Average Concentrations Of Lead Research Articles

Heavy metals in navel orange orchards of Xinfeng County and their transfer from soils to navel oranges

This study investigated heavy metal concentrations in soils and navel oranges of Xinfeng County, a well-known navel orange producing area of China. The results showed that the average concentrations of lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), arsenic (As) and mercury (Hg) in orchard soils all increased compared to the regional background values, especially for Cd, which increased by 422%. When compared to the Chinese Environmental Quality Standard for soil (GB15618-1995), Pb, Cr and Hg concentrations in all orchard soil samples were below the limit standards, but Cd concentrations in 24 soil samples (21%) and As concentrations in 8 soil samples (7%) exceeded the limit standards. However, concentrations of all heavy metals in navel orange pulps were within the National Food Safety Standard of China (GB 2762-2012). Dietary risk assessment also showed that the exposure to these five heavy metals by consumption of navel oranges could hardly pose adverse health effects on adults and children. Since the range and degree of soil Cd pollution was widest and the most severe of all, Cd was taken as an example to reveal the transfer characteristics of heavy metals in soil-navel orange system. Cd concentrations in different organs of navel orange trees decreased in the following order: root>leaf>peel>pulp. That navel oranges planted in the Cd contaminated soils were within the national food safety standard was mainly due to the low transfer factor for Cd from soil to pulp (TFpulp). Further studies showed that TFpulp was significantly negatively correlated with soil pH, organic carbon (OC) and cation exchange capacity (CEC). Based on these soil properties, a prediction equation for TFpulp was established, which indicated that the risk for Cd concentration of navel orange pulp exceeding the national food limit is generally low, when soil Cd concentration is below 7.30mg/kg. If appropriate actions are taken to increase soil pH, OC and CEC, Cd concentrations in navel orange pulps could be further reduced.

Chromosomal Aberration of Snakehead Fish (Channa striata) in Affected Reservoir by Leachate with Lead and Mercury Contamination

The objectives of this study are to investigate chromosomal aberrations of snakehead fish in a leachate-affected reservoir located 100 meters from a municipal landfill which compared to non-affected reservoir. Three snakehead fish were collected and chromosomal aberrations were studied using kidney tissue. Lead and mercury were measured in water, sediment and snakehead fish from the affected reservoir at three sampling sites. The results showed that the average concentrations of lead and mercury in water were 0.0012±0.0003 and 0.0053±0.0036 mg/L, respectively. The average concentrations of lead and mercury in sediment were 3.3650±2.1930 and 0.0890±0.0272 mg/kg, respectively. These values did not exceed the standard for water and soil quality except for the mercury in the water, which was higher than acceptable. Lead was not found in snakehead fish from either reservoir. The average concentrations of mercury in snakehead fish from both reservoirs were 0.1330±0.0792 and 0.1180±0.0350 mg/kg, respectively, which were higher than the standard for mercury contamination in food. This study showed that the accumulation of mercury in snakehead fish was higher than in sediment because it accumulates in organisms through the consumption hierarchy. The diploid chromosome number of snakehead fish in both reservoirs was 2n = 42 and the percentage of chromosomal breakages of snakehead fish in the affected reservoir was higher than the non-affected reservoir. There were four types of chromosomal breakages: single chromatid gap, isochromatid gap, single chromatid breaks and isochromatid breaks. The difference in percentage of chromosomal breakages in snakehead fish from both reservoirs was statistically significant (p<0.05).

폐금속광산 하류 논토양의 중금속 오염도 평가

Abstract BACKGROUND: Most of the tailings have been left without any management in abandoned meta lliferous mines and have become the main source of heavy metal contamination for agricultural soils and crops in the these areas. METHODS AND RESULTS: This experiment was carried out to investigate the assessment of the heavy metal contamination in paddy soils located on downstream of the closed metalliferous mine. The average total concentrations of cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), and arsenic (As) in paddy soils were 8.88, 56.7, 809, 754, and 37.9 mg/kg, respectively. Specially, the average concentrations of Cd, Pb and Zn were higher than those of warning criteria for soil contamination(4 mg/kg for Cd, 200 mg/kg for Pb, and 300 mg/kg for Zn) in agricultural soil established by Soil Environmental Conservation Act in Korea. The proportions of 0.1 M HCl extractable Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn, and As concentration to total concentration of these heavy metals in paddy soils were 27.7, 21.3, 35.1, 13.8 and 10.5%, respectively. The pollution index of these five metals in paddy soils ranged from 0.42 to 11.92. Also, the enrichment factor (EFc) of heavy metals in paddy soils were in the order as Cd>Pb>Zn>Cu>As, and the enrichment factor in paddy soil varied considerably among the sampling sites. The geoaccumulation index (Igeo) of heavy metals in soils were in the order as Cd>Pb>Zn>Cu>As, specially, the average geoaccumulation index of Cd, Pb, and Zn (Igeo 2.49 ～3.10) were relatively higher than that of other metals in paddy soils.

Determination of the Heavy Metal Levels in Panax notoginseng and the Implications for Human Health Risk Assessment

ABSTRACTHigh levels of heavy metals in Panax notoginseng (Sanchi), a valued traditional Chinese medicine, have drawn increasing concern regarding the safe usage of Sanchi preparations. Here, we measured the concentrations of six heavy metals in Sanchi samples from 20 major plantations, investigated the pharmaceutical processes and usages of Sanchi preparations, and assessed the associated potential health risks to consumers. The average concentrations of chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), zinc (Zn), lead (Pb), and arsenic (As) in the Sanchi samples were 2.7, 3.7, 6.2, 22.1, 2.0, and 1.4 mg/kg, respectively. The hazard quotients (HQs) for these six single metals and the hazard index (HI) of these metals’ combination were all far less than 1, indicating the absence of a non-carcinogenic health hazard to consumers. The carcinogenic risk of As was 2.1 × 10−6, which is higher than the allowable level suggested by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency but less than the level suggested by the World Health Organization (WHO). The probabilities of consumers’ exposure due to daily medicine consumption exceeding the allowable daily intakes from medicine (ADIsdrug, 1% of the ADI) suggested by the WHO were 0.0%, 0.1%, 0.1%, 0.0%, 1.6%, and 27.3% for Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Pb, and As, respectively.

Toxic elements in free-living freshwater fish, water and sediments in Poland

Abstract Samples for analysis were collected from 10 areas, including the major Polish rivers and lakes, with different sources of environmental pollution (industrial, municipal, and farming). The materials was taken from the lakes of Mazury, located in a non-industrialised region, from the Brda River, an area impacted by pig farms, from the lakes of Lipczyno Wielkie/Pomerania, from the Wkra River, an area impacted by poultry farms, from the Dunajec River at the Roznowski Reservoir, from the Vistula River at Cracow and Warsaw, from the Odra River at Wroclaw and the Warta River estuary, and also from Rybnik Power Station Reservoir. Concentrations of Pb, Cd, Hg, and As were analysed in 397 fish muscle and 128 sediment samples using an atomic absorption spectrometry technique. The analytical procedures were covered by a quality assurance programme. It was demonstrated that the average concentrations of lead, cadmium, and arsenic in fish were in the low hundredths and thousandths of a mg/kg and never exceeded permitted limits established for food. Higher values of these elements were found in fish from bodies of water located in the zone of influence of large urban agglomerations, especially the Cracow region. High concentrations of lead and cadmium were also found in Vistula River sediments near Cracow, where the maximum values were 134.10 mg/kg and 21.24 mg/kg dry weight for lead and cadmium respectively. The average concentration of mercury in a predatory fish muscle (0.179 mg/kg) was almost twice as high as in the omnivorous fish (0.103 mg/kg). Only a single fish sample exceeded the maximum limit for this metal (0.50 mg/kg) and did not present a risk to consumers’ health.

Fytoextrakce těžkých kovů z odpadních kalů rostlinami

In 2008 and 2009, studies made contents of cadmium and lead in the soil and their uptake by non-traditional plants were studied in a small-plot trial. At the same time also the effect of bio-algeen preparations on phytoextraction of heavy metals by these plants was investigated. Experimental plots were established on the reclaimed land after closing down mining operations in the town of Žacléř (North-East Bohemia) where a layer of sewage sludge from a wastewater treatment plant 0.6–0.8 m thick was subsequently applied. The locality is situated in the altitude of 612 m, its average annual temperature is about 6.8 °C and the mean annual precipitations are 857 mm. Analyses revealed higher concentrations of heavy metals in the applied sewage sludge. The average concentrations of lead and cadmium were 180 mg . kg−1 and 6.89 mg . kg−1, respectively. The experiment had two variants: Variant 1 – sewage sludge without any other substances, and Variant 2 – sewage sludge + bio-algeen preparations (B. A. S-90 or B. A. Root Concentrate). To find the most suitable plant species for the phytoextraction of cadmium and lead, the following non-traditional plants were cultivated in both variants: fodder mallow (Malva verticillata L.), rye (Secale cereale L. var. multicaule METZG. ex ALEF.) and white sweet clover (Melilotus alba MEDIC.). The highest accumulation of cadmium and lead in the aboveground biomass was found out in rye, viz 14.89 mg . kg−1 DM and 14.89 mg . kg−1 DM of Cd and Pb, respectively., As compared with other plants under study, white sweet clover exhibited the significantly lowest capability to extract both heavy metals from soil (viz 0.22 and 3.20 mg . kg−1 DM of Cd and Pb, respectively). A positive effect of bio-algeen on phytoextraction of cadmium and lead was evident in all plants. The highest yield of aboveground biomass was recorded on the plot with white sweet clover with added alginate (496 g . m−2). Of plants under study, the fodder mallow seems to be the most suitable crop for the phytoextraction of both metals (0.35 and 5.87 mg . m−2 of Cd and Pb, respectively).

Exposure of young children to household water lead in the Montreal area (Canada): The potential influence of winter-to-summer changes in water lead levels on children's blood lead concentration

Drinking water represents a potential source of lead exposure. The purpose of the present study was to estimate the magnitude of winter-to-summer changes in household water lead levels (WLLs), and to predict the impact of these variations on BLLs in young children. A study was conducted from September, 2009 to March, 2010 in 305 homes, with a follow-up survey carried out from June to September 2011 in a subsample of 100 homes randomly selected. The first 1-L sample was drawn after 5min of flushing, followed by a further 4 consecutive 1-L samples after 30min of stagnation. Non-linear regression and general linear mixed models were used for modelling seasonal effects on WLL. The batchrun mode of Integrated Exposure Uptake Biokinetic (IEUBK) model was used to predict the impact of changes in WLL on children's blood lead levels (BLLs). The magnitude of winter-to-summer changes in average concentrations of lead corresponded to 6.55μg/L in homes served by lead service lines (LSL+ homes) and merely 0.30μg/L in homes without lead service lines. For stagnant samples, the value reached 10.55μg/L in ‘LSL+ homes’ and remained very low (0.36μg/L) in ‘LSL− homes’. The change in the probability of BLLs ≥5μg/dL due to winter-to-summer changes in WLL was increased from <5% (in winter) to about 20% (in summer) in children aged 0.5–2years. The likelihood of having BLLs ≥5μg/dL in young children during warm months was reduced by at least 40% by flushing tap-water.

Effect of cropping systems on heavy metal distribution and mercury fractionation in the Wanshan mining district, China: implications for environmental management.

The authors studied the concentration of heavy metals and mercury fractionation in contaminated soil in 2 agricultural land use systems (paddy rice and dry land) at the Wanshan mercury mine in China. The average concentrations of chromium, lead, copper, nickel, and zinc were generally lower in paddy rice soil relative to corn field soil. Soil under corn field production was slightly contaminated with lead (22-100 mg/kg), copper (31-64 mg/kg), and nickel (22-76 mg/kg) and moderately contaminated with zinc (112-635 mg/kg). In both soils, correlation of these metals with the titanium concentration in the soil indicates a geogenic origin for each metal (lead, r = 0.48; copper, r = 0.63; nickel, r = 0.47; zinc, r = 0.48). The mercury and antimony concentration in soil was high under both cropping systems, and future remediation efforts should consider the potential environmental risk presented by these metals. The concentration of bioavailable mercury in soil ranged from 0.3 ng/g to 11 ng/g across the 2 cropping systems. The majority of mercury (>80%) was associated with organic matter and the residual fraction. However, soil under paddy rice production exhibited a significantly lower concentration of Fe/Mn oxide-bound mercury than that under corn field production. This may be a function of the reduction of Fe/Mn oxides in the paddy rice soil, with the subsequent release of adsorbed metals to the soil solution. Sequential change from corn field to paddy rice production, as practiced in Wanshan, should therefore be avoided. Mercury adsorbed to Fe/Mn oxides in corn field soil potentially could be released into the soil solution and be made available for biomethylation under the flooded water management conditions of a rice paddy.

Lead accumulation in the roadside soils from heavy density motor way towns of eastern Ethiopia

The levels of lead pollution in the roadside soils of the heavy density motor ways of Eastern Ethiopia, in particular; Modjo, Bishoftu and Adama towns were studied. Soil samples were collected from a total of 22 sampling sites while the control samples were obtained from places about 1 km away from the main roads of each town. Concentrations of lead, in soil samples, were determined using flame atomic absorption spectrometer and the average concentrations of lead were found to be 93.3 ± 1.0, 79.4 ± 0.6 and 80.6 ± 0.4 μg/g for Modjo, Bishoftu and Adama towns, respectively. The concentrations of lead in soils sampled 1 km away from the main road for each town were: 13.5 ± 0.3, 19.6 ± 0.7 and 20.8 ± 0.8 μg/g for Modjo, Bishoftu and Adama towns, respectively. The contamination factors for the average lead concentrations of Modjo, Bishoftu and Adama towns were 6.9, 4.0 and 3.8, respectively. Besides, the correlations between the lead level and the traffic density of the corresponding roads were found to be r (4) = 0.82, p < 0.05 for Modjo, r (5) = 0.32, p < 0.05 for Bishoftu and r (9) = 0.81, p < 0.05 for Adama. KEY WORDS : Gasoline, Lead, Roadside soils, Traffic density, Vehicular emission, Ethiopia Bull. Chem. Soc. Ethiop. 2014 , 28(2), 161-176. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/bcse.v28i2.1

Heavy metals contamination in water and three species of most consumed fish sampled from Caspian Sea, 2011

The present study is an attempt to evaluate the heavy metal contamination in the marine environment of the Caspian Sea of Iran. The concentrations of zinc, chromium, cadmium, and lead were measured in water and dorsal muscle of fish sampled from 10 selected stations along Gorgan coast using atomic absorption spectrophotometry during summer of 2011. The average concentrations of lead in water and fish samples (115.29 ± 14.78 and 113.23 ± 27.01 μg/L) were significantly higher than that of cadmium and chromium (P < 0.05). The highest heavy metals content was observed in Cyprinus carpio samples. The heavy metals concentrations in the samples were within the acceptable recommended standards. But, elevating levels of heavy metals in water and fish made a serious concern about ecosystem and food chain contamination. It is recommended that protective authorities should carry out a continual assessment on the levels of pollutants in the sea.

Evaluation of estimated daily intake (EDI) of cadmium and lead for rice (Oryza sativa L.) in calcareous soils.

The excessive amounts of cadmium and lead in food chain can cause health problems for humans and ecosystem. Rice is an important food in human diet. Therefore this study was conducted in order to investigate cadmium and Lead concentrations in seed rice (Oryza saliva) of paddy fields in southwest of Iran. A total of 70 rice seed samples were collected from paddy fields in five regions of Khuzestan province, Southwest Iran, during harvesting time. In the samples cadmium and Lead concentrations were measured. To assess the daily intake of Cadmium and Lead by rice, daily consumption of rice was calculated. The results showed that average concentrations of Cadmium and Lead in rice seeds were 273.6 and 121.8 μg/kg, respectively. Less than 72% of rice seed samples had Cadmium concentrations above 200 μg/kg (i.e. Guide value for cadmium); and less than 3% had Lead concentrations above 150 μg/kg (i.e. Guide value for Lead). The estimated daily intakes of cadmium by the local population was calculated to 0.59 μg/day kg bw, which corresponds to 59% of the tolerable daily intakes (i.e. 1 μg/day kg bw). Eleven out of 70 samples (15.71%) exceed the tolerable daily intakes. The dietary intakes for Lead in the local population ranged from 0.22 to 0.47 μg/day kg bw. Tolerable daily intakes for Lead is 3.6 μg/day kg bw. As a whole, long term consumption of the local rice may bear high risk of heavy metal exposure to the consumer in the study region.

Heavy metal distribution frequency in Iranian and imported rice varieties marketed in central Iran, Yazd, 2012

Aims: This study aimed to determine the concentration of heavy metals including lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and arsenic (As) in rice samples in Yazd markets. Materials and Methods: In this study, 108 rice samples were collected from 36 different brands including 26 imported and 10 Iranian rice varieties from July-December 2011. Determination of heavy metals was carried out by wet ashing and digestion methods following graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry and hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry. Results: The average concentrations of lead in both Iranian and imported samples were 328.3 ± 81.44 and 254.55 ± 77.2 μg/kg, respectively, well above the safe limit set by Iranian standard, whereas mean concentrations of cadmium and arsenic were both below their permissible limit. In homemade rice samples, their concentration levels were shown to be 37.25 ± 23.39 and 33.5 ± 18.35 μg/kg, respectively. However, for imported products, their levels were 43.71 ± 13.74 and 87.55 ± 72.99 μg/kg, respectively. Conclusion: Deterministic estimation of exposure to heavy metals from rice showed that there was no health issue concerning exposure to toxic metals through rice intake in Iran when potential risk of each heavy metal is considered individually, cumulative risk assessment must be applied in future studies.

Air Pollution Makes Public Health Problem in Urban Agglomeration Environment in Poland

The development of civilization has a significant impact on the increment in environmental pollution. Particular threats to the health of people living in urban agglomerations make the unfavourable changes in atmospheric air. The aim of this study was to describe the influence of climate (seasons, annual temperature changes) and presence of sources of air pollutants emissions on air pollutants concentrations in the selected urban agglomeration - Szczecin (Poland). Researches were conducted at 4 air pollution monitoring stations during the period 2005-2008. There were noticed statistically significant relationships between the air pollutants concentrations and climate parameters (wind, temperature, seasons). It was found that average annual PM10 concentrations were lower than the limit value. By contrast average daily PM10 concentrations exceed quality standards. Annual average concentrations of lead and cadmium in PM10 were lower than acceptable levels (for lead) or destination levels (for cadmium). While the average concentrations of benzo(a)pyrene in PM10 were above the target value - 1ng/m3. The air quality in Szczecin agglomeration improved during the period 2005-2008.

Soil Contamination of Metals in the Three Industrial Estates, Arak, Iran

The aim of this study was to determine the concentrations and degree of metals contamination (Chromium, Cadmium, Nickel and Lead) and Arsenic in the soils of the three Industrial Estates in Arak city, Iran. The average concentrations of Arsenic, Chromium, Cadmium, Nickel and Lead were 5.06, 1.26, 37.13, 67.84 and 60.22mgkg(-1), respectively. Pearson correlation indicated that Arsenic, Cadmium and Lead were mainly derived from anthropogenic inputs, and Chromium and Nickel were controlled by natural source, whereas Nickel appeared to be affected by both anthropogenic and natural sources. The geo-accumulation Index (Igeo) calculated in three industrial estates gave values indicating unpolluted to strongly polluted.

DETERMINATION OF THE LEVELS OF LEAD IN THE ROADSIDE SOILS OF ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA

Contamination of the roadside soils of Addis Ababa city by lead, most likely originationg from vehicular exhaust, has been investigated. To this end, soil samples were collected from 14 roadside sites; i.e., 2 samples for shorter and 5 samples for longer roads. Determination of lead was carried out on a total of 45 samples and a control sample collected from a relatively remote area of the city, Entoto Mountains, which was assumed to be free of anthropogenic lead sources. The levels of lead in all the samples were determined using flame atomic absorption spectrometer. The concentration of lead obtained from majority of the sample sites surpassed the maximum limit of the metal in soil recommended by WHO (100 μg/g). The average concentrations of lead in the roadside soils were found to be 418.6 ± 3.4 μg/g. Similarly, the concentration of lead in the control soil sample was 18.8 ± 0.5 μg/g. Although at present the lead content of the gasoline used in the country is 0.013 g/L, the use of leaded gasoline during the past decades is thought to be responsible for the high concentration of lead in the roadside soils of Addis Ababa.

Levels of heavy metals in popular cigarette brands and exposure to these metals via smoking.

The levels of selected heavy metals in popular cigarette brands sold and/or produced in Saudi Arabia were determined by graphite furnace-atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS). Average concentrations of Cadmium and Lead in different cigarette brands were 1.81 and 2.46 μg g−1 (dry weight), respectively. The results obtained in this study estimate the average quantity of Cd inhaled from smoking one packet of 20 cigarettes to be in the range of 0.22–0.78 μg. Results suggest that the quantity of Pb inhaled of smoking one packet of 20 cigarettes is estimated to be 0.97–2.64 μg. The concentrations of Cd and Pb in cigarettes were significantly different between cigarette brands tested. The results of the present study were compared with those of other regional and international studies.

Impacts of human activities on the sedimentological and geochemical characteristics of Mabahiss Bay, North Hurghada, Red Sea, Egypt

In Mabahiss Bay, north Hurghada City, Red Sea, Egypt, the bathymetric measurements show the irregular topography of the bottom. The bottom sediments are mainly composed of sand fractions (average 73.5%). Gravel and sand contents decrease with depth. On the other hand, silt and clay percents show indirect relation with depth. Abnormally, there are some spots found near the coast where the percent of both silt and clay increases. They also show carbonate sediments (average 90.15%) increasing toward the bay center. The narrow belt adjacent to the shore area has lower carbonate content reflecting the effect of clastic sediments input into the area. The sediments in the study area have more than one source as indicated from the results of the mechanical analysis. Wide range of grain size distributions, clay spots and low carbonate content near the shore indicate change in the nature of sedimentary environment (i.e., pollution) which may be caused by land filling accompanied with urbanization and building of touristic resorts and centers. The organic matter content in the sediments is much higher than that of the other areas in the Red sea (average 4.8%) with considerable accumulation in the inner most parts of the bay. This may be due to relative abundance of organic productivity, direct discharge of domestic waste in some spots along the coast of the study area, and/or local contamination of hydrocarbons (i.e., tar balls thrown out on shore by weak waves through the few inlets of the study area). The average concentrations of lead, nickel, copper, and cadmium are 44, 34, 51, and 3.1 ppm, respectively. The suggested origin of these metals is either organic (localized oil pollution), or using of antifouling and anticorrosive paints from fishing and tourist boats. Other metals, particularly manganese (average 77 ppm), cobalt (average 51 ppm), and zinc (average 16 ppm) as well as sodium (average 0.32%) and potassium (av. 0.10%) show a common trend of increasing concentration toward the outermost parts of the bay. Some parts along shoreline have increasing concentrations, even if these parameters having a common trend of increase towards the center of the bay. This may be either due to sewage and wastewaters discharges from many outlets of tourist centers and fishermen and cargo boats, and/or terrestrial sediments input. Direct comparison of the present levels of heavy metals in Mabahiss Bay with other published data along the Red Sea and Gulf of Suez shows that the study area has higher concentrations. Dredging, land filling, localized oil pollution, using of antifouling and anticorrosive paints from fishing and tourist boats (where the bay is used as harbor for many of fishermen and cargo boats), sewage, variable amounts of municipal wastewater from many outlets of tourist centers considered to be the sources of pollution within Mabahiss bay. There are many effects of pollution on Mabahiss Bay environment among which: (1) death of fishes, seaweeds, birds, marine mammals, etc., (2) damage of beaches and other recreational areas, (3) damage of marine ecosystem by eliminating or decreasing population of certain species, (4) hazard to human from ingesting contaminated food, and more.

Identification and characterization of trace metals in black solid materials deposited from biomass burning at the cooking stoves in Bangladesh

In this study we have reported the emissions of trace metals from biomass burning at the cooking stoves. Black solid materials deposited from two different types of biomass (rice husk coils – type 1; mixed (straw, bamboo, cow dung, leaves and plants) biomasses - type 2) burning at the cooking stoves were collected from the top of the stoves (but inside the roof of the kitchen) in Narsingdi, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Systematic chemical analysis was done for both samples. Lead, mercury, iron and calcium were identified in sample type-1, and lead, iron and magnesium were identified in sample type-2. The concentration of the trace element was determined with an atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The average concentrations of lead, iron, cadmium calcium, potassium and magnesium were 95.6, 11520, 8.33, 1635, 17.1 and 443.1 mg kg−1, respectively in sample type-1. The average concentration of lead, iron, cadmium calcium, potassium and magnesium were 125.2, 12360, 12.0, 1648, 21.5 and 534.2 mg kg−1, respectively in sample type-2. However, the average concentrations of the determined trace elements followed the sequences, Fe > Ca > Mg > Pb > K > Cd. The emission of lead, iron, cadmium, calcium, potassium and magnesium were much higher from mixed biomass (type-2) compared than the rich husk coils (type-1). The mixed biomass produced about 31% higher lead, 44% higher cadmium, 26% higher potassium, and 21% higher magnesium compared than the rice husk coils. This is the first systematic analysis for the trace metal emissions from different types of biomass burning at the cooking stoves in Bangladesh.

Simultaneous Determination of Cd, Pb, Cu, Zn, and Se in Human Blood of Jordanian Smokers by ICP-OES

A total of 73 blood samples (56 from smokers and 17 from nonsmokers) were collected to determine the concentrations of selected heavy metal in the whole blood of smokers and nonsmokers living in and around the city of Amman, Jordan. Analysis of heavy metals in the whole blood samples of various groups took in consideration the number of cigarettes smoked per day. The analysis of blood samples was carried out using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. This study aimed to evaluate the blood metal levels in smokers and nonsmokers and to assess the influence of smoking cigarettes on blood metal levels. The results were compared with those from a control group. The results indicated that the average concentrations of cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), and selenium (Se) were 0.0313, 0.344, 2.328, 3.214, and 0.332 mg/L, respectively. Statistical analysis of results indicated that these average concentrations were significantly higher compared with the average concentrations in nonsmokers (P < 0.05). Moreover, the correlations between blood metal and other blood metal levels in smokers, the correlations between blood metal and other blood metal levels in nonsmokers, and the correlations between blood metal concentration in smokers and its concentration in nonsmokers were calculated. The standard reference material (blood serum National Institute of Standards and Technology 1598) and the quality control were used to validate the reliability of the method used for the estimation of heavy metals in blood samples. Results revealed that there was an agreement between the certified values and the measured values.

Study of environmental burden of lead in children using teeth as bioindicator

The south region of Sao Paulo city hosts the Guarapiranga dam, responsible for water supply to 25% of the city population. Their surroundings have been subject to intense and irregular occupation by people from very low socioeconomics classes. Measurements undertaken on sediment and particulate materials in the dam revealed concentrations of lead, copper, zinc and cadmium above internationally accepted limits. Epidemiological and toxicological studies undertaken by the World Health Organization in individuals exhibiting lead concentrations in blood, near or below the maximum recommended (10 µg dl − 1 ), surprisingly revealed that toxic effects are more intense in individuals belonging to low socioeconomics classes. Motivated by these facts, we aimed at the investigation of chronic incorporation of lead, as well as the use of our BIOKINETICS code, which is based on an accepted ICRP biokinetics model for lead, in order to extrapolate the results from teeth to other organs. The focus of our data taking was children from poor families, living in a small, restrict and allegedly contaminated area in São Paulo city. Thus, a total of 74 human teeth were collected. The average concentration of lead in teeth of children 5 to 10 years old was determined by means of a high-resolution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS). For standardization of the measurements, an animal bone certified material (H-Animal Bone), from the International Atomic Energy Agency, was analyzed. The amount of lead in children living in the surroundings of the dam, was approximately 40% higher than those from the control region, and the average lead concentration was equal to 1.3 μg g − 1 approximately. Grouping the results in terms of gender, tooth type and condition, it was concluded that a carious molar of boys is a much more efficient contamination pathway for lead, resulting in concentrations 70% higher than in the control region. We also inferred the average concentrations of lead in other organs of these children, by making use of our BIOKINETIC code.