ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Cadmium (Cd) is a toxic metal that is widely present in the environment due to geologic and anthropogenic sources. Exposures to high Cd levels may cause nephrotoxicity, carcinogenicity, pulmonary and cardiovascular disease, among others. The goal of this study was to investigate in an adult urban population whether an association exists between sources and levels of Cd exposure and blood Cd concentrations. METHODS: Using a census-based design, a total of 959 adults, aged 40 years or older, were randomly selected. Information on socio-demographics, dietary, and lifestyle background was obtained by household interviews. Blood Cd levels were measured by inductively coupled-plasma mass spectrometry. Geometric means (GM) (95% CI) and the 50th percentile were determined, stratified by sex, age, race, education, income class, smoking status, consumption of vegetables, red meat and milk, occupation and blood pressure. To assess the association between Cd exposure and the aforementioned variables, we estimated the geometric mean ratio (GMR) (95%CI) of blood Cd concentrations. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The geometric mean (95%CI) of blood Cd levels in the total population was 0.25 (0.22, 0.27) ug/dL. In a univariate analysis, significantly higher blood Cd levels were found in men (p < 0.001), current and former smokers (p < 0.001), alcohol drinkers (p < 0.001), those who never or almost never consumed milk (p < 0.001), and in subjects with higher diastolic blood pressure (p = 0.03). Significant correlations were found between the number of cigarettes consumed daily and blood Cd levels. Multivariate analysis confirmed higher blood Cd concentrations were associated with alcohol consumption (GMR 95%CI = 1.28, 1.04-1.59) and in former and current smokers (GMR 95% IC = 1.33, 1.06-1.67 and 4.23, 3.24-5.52, respectively). Our results shed novel information on variables associated with blood Cd levels in an urban Brazilian population, and should encourage additional research to prevent environmental Cd exposure, both in Brazil and globally.
Subject(s)
Cadmium , Environmental Exposure , Adult , Brazil , Environmental Exposure/analysis , Geology , Humans , Male , Urban PopulationABSTRACT
Neste trabalho foi validada a técnica de digestão por via úmida (hidrólise com HCl) de feijão (Phaseolus vulgaris), para efetuar a determinação simultânea dos nutrientes inorgânicos Ca, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, P e Zn, por espectrometria de emissão óptica com plasma de argônio indutivamente acoplado (ICP OES). Essa técnica simples, relativamente rápida e com características satisfatórias de desempenho, foi utilizada na preparação de 40 amostras de feijão cru comercializadas no estado de São Paulo, Brasil. Após a determinação das concentrações dos nutrientes inorgânicos por ICP OES, os teores obtidos (emmg/100g de feijão) de Ca, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, P e Zn foram, respectivamente, de 12+-20; 0,8+-0,1; 6,0+-0,9; 1370+-80; 170+-10; 1,5+-0,4; 1,4+-0,4; 350+-50; 2,6+-0,3. Esses teores mostraram-se satisfatoriamente concordantes com as informações de seis tabelas de composição de alimentos, com a exceção do teor de sódio que apresentou-se significativamente menor. Os resultados também foram usados para estimar a contribuição do consumo de feijão na Ingestão Diária Recomendada (IDR) dos nutrientes investigados, constatando-se que o feijão pode contribuir significativamente principalmente nas IDRs do Cu, Mg, Mn, P e Fe.
In this investigation a wet digestion technique (HCl hydrolysis) of raw bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) was validated in order to perform the simultaneous determination of inorganic nutrients Ca, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, P, and Zn by means of inductively coupled argon plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICPOES). This simple, relatively rapid, and with satisfactory performance characteristics technique was employed for analyzing 40 raw bean marketed in São Paulo state (Brazil). After determining inorganic nutrients by emission spectrometry, the obtained concentrations of Ca, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, P, and Zn contents (in mg/100g bean) were 120±20; 0.8±0.1; 6.0±0.9; 1370±80; 170±10; 1.5±0.4; 1.4±0.4; 350±50; and 2.6±0.3, respectively. These inorganic nutrients contents are in agreement with the information from six food composition tables, except of Na that showed a significantly lower value. The results were also used to estimate the bean consumption contribution in Recommended Daily Intakes (RDI) for the investigated nutrients, and it was noted that bean can significantly contribute in Cu, Mg,Mn, P, Fe, and Zn RDIs.
