Arsenic, lead, mercury and cadmium: Toxicity, levels in breast milk and the risks for breastfed infants.

Metals are ubiquitous in nature, being found in all environmental compartments, and have a variety of applications in human activities. Metals are transferred by maternal blood to the fetus via the placenta, and exposure continues throughout life. For the general population, exposure comes mainly from water and food consumption, including breast milk. In this paper, we reviewed studies on the toxicity of arsenic, lead, mercury and cadmium, the toxic metals of most concern to human health, focusing on the potential risks to newborns and infants. A total of 75 studies published since 2000 reporting the levels of these metals in breast milk were reviewed. Lead was the metal most investigated in breast milk (43 studies), and for which the highest levels were reported (up to 1515µg/L). Arsenic was the least investigated (18 studies), with higher levels reported for breast milk (up to 149µg/L) collected in regions with high arsenic concentrations in water (>10µg/L). Data from 34 studies on mercury showed that levels in breast milk were generally higher in populations with high fish consumption, where it may be present mainly as MeHg. Cadmium levels in breast milk were the lowest, with means <2µg/L in most of the 29 studies reviewed. Results of risk assessments indicated that the intake of arsenic, lead and mercury by infants through breastfeeding can be considered a health concern in most regions of the world. Although the potential risks to infants are mostly outweighed by the benefits of breast milk consumption, it is essential that contaminants be continuously monitored, especially in the most critical regions, and that measures be implemented by health authorities to reduce exposure of newborns and infants to these metals, and thus avoid unnecessary health risks.

[Intoxication due to pesticides in the Federal District of Brazil between 2004 and 2007 -analysis of notification to the Toxicological Information and Assistance Center]. / Intoxicação por agrotóxicos no Distrito Federal, Brasil, de 2004 a 2007 - análise da notificação ao Centro de Informação e Assistência Toxicológica.

Exposure to toxic substances, including pesticides, can cause irreversible damage to humans, including death, and is therefore considered a serious public health problem worldwide. This is a retrospective study using data gathered by the Toxicological Information and Assistance Center of Brazil's Federal District (Ciat-DF) between 2004 and 2007. During this period, 709 intoxications with pesticide occurred in the DF and were analyzed in this study. Fifty-one percent of the intoxicated individuals were men; the events occurred mostly in the home (91%), in the urban area (86.3%) and by ingestion (84%). Children from 1 to 4 years of age and adults from 20 to 39 years were involved in 30% and 36% of the cases, respectively. Accidental intoxication corresponded to 47.1% of the cases, followed by attempted suicide (44.2%). The illegal rodenticide known as "chumbinho", the main ingredient of which is carbamate insecticide aldicarb, was involved in 35.1% of the cases, mostly in suicide attempts. In eighteen cases, the intoxicated individuals died after exposure to the pesticides, namely 15 suicides and 3 accidental poisonings. When compared with other data sources, this study identified a high level of underreporting to the Ciat-DF of intoxication by pesticide during the period under study.

Intoxicação por agrotóxicos no Distrito Federal, Brasil, de 2004 a 2007 - análise da notificação ao Centro de Informação e Assistência Toxicológica / Intoxication due to pesticides in the Federal District of Brazil between 2004 and 2007 -analysis of notification to the Toxicological Information and Assistance Center

Exposure to toxic substances, including pesticides, can cause irreversible damage to humans, including death, and is therefore considered a serious public health problem worldwide. This is a retrospective study using data gathered by the Toxicological Information and Assistance Center of Brazil's Federal District (Ciat-DF) between 2004 and 2007. During this period, 709 intoxications with pesticide occurred in the DF and were analyzed in this study. Fifty-one percent of the intoxicated individuals were men; the events occurred mostly in the home (91 percent), in the urban area (86.3 percent) and by ingestion (84 percent). Children from 1 to 4 years of age and adults from 20 to 39 years were involved in 30 percent and 36 percent of the cases, respectively. Accidental intoxication corresponded to 47.1 percent of the cases, followed by attempted suicide (44.2 percent). The illegal rodenticide known as "chumbinho", the main ingredient of which is carbamate insecticide aldicarb, was involved in 35.1 percent of the cases, mostly in suicide attempts. In eighteen cases, the intoxicated individuals died after exposure to the pesticides, namely 15 suicides and 3 accidental poisonings. When compared with other data sources, this study identified a high level of underreporting to the Ciat-DF of intoxication by pesticide during the period under study.

A exposição humana a substâncias tóxicas, incluindo agrotóxicos, pode levar a danos irreversíveis no organismo e até ao óbito, sendo considera um grave problema de saúde pública. Este é um estudo retrospectivo, que utilizou dados reportados ao Centro de Informação e Assistência Toxicológica do Distrito Federal, Brasil (Ciat-DF) referentes a intoxicações por agrotóxicos ocorridas no DF de 2004 a 2007. Nesse período, 709 intoxicações foram notificadas e avaliadas neste estudo. A maioria dos indivíduos envolvidos nas intoxicações foi do sexo masculino (51,2 por cento), intoxicados no domicílio (91 por cento), em área urbana (86,3 por cento) e por via oral (84 por cento). Crianças de 1 a 4 anos e adultos de 20 a 39 anos estiveram envolvidos em 30 e 36 por cento das intoxicações, respectivamente. As intoxicações acidentais corresponderam a 47,1 por cento dos casos, seguidas pelas tentativas de suicídio (44,2 por cento). O raticida ilegal chumbinho, conhecido por conter, principalmente, o inseticida carbamato aldicarbe, esteve envolvido em 35,1 por cento dos casos, principalmente em tentativas de suicídio. Dezoito das intoxicações registradas evoluíram a óbito, 15 por suicídio e 3 por acidente individual. Quando comparado com outras fontes de dados, este estudo detectou uma alta taxa de subnotificação das intoxicações por agrotóxicos reportadas ao Ciat-DF no período do estudo.