) of microflora sequencing results, we observed extensive alterations in microbial abundances under combined-exposure conditions. Functional prediction analysis showed that combined exposure contributed to altered amino acid and lipid metabolism, and also that combined exposure to Pb and Mn reflected the greatest number of differentially activated biological pathways compared to the other three groups. ATP-binding cassette G (ABCG) genes and genes related to serotonin signaling and metabolism were altered following combined Pb and Mn exposure and exhibited disparate trends vis-à-vis Pb or Mn exposure alone. According to the results, the combined exposure to Pb and Mn led to more severe effects on both zebrafish locomotor activity and gut microbial composition. We suggest that the microbiota contributes to the combined neurotoxicity by increasing ABCG5 and ABCG8 gene expression.
Topics: Animals; Lead; Zebrafish; Manganese; Microbiota; Locomotion
PubMed: 37487434
DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2023.115260 -
PloS One 2022Lead is one of ten hazardous chemicals of public health concern and is used in more than 900 occupations, including the battery, smelting, and mining industries. Lead...
Lead is one of ten hazardous chemicals of public health concern and is used in more than 900 occupations, including the battery, smelting, and mining industries. Lead toxicity accounts for 1.5% (900,000) of deaths annually in the world. In Indonesia, reports of high Blood Lead Level (BLL) were associated with residency in Used Lead Acid Battery (ULAB) recycling sites. The present study aims to investigate the BLL and the evidence of lead toxicity of children living in an ULAB recycling site in Bogor Regency, Indonesia. A cross-sectional study involving 128 children aged 1-5 years was conducted in September-October 2019. The socio-economic factors, BLL, nutritional status, and hematological parameters, were evaluated. Data were analyzed by univariate and bivariate using the Chi-Square test. Socio-economic factors revealed only 2.3% children have pica and 10.9% children have hand-to-mouth habits. Majority of parents had low income, education, and have stayed in the village for years. Analysis on BLL revealed that 69.5% children had BLL of >10 μg/dL, 25% had abnormal BMI, 23.4% had underweight, 53.9% had stunting, 33.6% had anemia, and 22.6% had basophilic stippling. The average BLL and hemoglobin levels of respondents were 17.03 μg/dL and 11.48 g/dL, respectively. Bivariate analysis revealed that children with high BLL had double risk of having underweight and protected from stunting. Analysis on the association between BLL and BMI for age revealed a higher risk to have abnormal BMI. The high BLL also had 1.017 times risk of developing anemia, and almost doubled risk of having basophilic stippling, although they were not statistically significant. In conclusion, the high BLL of children living in the ULAB recycling indicates that lead exposure as well as lead toxicity are still occurring in Cinangka Village, and alerts to the need for a systematic action to mitigate the exposure.
Topics: Child; Child, Preschool; Female; Humans; Indonesia; Infant; Lead; Lead Poisoning; Male
PubMed: 35196330
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0264209