Metal Levels in Striped Dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba) and Common Dolphins (Delphinus delphis) Stranded along the Sicilian Coastlines of the Mediterranean Sea.

Dolphins, top predators of the aquatic food chain, are used as sentinel species of marine pollution as they are sensitive to environmental changes and able to accumulate a large content of contaminants. Several EU directives promote study of marine mammalians as bio-indicators to evaluate the presence of contaminants in the aquatic environment, such as the Mediterranean Sea, which is rich in environmental pollutants due to its geographic and geo-morphological characteristics. The aim of this study was to evaluate the content of toxic and essential metals and metalloids (Hg, Pb, Cd, As, Se and Zn), through ICP-MS analysis, in organs/tissues (liver, muscle, lung, kidney and skin) of striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba) and common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) stranded along the Sicilian coastlines of the Mediterranean Sea. The results confirm the exposure of dolphins to toxic metals and metalloids, with the highest Hg levels observed in skin and liver, although a low Metal Pollution Index (MPI) was found in all samples of both dolphin species. From a comparative analysis of trace metals and metalloids according to sex and state of development, the highest levels of Cd and As were found in females vs. males and adults vs. juveniles, except for Pb in both species, and significant differences were observed between the two species, size of specimens, and organs/tissues analyzed. The highest Hg levels were correlated to those of essential metals Se and Zn, expressed as molar ratios, to evaluate the potential synergic effect of these detoxifying elements against Hg toxicity. This study confirms the rule of Stenella coeruleoalba and Delphinus delphis as valid sentinel species of the Mediterranean Sea, to verify the trend of metals pollution in this aquatic environment and, consequently, the health of these marine species.

Metal exposure in the Greenlandic ACCEPT cohort: follow-up and comparison with other Arctic populations.

Humans are exposed to metals through diet and lifestyle e.g. smoking. Some metals are essential for physiologically body functions, while others are non-essential and can be toxic to humans. This study follows up on metal concentrations in the Greenlandic ACCEPT birth-cohort (mothers and fathers) and compares with other Arctic populations. The data from 2019 to 2020 include blood metal concentrations, lifestyle and food frequency questionnaires from 101 mothers and 76 fathers, 24-55 years, living in Nuuk, Sisimiut, and Ilulissat. A high percentage (25-45%) exceeded international guidance values for Hg. For the mothers, the metal concentrations changed significantly from inclusion at pregnancy to this follow-up 3-5 years after birth; some increased and others decreased. Most metals differed significantly between mothers and fathers, while few also differed between residential towns. Several metals correlated significantly with marine food intake and socio-economic factors, but the direction of the correlations varied. Traditional marine food intake was associated positively with Se, As and Hg. To the best of our knowledge, this study provides the most recent data on metal exposure of both men and women in Greenland, elucidating metal exposure sources among Arctic populations, and documents the need for continuing biomonitoring to follow the exceeding of guidance values for Hg. [Figure: see text].

Association between essential metals, adherence to healthy lifestyle behavior, and ankle-brachial index.

BACKGROUND: Ankle-brachial index (ABI) is a noninvasive diagnostic method for peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and a predictor of cardiovascular events. OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed to evaluate the association between individual or combined essential metals and ABI, as well as assess the collective impact of essential metals when coupled with healthy lifestyle on ABI. METHODS: A total of 2865 participants were recruited in Wuhan Tongji Hospital between August 2018 and March 2019. Concentrations of essential metals in urine were measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer. RESULTS: The results of general linear regression models demonstrated that after adjusting for confounding factors, there was a positive association between ABI increase and per unit increase of log 10-transformed, creatinine-corrected urinary Cr (ß (95 % CI): 0.010 (0.004, 0.016), PFDR = 0.007), Fe (ß (95 % CI): 0.010 (0.003, 0.017), PFDR = 0.018), and Co (ß (95 % CI): 0.013 (0.005, 0.021), PFDR = 0.007). The WQS regression revealed a positive relationship between the mixture of essential metals and ABI (ß (95 % CI): 0.006 (0.003, 0.010), P < 0.001), with Cr and Co contributing most to the relationship (weighted 45.48 % and 40.14 %, respectively). Compared to individuals with unfavorable lifestyle and the lowest quartile of Cr, Fe and Co, those with favorable lifestyle and the highest quartile of Cr, Fe and Co exhibited the most increase in ABI (ß (95 % CI): 0.030 (0.017, 0.044) for Cr, ß (95 % CI): 0.027 (0.013, 0.040) for Fe, and ß (95 % CI): 0.030 (0.016, 0.044) for Co). CONCLUSION: In summary, our study indicates that adequate essential metal intake together with healthy lifestyle behaviors perform crucial roles in PAD protection.

The Impact of the Combined Effect of Inhalation Anesthetics and Iron Dextran on Rats' Systemic Toxicity.

Disruption of any stage of iron homeostasis, including uptake, utilization, efflux, and storage, can cause progressive damage to peripheral organs. The health hazards associated with occupational exposure to inhalation anesthetics (IA) in combination with chronic iron overload are not well documented. This study aimed to investigate changes in the concentration of essential metals in the peripheral organs of rats after iron overload in combination with IA. The aim was also to determine how iron overload in combination with IA affects tissue metal homeostasis, hepcidin-ferritin levels, and MMP levels according to physiological, functional, and tissue features. According to the obtained results, iron accumulation was most pronounced in the liver (19×), spleen (6.7×), lungs (3.1×), and kidneys (2.5×) compared to control. Iron accumulation is associated with elevated heavy metal levels and impaired essential metal concentrations due to oxidative stress (OS). Notably, the use of IA increases the iron overload toxicity, especially after Isoflurane exposure. The results show that the regulation of iron homeostasis is based on the interaction of hepcidin, ferritin, and other proteins regulated by inflammation, OS, free iron levels, erythropoiesis, and hypoxia. Long-term exposure to IA and iron leads to the development of numerous adaptation mechanisms in response to toxicity, OS, and inflammation. These adaptive mechanisms of iron regulation lead to the inhibition of MMP activity and reduction of oxidative stress, protecting the organism from possible damage.

Trace Elements in Stenella coeruleoalba: Assessment of Marine Environmental Pollution and Dolphin Health Status.

Heavy metals are environmental contaminants and can easily accumulate and biomagnify in various marine species (fishes and mammalians) at the top of the aquatic food chain. Among marine mammalians, the striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) is the most abundant cetacean in the Mediterranean Sea and is considered to be a sentinel species to monitor the environmental marine pollution. In this study, the contents of toxic metals and metalloids (Cd, Pb, Hg, and As), micro-elements (Ni, Cr, Cu, Fe, Co, Mn, Se and Zn) and macro-elements (Na, Ca, K, Mg and P) were evaluated by ICP-MS analysis in several organs/tissues (lung, skin, muscle and liver) of Stenella coeruleoalba. The assessment of marine environmental pollution and dolphins health status was carried out through further analysis of the same specific parameters such as the metal pollution index (MPI) and coefficient of condition (K). Finally, the correlation between toxic metals and metalloids and essential micro-elements, expressed as molar ratios, was analyzed to evaluate the detoxifying ability (effectiveness) of Zn, Se and Cu. Data obtained showed the presence of toxic metals and metalloids analyzed in the Stenella coeruleoalba samples but the MPI values suggested a low environmental contamination of the Mediterranean Sea where dolphins lived. The content of micro- and macro-elements was found to be in a normal range for this species and predictive of dolphins good health status, as confirmed by the coefficient of condition K. However, the correlation between toxic and essential metals, expressed as molar ratios, showed that the following toxic metals cannot be detoxified by the essential metals: 66Zn/201Hg, 82Se/201Hg, 63Cu/201Hg and 66Zn/52Cr, 82Se/52Cr, 63Cu/52Cr. Therefore, this study highlights the key role of dolphin Stenella coeruleoalba to assess marine pollution and the importance of analyzing the complete mineral profile to evaluate the animal health status.

Associations of essential metals with the risk of aortic arch calcification: a cross-sectional study in a mid-aged and older population of Shenzhen, China.

Vascular calcification is a strong predictor of cardiovascular events. Essential metals play critical roles in maintaining human health. However, the association of essential metal levels with risk of aortic arch calcification (AoAC) remains unclear. We measured the plasma concentrations of nine essential metals in a cross-sectional population and evaluated their individual and combined effects on AoAC risk using multiple statistical methods. We also explored the mediating role of fasting glucose. In the logistic regression model, higher quartiles of magnesium and copper were associated with the decreased AoAC risk, while higher quartile of manganese was associated with higher AoAC risk. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator penalized regression analysis identified magnesium, manganese, calcium, cobalt, and copper as key metals associated with AoAC risk. The weighted quantile sum regression suggested a combined effect of metal mixture. A linear and positive dose-response relationship was found between manganese and AoAC in males. Moreover, blood glucose might mediate a proportion of 9.38% of the association between manganese exposure and AoAC risk. In summary, five essential metal levels were associated with AoAC and showed combined effect. Fasting glucose might play a significant role in mediating manganese exposure-associated AoAC risk.

Serum and tissue metallome of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) patients have late presentation at the time of diagnosis and a poor prognosis. Metal dyshomeostasis is known to play a role in cancer progression. However, the blood and tissue metallome of PDAC patients has not been assessed. This study aimed to determine the levels of essential and toxic metals in the serum and pancreatic tissue from PDAC patients. Serum samples were obtained from PDAC patients before surgical resection. Tissue (tumor and adjacent normal pancreas) were obtained from the surgically resected specimen. Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) analysis was performed to quantify the levels of 10 essential and 3 toxic metals in these samples. Statistical analysis was performed to identify dysregulated metals in PDAC and their role as potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers. Significantly decreased serum levels of magnesium, potassium, calcium, iron, zinc, selenium, arsenic, and mercury and increased levels of molybdenum were shown to be associated with PDAC. There were significantly decreased levels of zinc, manganese and molybdenum, and increased levels of calcium and selenium in the pancreatic tumor tissue compared with the adjacent normal pancreas. Notably, lower serum levels of calcium, iron, and selenium, and higher levels of manganese, were significantly associated with a poor prognosis (i.e., overall survival) in PDAC patients. In conclusion, this is the first study to comprehensively assess the serum and tissue metallome of PDAC patients. It identified the association of metals with PDAC diagnosis and prognosis.

Physical activity modified association of urinary metals mixture and fasting blood glucose in children: From two panel studies.

There is unclear evidence available on the associations between multiple metals and fasting blood glucose (FBG) in children, and whether they could be beneficial from physical activity. We included 283 children aged 4-12 years from two panel studies with 4-consecutive morning urinary 13 essential metals and 10 non-essential metals repeated across 3 seasons. We employed multiple informant model, linear mixed-effect model, and quantile g-computation to evaluate associations of single metal and their mixture with FBG and interactions with extra-school activity. The results showed that positive relations of multiple essential metals (aluminum, chromium, copper, iron, molybdenum (Mo), nickel, selenium (Se), strontium, zinc) and non-essential metals (arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), rubidium, titanium (Ti), thallium) with FBG were the strongest at lag 0 (the health examination day), especially in overweight & obesity children (FDR <0.05). The strongest effect presented 1-fold increment in As was related to FBG increased 1.66% (95%CI: 0.84%, 2.48%) in overweight & obesity children. Notably, modification of extra-school activity showed significant, and the effects of multiple metals on FBG were attenuated in children taking total extra-school activity ≥1 h/day, and only one type of which, low or moderate & high intensity extra-school activity reached 20 min/day (Pint <0.05). For instance, each 1-fold increased As was associated with 1.41% increased FBG in overall children taking total extra-school activity <1 h/day, while that of 0.13% in those ≥1 h/day. Meanwhile, mixture of all, essential and non-essential metals were associated with increased FBG, a trend that decreased and became nonsignificant in children having certain extra-school activity, which were dominated by Mo, Se, Ti, Cd. And such relations were substantially beneficial from extra-school activity in overweight & obesity children. Accordingly, multiple essential and non-essential metals, both individual and in mixture, were positively related to FBG in children, which might be attenuated by regular physical activity.

The effects and potential mechanisms of essential metals on the associations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons with blood cell-based inflammation markers.

BACKGROUND: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are well-acknowledged pro-inflammatory chemicals, but their associations with blood cell-based inflammatory biomarkers need further investigation. Moreover, the effects and mechanisms of essential metals on PAH-related inflammation remain poorly understood. OBJECTS: To elucidate the associations of PAHs on inflammatory biomarkers, as well as the effects and mechanisms of essential metals on these associations. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 1388 coke oven workers. We analyzed the modification effects of key essential metal(s) on PAHs-inflammatory biomarkers associations. To explore the possible mechanisms from an inflammation perspective, we performed a bioinformatic analysis on the genes of PAHs and essential metals obtained from the Comparative Toxicogenomics Database (CTD) and performed a mediation analysis. RESULTS: We observed associations of PAHs and essential metals with lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) (P < 0.05). PAH mixtures were inversely associated with LMR (ßQGC-index = -0.18, P < 0.001), with 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OH-Pyr) being the most prominent contributor (weight = 63.37%), whereas a positive association between essential metal mixtures and LMR was observed (ßQGC-index = 0.14, P < 0.001), with tin being the most significant contributor (weight = 51.61%). An inverse association of 1-OH-Pyr with LMR was weakened by increased tin exposure (P < 0.05). The CTD database showed that PAHs and tin compounds co-regulated 22 inflammation-associated genes, but they regulated most genes in opposite directions. Further identified the involvement of oxidative stress and mediation analysis showed that the mediation effect of 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) on 1-OH-Pyr-LMR association presented heterogeneity between low and high tin tertile groups (I2 = 37.84%). CONCLUSION: 1-OH-Pyr and tin were significantly associated with LMR. Modification effects indicated that the inverse association of 1-OH-Pyr with LMR was mitigated with an increase in tin. The mediation effect of 8-OHdG on the inverse association of 1-OH-Pyr with LMR may be partially dependent on tin.

Metal Transport Systems in Plants.

Plants take up metals, including essential micronutrients [iron (Fe), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), and manganese (Mn)] and the toxic heavy metal cadmium (Cd), from soil and accumulate these metals in their edible parts, which are direct and indirect intake sources for humans. Multiple transporters belonging to different families are required to transport a metal from the soil to different organs and tissues, but only a few of them have been fully functionally characterized. The transport systems (the transporters required for uptake, translocation, distribution, redistribution, and their regulation) differ with metals and plant species, depending on the physiological roles, requirements of each metal, and anatomies of different organs and tissues. To maintain metal homeostasis in response to spatiotemporal fluctuations of metals in soil, plants have developed sophisticated and tightly regulated mechanisms through the regulation of transporters at the transcriptional and/or posttranscriptional levels. The manipulation of some transporters has succeeded in generating crops rich in essential metals but low in Cd accumulation. A better understanding of metal transport systems will contribute to better and safer crop production.

Recent Advances in Metalloproteomics.

Interactions between proteins and metal ions and their complexes are important in many areas of the life sciences, including physiology, medicine, and toxicology. Despite the involvement of essential elements in all major processes necessary for sustaining life, metalloproteomes remain ill-defined. This is not only owing to the complexity of metalloproteomes, but also to the non-covalent character of the complexes that most essential metals form, which complicates analysis. Similar issues may also be encountered for some toxic metals. The review discusses recently developed approaches and current challenges for the study of interactions involving entire (sub-)proteomes with such labile metal ions. In the second part, transition metals from the fourth and fifth periods are examined, most of which are xenobiotic and also tend to form more stable and/or inert complexes. A large research area in this respect concerns metallodrug-protein interactions. Particular attention is paid to separation approaches, as these need to be adapted to the reactivity of the metal under consideration.

Healthy lifestyle and essential metals attenuated association of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons with heart rate variability in coke oven workers.

Whether adopting healthy lifestyles and maintaining moderate levels of essential metals could attenuate the reduction of heart rate variability (HRV) related to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) exposure are largely unknown. In this study, we measured urinary metals and PAHs as well as HRV, and constructed a healthy lifestyle score in 1267 coke oven workers. Linear regression models were used to explore the association of healthy lifestyle score and essential metals with HRV, and interaction analysis was performed to investigate the potential interaction between healthy lifestyle score, essential metals, and PAHs on HRV. Mean age of the participants was 41.9 years (84.5% male). Per one point higher healthy lifestyle score was associated with a 2.5% (95% CI, 1.0%-3.9%) higher standard deviation of all normal to normal intervals (SDNN), 2.1% (95% CI, 0.5%-3.6%) higher root mean square of successive differences in adjacent NN intervals (r-MSSD), 4.3% (95% CI, 0.4%-8.2%) higher low frequency, 4.4% (95% CI, 0.2%-8.5%) higher high frequency, and 4.4% (95% CI, 1.2%-7.6%) higher total power, respectively. Urinary level of chromium was positively associated with HRV indices, with the corresponding ß (95% CI) (%) was 5.17 (2.84, 7.50) for SDNN, 4.29 (1.74, 6.84) for r-MSSD, 12.26 (6.08, 18.45) for low frequency, 12.61 (5.87, 19.36) for high frequency, and 11.31 (6.19, 16.43) for total power. Additionally, a significant interaction was found between healthy lifestyle score and urinary total hydroxynaphthalene on SDNN (Pinteraction = 0.04), and higher level of urinary chromium could attenuate the adverse effect of total hydroxynaphthalene level on HRV (all Pinteraction <0.05). Findings of our study suggest adopting healthy lifestyle and maintaining a relatively high level of chromium might attenuate the reduction of HRV related to total hydroxynaphthalene exposure.

Comparison of Essential and Toxic Metals Levels in some Herbal Teas: a Systematic Review.

In the present study, we reviewed the literature as a systematic review to investigate the concentration of some metals (essential, none essential, and toxic metals) in herbal teas and their health risks. The search extended the literature from the database, including Google Scholar, PubMed, and Scopus, using the terms "herbal teas" combined with "heavy metals, essential metals, thyme, rosemary, chamomile, and tea" also with "iron, zinc, aluminum, chromium, cobalt, nickel, manganese, arsenic, cadmium, and lead" in titles and abstracts. The search was limited to articles published from 2012 to 2023 years. Initially, 212 articles were found; by detailed consideration, only 49 papers fit the inclusion criteria and were selected for further study. The mean of metal concentration, standard deviation, data distribution, and sample size were applied to generate data from the articles. The results indicated that all commonly consumed herbal teas included metals. None of them meet the requirements of the WHO requirements. However, more than 70% of their health risks are acceptable. The risks of arsenic and lead in tea and cadmium in black tea were considerably higher than in others. According to the review results, it is important to prevent heavy metal contamination of herbal teas by modifying cultivation patterns and also to prevent to consumption of low-quality herbal teas.

A hypothesis: Potential contributions of metals to the pathogenesis of pulmonary artery hypertension.

Pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH) is characterized by vasoconstriction and vascular remodeling resulting in both increased pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) and pulmonary artery pressure (PAP). The chronic and high-pressure stress experienced by endothelial cells can give rise to inflammation, oxidative stress, and infiltration by immune cells. However, there is no clearly defined mechanism for PAH and available treatment options only provide limited symptomatic relief. Due to the far-reaching effects of metal exposures, the interaction between metals and the pulmonary vasculature is of particular interest. This review will briefly introduce the pathophysiology of PAH and then focus on the potential roles of metals, including essential and non-essential metals in the pathogenic process in the pulmonary arteries and right heart, which may be linked to PAH. Based on available data from human studies of occupational or environmental metal exposure, including lead, antimony, iron, and copper, the hypothesis of metals contributing to the pathogenesis of PAH is proposed as potential risk factors and underlying mechanisms for PAH. We propose that metals may initiate or exacerbate the pathogenesis of PAH, by providing potential mechanism by which metals interact with hypoxia-inducible factor and tumor suppressor p53 to modulate their downstream cellular proliferation pathways. These need further investigation. Additionally, we present future research directions on roles of metals in PAH.

Potential Roles of Metals in the Pathogenesis of Pulmonary and Systemic Hypertension.

Pulmonary and systemic hypertension (PH, SH) are characterized by vasoconstriction and vascular remodeling resulting in increased vascular resistance and pulmonary/aortic artery pressures. The chronic stress leads to inflammation, oxidative stress, and infiltration by immune cells. Roles of metals in these diseases, particularly PH are largely unknown. This review first discusses the pathophysiology of PH including vascular oxidative stress, inflammation, and remodeling in PH; mitochondrial dysfunction and metabolic changes in PH; ion channel and its alterations in the pathogenesis of PH as well as PH-associated right ventricular (RV) remodeling and dysfunctions. This review then summarizes metal general features and essentiality for the cardiovascular system and effects of metals on systemic blood pressure. Lastly, this review explores non-essential and essential metals and potential roles of their dyshomeostasis in PH and RV dysfunction. Although it remains early to conclude the role of metals in the pathogenesis of PH, emerging direct and indirect evidence implicates the possible contributions of metal-mediated toxicities in the development of PH. Future research should focus on comprehensive clinical metallomics study in PH patients; mechanistic evaluations to elucidate roles of various metals in PH animal models; and novel therapy clinical trials targeting metals. These important discoveries will significantly advance our understandings of this rare yet fatal disease, PH.

To Eat or Not to Eat?-Food Safety Aspects of Essential Metals in Seafood.

The popularity of seafoods is high due to their superb dietary properties and healthy composition. However, it is crucial to understand whether they adequately contribute to our essential nutritional needs. Small amounts of essential metals are indispensable in the human body to proper physiological functioning; their deficiency can manifest in various sets of symptoms that can only be eliminated with their intake during treatment or nutrition. However, the excessive consumption of metals can induce undesirable effects, or even toxicosis. Shellfish, oyster, and squid samples were collected directly from a fish market. After sample preparation, the concentration of essential metals (cobalt, chromium, copper, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, and zinc) was detected by Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry. The results were analyzed statistically using ANOVA and two-sample t-tests. The average concentration of the investigated essential elements and the calculated burden based on the consumption were below the Recommended Dietary Allowances and Tolerable Upper Intake Levels. Based on these results, the trace element contents of the investigated seafoods do not cover the necessary recommended daily intake of them, but their consumption poses no health hazard due to their low levels.

Exploration of Toxic and Essential Metals in Popular Rice Grains of Bangladesh and Associated Human Health Risk Implications.

In order to evaluate the benefits as well as the impacts of essential and toxic metals regarding human health, the six common rice grains (katarivhog, bashful, banglamoti, najirshail, branded miniket and loose miniket) were collected from four wholesale markets in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, and were analyzed with different atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) techniques. The mean concentrations of the toxic metals Pb, Cd, Cr, and As had 0.299 ± 0.017, 0.157 ± 0.012, 1.33 ± 0.084, and 0.120 ± 0.006 mg/kg, respectively, while those of the essential metals Fe, Cu, Zn, Na, Ca, and Mg had 7.90 ± 0.447, 3.11 ± 0.097, 10.6 ± 0.340, 37.4 ± 0.622, 90.1 ± 7.70, and 115.8 ± 1.61 mg/kg, respectively. Among them, the mean concentrations of toxic metals (Pb, Cd, Cr, and As) exceeded the maximum allowable concentration in rice set by the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC). Risk assessment of the heavy metals Pb, Cd, Cr, As, Fe, Cu, and Zn showed that their estimated daily intakes were below the daily reference doses for adults. However, Cd and Cr individually were found to have the target hazard quotient value close to 1 (threshold limit), indicating that they alone are capable of potential health hazards from continuous rice consumption, while the hazard index has surpassed three units signifying greater danger associated with the current trend of consumption. A very high chance of developing cancer in the near future is predicted by incremental lifetime carcinogenic risk (ILCR) analysis for continued intake of Cr (ILCR > 1E-03), and a moderate to high risk is predicted for other carcinogenic substances (Pb, Cd, and As) (ILCR in between 1E-03 and 1E-05) with present rice consumption. The contribution of the essential metals to the RNI revealed that Cu from rice contributes more than 100% in most samples, and the overall contribution is in the following order: Cu > Zn > Fe > Mg > Ca > Na. To ensure the safety of staple foods for human health, it ought to be necessary to design a plan to measure the budget of hazardous metals from all sources with proper surveillance by relevant authorities.

Association Between Multiple Metal(loid)s Exposure and Blood Lipid Levels: Evidence from a Cross-Sectional Study of Southeastern China.

Exposure to essential and toxic metals occurs simultaneously as a mixture in real-life. However, there is no consensus regarding the effects of co-exposure to multiple metal(loid)s (designated hereafter metals) on blood lipid levels. Thus, blood concentrations of six human essential metals and five toxic metals in 720 general populations from southeastern China were simultaneously determined as a measure of exposure. In addition, quantile g-computation, Bayesian kernel machine regression, elastic net regression, and generalized linear model were used to investigate both the joint and individual effects of exposure to this metal mixture on human blood lipid levels. The significant positive joint effect of exposure to this metal mixture on serum total cholesterol (TC) levels, rather than on serum triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, Castelli risk index I, Castelli risk index II, atherogenic coefficient, and non-HDL-C levels, was found. In addition, the positive effect may be primarily driven by selenium (Se), lead (Pb), and mercury (Hg) exposure. In addition, on the effect of TC levels, the synergistic effect between Pb and Hg and the antagonistic effect between Se and Pb were identified. Our finding suggests that combined exposure to this metal mixture may affect human blood lipid levels. Therefore, reducing exposure to heavy metals, such as Pb and Hg, should be a priority for the general population. In addition, Se supplementation should also be considered with caution.

Heavy Metal Levels and Cancer Risk Assessments of the Commercial Denis, Sparus aurata Collected from Bardawil Lake and Private Fish Farm Waters as a Cultured Source, Egypt.

Heavy metal pollution of natural and cultivated habitats may be caused by agricultural, industrial, and human activities. Fish living in these habitats easily accumulate metals in their organs; for food safety and human health, the heavy metals in fish flesh are of major concern due to the harmful nature of these pollutants even in low quantities. In this study, metals (Iron, Fe; Lead, Pb; Cadmium, Cd; Nickel, Ni; Copper, Cu and Zinc, Zn) in the muscle, liver, intestine, and gill of gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata, Denis is local name) were monitored to determine the contamination levels and to investigate the protective impact of cooking methods on the reduction or mitigation of metal levels. Although the Denis samples exhibited relatively low Pb and Cd levels, most fish samples had elevated levels of Fe and Zn. The examined metals accumulated at the highest level in the liver and gills compared to the other organs. Results showed that cooking methods had a considerable effect on concentrations of metals. However, the levels of metal in S. aurata from various sources were reduced significantly (P < 0.05) by frying, microwave, and grilling cooking, which was ordered in the following sequence as microwave cooking < grilling < frying. The consumption of Denis fish from different sources (wild and cultured) has no negative effects on health, according to a study of health hazards based on indices of carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic. The metal results indicated that different fish sources (wild and cultured) could be acceptable for human consumption. Data hypothesized a positive impact of awareness among the native community.

Effects of Cadmium, Thallium, and Vanadium on Photosynthetic Parameters of Three Chili Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) Varieties.

Photosynthesis is a crucial process supporting life on Earth. However, unfavorable environmental conditions including toxic metals may limit the photosynthetic efficiency of plants, and the responses to those challenges may vary among genotypes. In this study, we evaluated photosynthetic parameters of the chili pepper varieties Jalapeño, Poblano, and Serrano exposed to Cd (0, 5, 10 µM), Tl (0, 6, 12 nM), and V (0, 0.75, 1.5 µM). Metals were added to the nutrient solution for 60 days. Stomatal conductance (Gs), transpiration rate (Tr), net photosynthetic rate (Pn), intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci), instantaneous carboxylation efficiency (Pn/Ci), instantaneous water use efficiency (instWUE), and intrinsic water use efficiency (iWUE) were recorded. Mean Pn increased with 12 nM Tl in Serrano and with 0.75 µM V in Poblano. Tl and V increased mean Tr in all three cultivars, while Cd reduced it in Jalapeño and Serrano. Gs was reduced in Jalapeño and Poblano with 5 µM Cd, and 0.75 µM V increased it in Serrano. Ci increased in Poblano with 6 nM Tl, while 12 nM Tl reduced it in Serrano. Mean instWUE increased in Poblano with 10 µM Cd and 0.75 µM V, and in Serrano with 12 nM Tl, while 6 nM Tl reduced it in Poblano and Serrano. Mean iWUE increased in Jalapeño and Poblano with 5 µM Cd, in Serrano with 12 nM Tl, and in Jalapeño with 1.5 µM V; it was reduced with 6 nM Tl in Poblano and Serrano. Pn/Ci increased in Serrano with 5 µM Cd, in Jalapeño with 6 nM Tl, and in Poblano with 0.75 µM V. Interestingly, Tl stimulated six and inhibited five of the seven photosynthetic variables measured, while Cd enhanced three and decreased two variables, and V stimulated five variables, with none inhibited, all as compared to the respective controls. We conclude that Cd, Tl, and V may inhibit or stimulate photosynthetic parameters depending on the genotype and the doses applied.