Isolation, identification, and heavy metal tolerance of fungi from rice growing area contaminated with cadmium and lead in San Manuel, Pangasinan, Luzon Island, Philippines

Heavy metals exposure is associated with various human health problems. This research aimed at determining the levels of heavy metals in paddy soils and in polished rice from villages around the artisanal gold mining areas in Kahama and Geita districts. It also intended to assess the risk of human exposures of heavy metals through rice consumption around the artisanal gold mining areas in Kahama and Geita districts, Tanzania. Twenty soil samples were collected from paddy fields and 20 polished rice samples grown from those fields were taken from the farmers. An additional 20 polished rice samples were collected from farmers in other villages from the same districts. Information about rice cultivation practices and rice consumption were collected from 40 farmers that were randomly selected, 20 from each of the two districts; Kahama and Geita districts, in which the mining areas are located. Chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), Mercury (Hg), cadmium (Cd), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb) and arsenic (As) were determined in the soil and rice samples using Energy Dispersive X–ray Florescence spectrometer. Heavy metals exposure through rice consumption, for each of the forty farmers, was determined using deterministic approach. In all the soil samples, concentrations of Cd and Cr were found to be above the maximum limits of 1 mg/kg and 100 mg/kg, respectively, as set by Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS). Concentrations of Pb and Cd in all the rice samples were above the maximum limits set by Codex Alimentarius Commission. Forty percent of the farmers consumed rice at least once daily with per capita consumption of 66.8 g per day for Geita district and 74.0 g per day for Kahama district. According to Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), the estimated daily intake (EDI) for Cd was found to be above tolerable daily intake (TDI) for 95% of all population in both Kahama and Geita districts while the estimated daily intakes (EDIs) for As, Zn and Cu in both Kahama and Geita population were below the TDIs. The results also showed that sites which are closer to the mining activities had higher heavy metal concentration in both rice and soils compared to the sites further away from the mining activity.

We evaluated the effects of soil washing with ferric chloride (FeCl3) on cadmium (Cd) concentrations in soil solutions and Cd absorption by two spinach cultivars in pot experiments. Soil samples were collected from washed and unwashed plots of rice paddy fields in Fukuoka and Toyama, Japan. Spinach pot cultivation was performed with the above mentioned soil under oxidative conditions. Before and after spinach cultivation, the Cd content in washed soils was always lower than that in unwashed soils. Soil washing with FeCl3 affected the exchangeable cations (i.e. calcium increased and magnesium decreased). The Cd concentration in the soil solution from washed plot was lower than that in the solution from the unwashed plot throughout the spinach growth period, which was attributed to the exchangeable Cd content in both soils, because the fraction equilibrated with the Cd concentration in the soil solution. The exchangeable cation composition was affected by soil washing, but no significant difference in spinach yield was observed between the washed and unwashed plots. The leaf Cd concentration in the two spinach cultivars was up to 70% lower in the washed soils. This study suggested that soil washing in rice paddy fields with FeCl3 was effective for controlling the Cd absorption risk of upland crops such as spinach. However, some risks remain to clear the CODEX standard (0.2 mg kg) in the Cd content of leaf such as spinach, which has a high Cd absorptive capacity. Discipline: Agricultural environment Additional key words: chemical washing, heavy metal, leaf vegetable, pot experiment, remediation technology

Various heavy metals have been reported as dangerous agents to the human health and wildlife when they occur in the environment at high concentrations. Cadmium and lead compounds are classified as human carcinogens by several regulatory agencies. Vegetables grown at environmentally contaminated sites could take up and accumulate metals at concentrations that are probably toxic to human health. In this study, concentrations of cadmium and lead in some of vegetables and soil samples were investigated in different areas of a developed industrial city in Isfahan province, Central Iran. One hundred and thirty topsoil samples and fifty samples of vegetables were collected from agricultural lands and analyzed for heavy metals. The concentration of Pb and Cd was more than 5 and 0.5 mg kg −1 , respectively. The total of Cd concentration in most of the soil samples exceeded the suggested Swiss thresholds (0.8 mg kg −1 ). The results showed that 48% and 75% of the vegetables samples had concentrations of Cd and Pb exceeded the FAO-WHO limits, respectively. Results from the present study demonstrate that the most of the plants grown on the soils of this region, contaminated with heavy metals, and pose a major health concern.

Mining activities have increased the accumulation of heavy metals in farmland soil and in food crops. To identify the key soil properties influencing heavy metal bioavailability and accumulation in food crops, 81 crop samples and 81 corresponding agricultural soil samples were collected from rape, wheat, and paddy fields. Heavy metal (copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), iron (Fe), and manganese (Mn)) concentrations in soils and rape, wheat, rice grains were determined using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy, and soil physicochemical properties (pH, organic matter, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, available phosphorus, and available potassium (AK)) were analyzed. Soil extractable metals were extracted using various single extractants (DTPA, EDTA, NH4OAc, NH4NO3, and HCl). The average concentrations of Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd, and Mn in the soil samples all exceeded the local geochemical background value (background values of Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd, and Mn are 43.0, 81.0, 28.5, 0.196, and 616 mg/kg, respectively), and Cd over-standard rate was the highest, at 98%. Furthermore, soil total Cd concentrations (0.1–24.8 mg/kg) of more than 86% of the samples exceeded the soil pollution risk screening value (GB 15618-2018). The sources of Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd, and Mn in soils were mainly associated with mining activities. The key factors influencing heavy metal bioavailability were associated with the types of extractants (complexing agents or neutral salt extractants) and the metals. Cd and Pb concentrations in most wheat and rice grain samples exceeded the maximum allowable Cd and Pb levels in food, respectively, and Cd concentrations in approximately 10% of the rice grain samples exceeded 1.0 mg/kg. Furthermore, rice and wheat grains exhibited higher Cd accumulation capacity than rape grains, and despite the high soil Cd concentrations in the rape fields, the rape grains were safe for consumption. High soil pH and AK restricted Cd and Cu accumulation in wheat grains, respectively. Soil properties seemed to influence heavy metal accumulation in rice grains the most.

Industrial development along Garang Watershed has been worrying people for allegedly nearly all plants waste products into Garang watershed that would trigger changes in water quality, which can lead to contamination of the river water. Cadmium and Lead are toxic substances that cause chronic poisoning in human. Both types of heavy metals have very high toxicity value and much produced as industrial waste that is along Garang Watershed. This research is an exploratory observation with a quantitative approach that has purpose to describe the content of heavy metals Cd and Pb in water, sediment, wader fish (Puntius bramoides), nilem fish (Osteochilus hasselti), lunjar fish (Rasbora argyrotaenia) in Kaligarang. The result of this research suggests that the content of heavy metal Cd on Kaligarang average of 0008 mg/l and the content of heavy metal Pb average of 0020 mg/l. The content of heavy metals Cd and Pb in Kaligarang sediment vary. The content of heavy metal Cd between 0.0071 mg/kg - 0.0474 mg/kg, while the content of heavy metal Pb between 0.0493 mg/kg - 0.3481 mg/kg. The research of the content of Cd and Pb in wader fish (Puntius bramoides), nilem fish (Osteochilus hasselti), lunjar fish (Rasbora argyrotaenia) in Kaligarang suggests that the highest content of Cd and Pb is found in nilem fish (Osteochilus hasselti) liver, that is the content of Cd 0.096 mg/kg and Pb 0.180 mg/kg at station 3. This value is substandard set by the FDR New Zealand, FAO, and SNI. 7387.2009, About Heavy Metal Contamination Maximum Limit in Food. Accumulation of heavy metals Cd and Pb in fish between Tugu Suharto and Simongan station is relatively similar. It is caused the location both of stations adjacent to the condition of water are relatively slope slightly and quiet, making it easier for fish organism migrates between both of stations. Nilem Fish (Osteochilus hasselti) is the best bio indicator for heavy metals Cd and Pb because it can accumulate heavy metals Cd and Pb greater than wader fish (Puntius bramoides) and lunjar fish (Rasbora argyrotaenia). Kaligarang is a standard water source of drinking water, it should be intensified in Garang Watershed management, so it can reduce contamination into Kaligarang. Keywords : Accumulation, Cadmium (Cd), Lead (Pb), Bioindicator

Heavy metals surrounding waste incineration plants undergo cross-media migration and enrich in the soil-water system, resulting in a systematic deterioration of the physical and chemical properties of the soil and posing potential hazards to the ecological environment and human health. Taking the heavy metals in the soil, sediment, surface water, and groundwater around a waste incineration plant in Jiangxi Province as the research objects, descriptive statistical analysis was conducted on the contents (or concentrations) of heavy metals in multi-media. The spatial distribution characteristics of heavy metals within the soil-water system were analyzed, and the sources of heavy metals in the soil were deciphered by comprehensively using correlation analysis and the Absolute Principal Component Analysis-Multiple Linear Regression (APCS-MLR) model. The results showed that heavy metals around the waste incineration plant were mainly enriched in the soil and sediments. The content of Cd in the soil exceeded the risk screening value, and the contents of Cd and Zn exceeded the soil background values in Jiangxi Province. The average values of As, Cr, Ni, Pb, and Zn in the sediments exceeded the sediment background values in Jiangxi Province. The concentrations of heavy metals As and Pb in the groundwater exceeded the groundwater standard (Class Ⅲ). The variation coefficients of As and Cd in the soil were 53.97% and 39.84%, respectively, which belonged to a strong variation degree and exhibited obvious characteristics of point source pollution. The average content of Zn in the soil samples was higher than that in the sediment samples, while the contents of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, and Pb in the sediments were higher than those in the soil. The results of the correlation analysis between the distance from the riverbank and the cumulative concentration of heavy metals indicated that the concentration of heavy metals in the groundwater was affected by the recharge of surface water. The contents of heavy metals As, Cd, Ni, and Pb in the soil were higher in the southeast wind direction, which was obviously affected by the perennial dominant wind direction of the waste incineration plant, while Cr, Cu, and Zn were not significantly affected by the wind direction. The contents (concentrations) of heavy metals in the sediments and surface water generally showed a trend of first increasing and then decreasing along the flow direction of the surface water. The contents (or concentrations) of the other six heavy metals except Cr were higher near the sewage outlet and in the lower reaches of the river, among which the influence of As was the most obvious, which may have been related to the industrial activities of the waste incineration plant. The heavy metals in the soil mainly came from industrial sources of waste incineration, agricultural sources of pesticides and fertilizers, and natural sources of parent materials, with corresponding contribution rates of 31.14%, 28.14%, and 40.72%, respectively. The industrial sources of waste incineration had different degrees of influence on the seven heavy metals. The influence on As and Cd was the most significant; the influence on Ni and Pb was general; and the influence on Cu, Cr, and Zn was relatively weak. Among them, As and Cd mainly came from industrial sources, Ni and Pb mainly came from industrial and natural sources, while Cu, Cr, and Zn mainly came from agricultural and natural sources. It can provide data support and scientific basis for comprehensively investigating the heavy metal pollution status of multi-media and developing strategies for the prevention and control of heavy metal pollution around waste incineration plants.

Effect of unconventional fertilization on heavy metal content in the biomass of giant miscanthus

It is fascinating to observe the potential hazards associated with mining and quarrying activities, despite the limited number of comprehensive studies conducted in Algeria to evaluate their environmental impact. This particular investigation focuses on El M'cif quarry in Chekfa, located within the Nil watershed in Jijel, a region situated in the North‐East of Algeria. The primary objective is to assess the concentrations of lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), and cadmium (Cd) in surface water, groundwater, stream sediments, and soil. Consequently, a suite of petrographic and geochemical analyses is undertaken to discern the origins of these heavy metals. Employing statistical methodologies, notably the Geo‐accumulation Index (Igeo), Pollution Index (PI+PI), and Ecological Risk Assessment (ER), this study is further fortified to quantify the levels of hazardous contaminants. The findings reveal that the concentrations of Cd and Pb in surface water are recorded at 22 and 654.3 μg/L, respectively, surpassing both Algerian and WHO standards. Meanwhile, the heavy metal concentrations in stream sediments are ranked in the order of Zn > Cu > Cd, with respectively mean concentrations of 1085.30, 14.60, and 1.49 (mg/kg). The mean concentrations of Zn, Pb, Cd, and Cu in soil are measured respectively at 219.78, 128.86, 20.76, and 2.42 (mg/kg). Based on the statistical methods such as I‐geo, PI, IPI, and RI, the research reveals that the sediments of the Aftis River are uncontaminated by Cu, moderately to heavily contaminated with Zn and heavily contaminated by Cd. Besides the soil samples which are found to be extremely contaminated with Cd, moderately contaminated with Pb, and uncontaminated with Cu and Zn. Additionally, the X‐ray fluorescence analysis reveals that the limestone extracted from the quarry contains 0.7% cadmium, suggesting that the quarry could potentially contribute to cadmium contamination. The surrounding rocks exhibit significant concentrations of iron, lead, and zinc. Therefore, the elevated levels of these heavy metals can primarily be attributed to geological factors rather than human activities, highlighting the combined influence of the extractive industry and the geological environment.

‘Serpentine’ soils derived from certain ultramafic rocks occur throughout the globe. These soils are high in Fe and Mg concentrations; consist heavy metals such as Ni, Cr, Cd, and Co; are nutrient poor and ionically imbalanced for plant growth. Serpentine life forms typically contain specialised physiological mechanisms that allow tolerate the adverse chemical conditions imposed by the substrate. Heavy metal hyper-accumulating and/or tolerating plants and micro-organisms from serpentines represent a rare and valuable biological resource. These unique habitats and their exceptional species must be characterised and conserved. This study aimed to isolate and identify heavy metal tolerating soil microorganisms from the Ussangoda serpentine site (Hambantota District). Soil samples from ten locations within the serpentine area (to represent various aspects of the terrain such as flat plain, shrubby patches in the middle, and periphery) were collected and analysed separately. Low soil organic matter (1.02% to 1.71%) and moisture (highest being 1.21%) contents were observed with soil pH ranging between 5.47-8.46 (majority of the samples being acidic). Metal analysis of soil Cr, Fe and Cu indicated 0.1-0.4 ppm, 10.4-19.0 ppm and 5 ppm-11 ppm, respectively. Serpentine soil microorganisms were isolated using standard methods. Twenty fungal isolates and twelve bacterial isolates were obtained by the preliminary study. To investigate their tolerance of heavy metals, all twenty fungal isolates were grown in PDA media containing different concentrations of selected metal solutions (Ni(NO3)2 and CuSO4(H2O)5). Nine out of twenty fungal isolates survived up to 800 µg/mL CuSO4(H2O)5 and four isolates tolerated up to 2,000 µg/mL Ni(NO3)2. Based on the highest tolerance shown to the tested metals, two fungal isolates were selected and identified using molecular techniques. Genomic DNA extracts of two fungal isolates were sequenced using Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) region reverse and forward primers. From the sequences, the two isolates were identified as Aspergillus terreus and Gongronella butleri. A. terreus has many previous records on heavy metal tolerance and being used in cleaning up industrial effluents contaminated with certain metals. G. butleri is known to produce the amino-polysaccharide chitosan which is a metal chelator and it may be one reason for the observed heavy metal tolerance capacity of the fungus. This study has provided evidence-based information which may be useful in developing green technologies to remediate soils contaminated with heavy metals. The results also reiterate the importance of conserving serpentine habitats that harbor unique species and communities of organisms. Keywords: Serpentine, Ussangoda, Heavy-metal tolerant fungi

Ultramafic (serpenites) are a group of igneous or metamorphic rocks, which are characterized by high concentrations of Mg, Fe, Ni, Cr, and Co, along with low concentrations of Ca, P, and K, contain less than 45% silicon (SiO2). Tara Mountain is natural good of western Serbia where areas under serpentinites occupy 28%. Researchers agree that the flora of serpentine areas is unique and botanically very important. The specificity of the flora and the development of vegetation on serpentinites are characterized by special mechanisms of plant species adaptation to increased concentrations of some heavy metals in the soil with low content of essential elements (nutrients). This paper examines the influence of serpentinite geological substrate on the occurrence of certain plant species in the initial stages of plant community development. The soil was mainly sampled in rock crevices in the early phases of soil development (Lithosols) where the influence and origin of the metals from the rock can be considered the most obvious. Content of cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) in geological substratum, soil and plants biomass is analysed in order to differentiate levels and extents of natural and anthropogenic pollution and also deposition data from the EMEP program (European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme). Results show that the content of lead and cadmium in the soil and plant samples are higher than the content in the corresponding rock sample, except for two soil samples, in which the content of Cd is lower. Thissuggest that the origin of the increased Pb and Cd content might be from anthropogenic sources. Deposition (data from EMEP program) of Cd and Pb, which was analysed for the period from 1990-2018, indicate significant cumulative effect. The values of cumulative deposition in research area have a value of 91,51 kg/km2 lead, while the value of cadmium is 1665 g/km2 , which classifies NP Tara in above-average polluted area in R. Serbia.

With the increasing economic growth in developing nations, soil heavy metal pollution has become a growing concern. Monitoring the heavy metal concentration in soil through remote sensing is crucial for safeguarding the ecological environment. However, the current indoor spectral measurement method has limitations, such as the discrete soil sampling space and weak spectral characteristics of soil heavy metals, leading to a poor robustness of remote sensing inversion models. This study presents a novel approach to address these challenges by incorporating a spatial feature of pollution sources and sinks to evaluate the spatial factors affecting pollutant diffusion and concentration. An integrated learning model, combining spatial and spectral information, is developed to estimate heavy metal content in soil using Sentinel-2A satellite data. A total of 235 soil samples were collected in Jiyuan, China, and the effective spectral transformation characteristics of Sentinel-2A data were screened. The impact of spectral characteristics, topographic characteristics, and spatial characteristics on retrieving soil heavy metal lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) content were analyzed. The optimal inversion method was determined through various integrated learning models, and the spatial distribution of heavy metals Pb and Cd was mapped. The results indicate that the accuracy of the inversion model was significantly improved by incorporating terrain features and spatial features of pollution sources. The Blending integrated learning method showed a 65.9% and 73.2% reduction in the RMSE of Pb and Cd, respectively, compared to other regression models. With R2 values of 0.9486 and 0.9489 for Pb and Cd, respectively, and a MAPE less than 0.2, the Blending model demonstrated high prediction accuracy.

In order to assess the ecological risks of heavy metals and explore the pattern of heavy metal migration between farmland and corresponding crops in a typical and closed manganese mining area in Hunan province, farmland soils and crops surrounding the mining area (pollution area) and away from the mining area (control area) were collected, and then the contents of Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, and Pb were analyzed. The sources and distribution of heavy metals in farmland soils were analyzed using Kriging spatial interpolation and principal component analysis, and the ecological risk was evaluated using the single factor index, comprehensive pollution index, and potential ecological risk index. The results showed that the surrounding farmland soils in the closed Manganese mining area presented serious pollution of Cd, Zn, As, and Mn, in which the average contents of the above heavy metals in the dry land soil in the polluted area were 6.22, 612.28, 37.72, and 1506.2 mg·kg-1, respectively. Compared with the soil risk screening value of agricultural land, the over-standard rates of Cd, Zn, and As were 88.41%, 94.20%, and 84.06%, respectively, and the average content of Mn in the farmland soil was three times that of the background value in the Hunan soil; however, the heavy metal pollution in the paddy field was relatively light. The principal component analysis showed that the sources of Cd, Mn, and Zn in the farmland soil were related to the manganese ore mining, whereas the source of As in the farmland soil might originate from agricultural activities. The pollution area was at a heavy pollution level, and the main pollution factors were Cd, Mn, and Zn. The Cd in the farmland soil could pose a strong potential ecological risk, but the rest of the heavy metals presented only a slight potential ecological risk. The content of Cr, Pb, and Cd in the crops in the study area exceeded the standard, and the exceeding standard rate was between 1.1% and 37.3%, where the average content of over-standard heavy metals in corn was higher than that in rice, and the average content of heavy metals in leafy vegetables was higher than that in root vegetables. The soil pollution degree of heavy metals could affect the accumulation ability of crops, and different crops had different accumulation abilities. For instance, leafy vegetables and root vegetables easily accumulated Cd and Zn; however, rice and corn separately enriched Cd and Cr, as well as Zn and Cu. The contents of heavy metals in dryland soils had a positive correlation with the content of heavy metals in corresponding crops. The contents of Cd and As in the paddy field and rice presented a positive correlation, but the remaining six heavy metal contents in rice (i.e., Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, and Pb) did not correlate with the content of the paddy fields.

Previous literature has shown that heavy metals (HMs) in cigarette smoke have been overestimated, and second-hand smoke (SHS) has recently raised public concern. This study aimed to review the effects of passive tobacco exposure on lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) concentrations of children and women indifferent biological samples. In this systematic review, two independent researchers assessed different databases/search engines including PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar using Mesh terms and Text Words. Studies between January 2000 and May 2022 were included. Afterquality assessment, studies with sufficient data were included in the meta-analysis. A fixed or random model was used to pool the results in a meta-analysis. Heterogeneity between the studies was assessed by using I-square and Q tests. Forest plots demonstrating the point and pooled estimates were provided. A total of 976 studies were obtained from different databases and finally 17 studies meet our criteria and wereincluded in our systematic review. Out of 17 studies, sixstudies had sufficient data foranalysis and were included in the meta-analysis. Theresults of the meta-analysis showed a significant difference in blood lead concentrations (BLC) between the children with SHS exposure and the control group (Hedges' g: 2.44, 95% CI:1.01-3.86, p<0.05). Also, there were significant differences in hair levels of Cd (Hedges' g: 0.66, 95% CI:0.04, 1.28, p<0.05) and Pb (Hedges' g: 0.94, 95% CI:0.05, 1.83, p<0.05) between children with SHS exposure compared to the control group. The results of the present meta-analysis showed that passive smokers had higher Pb and Cd concentrations than those who were not exposed to cigarette smoke.

Distribution, availability and translocation of heavy metals in soil-oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) system related to soil properties

Pb and Cd are two types of heavy metal that has been widely contaminates agricultural land. Pollution on agricultural land led to a decrease in productivity, disruption of the ecological balance and impaired human health. The research aims to identify and detect the content of heavy metals Cd and Pb in the soil and measure the effectiveness of the arbuscular mycorrhizal veskular withstand heavy metals in lettuce plants. Soil samples were collected in the Village Sudiang Makassar City using stratified sampling and purposive sampling methods. Sampling points are distinguished based on the distance from the highway, which is 15 meters and 30 meters. Analysis of heavy metal content in soil carried Soil Laboratory BPTP Maros. The study based on a randomized block design in a factorial 2 factors. The first factor was soil sampling and the second factor was the provision of mycorrhizae. Based on the survey results revealed that the content of Pb and Cd in soil belt of northern South Sulawesi has passed the threshold. Due to the reduced content of Pb and Cd after treatment arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi but the decline is not significant compared with no treatment mycorrhizae. The content of Cd and Pb in plants of lettuce grown in the various media and the addition of CAM treatments above the threshold concentration safe for consumption.