Environmental Health Concern Research Articles

Melatonin alleviated fluoride-induced impairment of spermatogenesis and sperm maturation process via Interleukin-17A.

Fluoride-induced male reproductive failure is a major environmental and human health concern, but interventions are still lacking. Melatonin (MLT) has potential functions in regulating testicular damage and interleukin-17 (IL-17) production. This study aims to explore whether MLT can mitigate fluoride-induced male reproductive toxicity through IL-17A, and screen the potential targets. So the wild type and IL-17A knockout mice were employed and treated with sodium fluoride (100 mg/L) by drinking water and MLT (10 mg/kg.BW, intraperitoneal injection per two days starting from week 16) for 18 weeks. Bone F- concentrations, grade of dental damage, sperm quality, spermatogenic cells counts, histological morphology of testis and epididymis, and the mRNA expression of spermatogenesis and maturation, classical pyroptosis related and immune factor genes were detected respectively. The results revealed that MLT supplementations alleviated fluoride-induced impairment of spermatogenesis and maturation process, protecting the morphology of testis and epididymis through IL-17A pathway, and Tesk1 and Pten were identified as candidate targets from 29 regulation genes. Taken together, this study demonstrated a new physiological role for MLT in the protection against fluoride-induced reproductive injury and possible regulation mechanisms, which providing a useful therapeutic strategy for male reproductive function failure caused by fluoride or other environmental pollutants.

Current Review of Increasing Animal Health Threat of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS): Harms, Limitations, and Alternatives to Manage Their Toxicity.

Perfluorinated and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS), more than 4700 in number, are a group of widely used man-made chemicals that accumulate in living things and the environment over time. They are known as "forever chemicals" because they are extremely persistent in our environment and body. Because PFAS have been widely used for many decades, their presence is evident globally, and their persistence and potential toxicity create concern for animals, humans and environmental health. They can have multiple adverse health effects, such as liver damage, thyroid disease, obesity, fertility problems, and cancer. The most significant source of living exposure to PFAS is dietary intake (food and water), but given massive industrial and domestic use, these substances are now punctually present not only domestically but also in the outdoor environment. For example, livestock and wildlife can be exposed to PFAS through contaminated water, soil, substrate, air, or food. In this review, we have analyzed and exposed the characteristics of PFAS and their various uses and reported data on their presence in the environment, from industrialized to less populated areas. In several areas of the planet, even in areas far from large population centers, the presence of PFAS was confirmed, both in marine and terrestrial animals (organisms). Among the most common PFAS identified are undoubtedly perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), two of the most widely used and, to date, among the most studied in terms of toxicokinetics and toxicodynamics. The objective of this review is to provide insights into the toxic potential of PFAS, their exposure, and related mechanisms.

First Report on Microplastics Quantification in Poultry Chicken and Potential Human Health Risks in Pakistan.

Microplastics (MPs) are an emerging environmental health concern due to their widespread occurrence in food sources such as fish, meat, chicken, honey, sugar, salt, tea and drinking water, thereby posing possible risks to human health. This study aimed to observe the existence of MPs in the crop and gizzard of the farm chicken, a significant food source in Pakistan. Twenty-four chicken samples were taken from eight poultry farms across Punjab, Pakistan. A total of 1227 MP particles were found from 24 samples (crop and gizzards) originating from the 8 poultry farms. In all, 429 MP particles were found in 24 chicken crops, with a mean of 17.8 ± 12.1 MPs/crop. In contrast, 798 MP particles were found in 24 chicken gizzards, with a mean of 33.25 ± 17.8 MPs/gizzard. Comparatively larger particles, ranging between 300-500 µm, were more abundant (63%) than other considered sizes (300-150 µm [21%] and 150-50 µm [16%]). Additionally, fragments were the dominant type of shape in both sample types (crop [64%] and gizzard [53%]). The predominant colours of particles extracted from gizzards and crops were yellow (32%) and red (32%), respectively. Chemical characterisation of these particles detected four types of polymers: polyvinyl chloride (PVC) at 51.2%, followed by low-density polyethylene (LDPE) at 30.7%, polystyrene (PS) at 13.6% and polypropylene homopolymer (PPH) at 4.5%. In conclusion, we provide evidence for MPs in the gizzards and crops of farmed chickens which may originate from contaminated poultry feed. Only a few studies have been reported globally to assess MPs ingestion in chickens. The current study is the first report from Pakistan. It could be a valuable addition to support MPs literature to establish a relationship between MPs contamination and intake through the food chain.

Diesel exhaust particles exposure induces liver dysfunction: Exploring predictive potential of human circulating microRNAs signature relevant to liver injury risk

Diesel exhaust particles (DEP) pollution should be taken seriously because it is an extensive environmental and occupational health concern. Exploring early effect biomarkers is crucial for monitoring and managing DEP-associated health risk assessment. Here, we found that serum levels of 67 miRNAs were dysregulated in DEP exposure group. Notably, 20 miRNAs were identified as each having a significant dose-response relationship with the internal exposure level of DEP. Further, we revealed that the DEP exposure could affect the liver function of subjects and that 7 miRNAs (including the well-known liver injury indicator, miR-122–5p) could serve as the novel epigenetic-biomarkers (epi-biomarkers) to reflect the liver-specific response to the DEP exposure. Importantly, an unprecedented prediction model using these 7 miRNAs was established for the assessment of DEP-induced liver injury risk. Finally, bioinformatic analysis indicated that the unique set of miRNA panel in serum might also contribute to the molecular mechanism of DEP exposure-induced liver damage. These results broaden our understanding of the adverse health outcomes of DEP exposure. Noteworthy, we believe this study could shed light on roles and functions of epigenetic biomarkers from environmental exposure to health outcomes by revealing the full chain of exposure-miRNAs-molecular pathways-disease evidence.

“Relationship between antibiotic resistance, biofilm formation, virulence factors and source of origin of Pseudomonas aeruginosa environmental isolates with regard to the presence of metallo-β-lactamase-encoding genes”

A total of 557 water samples were evaluated and of these, 23 were positive for the presence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Approximately 91.7% of them were weak biofilm formers. Only 4 isolates showed antimicrobial resistance. All isolates presented Twitching motility, a positive result for the production of pyocyanin, alkaline protease, and hemolysins. The genotypic tests showed: lasA, (95.6%) lasB (95.6%), exoS (95.6%), exoT (91.3%), toxA (91.3%), akgO (91.3%), plcN (91.3%) aprA (86.9%), phzM (78.3%), and pvdA (60.9%). For genes encoding metallo-beta-lactamase, it was found: blaVIM (56.6%), blaSPM (4.3%), and blaSIM (47.8%). A strong association was found between the metallo-beta-lactamase producing genes, nine genes of virulence factors and the motility (r = 0.6231). The very close clonal profile suggests a probable similarity between the isolates from different cities. Thus, P. aeruginosa can be present in water supplies with variable virulence capacities and can generate a huge concern for human, animal, and environmental health.

Testicular Toxicity in Rats Exposed to AlCl3: a Proteomics Study.

Aluminum contamination is a growing environmental and public health concern, and aluminum testicular toxicity has been reported in male rats; however, the underlying mechanisms of this toxicity are unclear. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of exposure to aluminum chloride (AlCl3) on alterations in the levels of sex hormones (testosterone [T], luteinizing hormone [LH], and follicle-stimulating hormone [FSH]) and testicular damage. Additionally, the mechanisms of toxicity in the testes of AlCl3-exposed rats were analyzed by proteomics. Three different concentrations of AlCl3 were administered to rats. The results demonstrated a decrease in T, LH, and FSH levels with increasing concentrations of AlCl3 exposure. HE staining results revealed that the spermatogenic cells in the AlCl3-exposed rats were widened, disorganized, or absent, with increased severe tissue destruction at higher concentrations of AlCl3 exposure. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analyses revealed that differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) after AlCl3 exposure were primarily associated with various metabolic processes, sperm fibrous sheath, calcium-dependent protein binding, oxidative phosphorylation, and ribosomes. Subsequently, DEPs from each group were subjected to protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis followed by the screening of interactional key DEPs. Western blot experiments validated the proteomics data, revealing the downregulation of sperm-related DEPs (AKAP4, ODF1, and OAZ3) and upregulation of regulatory ribosome-associated protein (UBA52) and mitochondrial ribosomal protein (MRPL32). These findings provide a basis for studying the mechanism of testicular toxicity due to AlCl3 exposure.

Human exposure to persistent and mobile chemicals: A review of sources, internal levels and health implications

Persistent and mobile chemicals (PMs) are highly polar organic chemicals of anthropogenic origin, which have been documented as an emerging issue of concern for environmental and human health and for which policy needs have recently been identified. Since PMs are recognized as a serious threat to water resources and drinking water, many studies have focused on the occurrence and fate of PMs in aqueous environmental matrices, especially surface water, groundwater and drinking water but considerably less so directly on human exposure. Consequently, our understanding of human exposure to PMs is still limited. In this context, the main objectives of this review are to provide reliable information on PMs and comprehensive knowledge about human internal and relevant external exposure to PMs. This review highlights the occurrence of eight selected PMs: melamine and its derivatives and transformation products, quaternary ammonium compounds, benzotriazoles, benzothiazole and their derivatives and transformation products, 1,4-dioxane, 1,3-di-o-tolylguanidine, 1,3-diphenylguanidine and trifluoromethane sulfonic acid in human matrices (blood, urine, etc.) and environmental samples relevant to human exposure (drinking water, food, indoor dust, etc.). In addition, human biomonitoring data is discussed in the framework of the chemicals risk management policy. Current knowledge gaps of selected PMs from a human exposure perspective, as well as future research needs were also identified. While PMs discussed in this review have been found in various environmental matrices relevant for human exposure, it is important to note that human biomonitoring data for some PMs is very limited. Available data on the estimated daily intakes of some PMs suggest that they do not pose an immediate concern for human exposure.

Concentrations and homologue patterns of SCCPs and MCCPs in the serum of the general population of adults in Hangzhou, China

Due to their ubiquitous presence in the environment and humans, chlorinated paraffins (CPs) are a major environmental and public health concern. CPs are known to persist, bioaccumulate and potentially threaten human health, but reports on their internal exposure in the adult general population are still scarce. In this study, serum samples collected from adults living in Hangzhou, China, were quantified for SCCPs and MCCPs using GC-NCI-MS methods. A total of 150 samples were collected and subjected to analysis. ∑SCCPs were detected in 98% of the samples with a median concentration of 721 ng/g lw. MCCPs were found in all serum samples with a median concentration of 2210 ng/g lw, indicating that MCCPs were the dominant homologous group. For SCCPs and MCCPs, ∑C10 and ∑C14 were found to be the dominant carbon chain length homologues. Our results showed that age, BMI and lifestyle were not found to be significantly associated with internal exposure to CPs for the samples in this study. Based on PCA analysis, an age-specific distribution of CP homologues was observed. This suggests that internal exposure to CPs in the general population is related to exposure scenarios and history. The results of this study may contribute to a better understanding of the internal exposure to CPs in the general population and may provide a direction for the investigation of the source of exposure to CPs in the environment and daily life.

Smart Platform for PUC Vendors about PUC Expiration & Reminders

Abstract: Air pollution caused by vehicular emissions is a significant environmental and public health concern, and regulatory measures, such as Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificates, are implemented to monitor and control vehicle emissions. However, the majority of the people fail to renew their PUC certificates because they don’t get any reminders, unlike reminders sent by insurance companies, The PUC vendor have to manually send the PUC expiration reminder message to the client. The PUC vendors often have to keep track of their clients using notebook and pen and manually check the expiration dates of certificates daily, which can be a time-consuming and error-prone process. These inefficiencies can lead to a poor customer experience, increased workload for PUC vendors, resulting in lack of compliance with PUC regulations and potential fines. The proposed platform provides a smart and innovative online platform designed specifically for PUC vendors to streamline their operations and improve compliance with PUC regulations. The platform is built using the MERN (MongoDB, Express.js, React, Node.js) stack, providing a modern and scalable solution for PUC vendors to manage their clients and send PUC expiration reminders via SMS and WhatsApp

A quantitative risk assessment approach for developing contingency plans at a geologic carbon storage site

AbstractGeologic carbon storage (GCS) is an increasingly important technology for reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions to the atmosphere. The leakage risks associated with GCS are an environmental and human health concern, however, and site operators must develop contingency plans that thoroughly consider leakage risks and identify potential mitigation strategies. Here, we use a GCS system model (the National Risk Assessment Partnership's Open‐Source Integrated Assessment Model, NRAP‐Open‐IAM) to evaluate different contingency plans for a hypothetical GCS site. In the scenario considered, an unplugged legacy well is discovered near the site after 5 years of CO2 injection. Our simulations show that the planned operation has a relatively high chance of causing brine leakage through the legacy well and into the two overlying aquifers, the shallower of which has potable water—an unacceptable outcome. To reduce this risk, we consider five remedial response scenarios that manipulate reservoir pressures through brine extraction, injection rate reduction, and early injection stopping. NRAP‐Open‐IAM is used to quantify the degree to which each scenario reduces the probability of brine leakage at the site amidst reservoir uncertainty. Evaluation of the different scenarios suggests that reduction of injection rates effectively reduces leakage risks while maintaining a substantial fraction of the initially intended cumulative CO2 storage. In the event of an emergency, the reservoir pressure management strategies considered here can provide operators more time while they pursue a more permanent solution. The analyses demonstrated here fit into a larger workflow we propose for evaluating the contingency plans of GCS sites. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Exploring resistomes and microbiomes in pilot-scale microalgae-bacteria wastewater treatment systems for use in low-resource settings

Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) released into the environment are an emerging human and environmental health concern, including ARGs spread in wastewater treatment effluents. In low-to-middle income countries (LMICs), an alternate wastewater treatment option instead of conventional systems are low-energy, high-rate algal ponds (HRAP) that use microalgae-bacteria aggregates (MABA) for waste degradation. Here we studied the robustness of ARG removal in MABA-based pilot-scale outdoor systems for 140 days of continuous operation. The HRAP system successfully removed 73 to 88 % chemical oxygen demand and up to 97.4 % ammonia, with aggregate size increasing over operating time. Fourteen ARG classes were identified in the HRAP influent, MABA, and effluent using metagenomics, with the HRAP process reducing total ARG abundances by up to 5-fold from influent to effluent. Parallel qPCR analyses showed the HRAP system significantly reduced exemplar ARGs (p < 0.05), with 1.2 to 4.9, 2.7 to 6.3, 0 to 1.5, and 1.2 to 4.8 log-removals for sul1, tetQ, blaKPC, and intl1 genes, respectively. Sequencing of influent, effluent and MABAs samples showed associated microbial communities differed significantly, with influent communities by Enterobacteriales (clinically relevant ARGs carrying bacteria), which were less evident in MABA and effluent. In this sense, such bacteria might be excluded from MABA due to their good settling properties and the presence of antimicrobial peptides. Microalgae-bacteria treatment systems steadily reduced ARGs from wastewater during operation time, using sunlight as the energetic driver, making them ideal for use in LMIC wastewater treatment applications.

Microplastics and Nanoplastics Effects on Plant-Pollinator Interaction and Pollination Biology.

Microplastics and nanoplastics (MNPs) contamination is an emerging environmental and public health concern, and these particles have been reported both in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Recent studies have expanded our understanding of the adverse effects of MNPs pollution on human, terrestrial, and aquatic animals, insects, and plants. In this perspective, we describe the adverse effects of MNPs particles on pollinator and plant health and discuss the mechanisms by which MNPs disrupt the pollination process. We discuss the evidence and integrate transcriptome studies to investigate the negative effects of MNPs on the molecular biology of pollination, which may cause delay or inhibit the pollination services. We conclude by addressing challenges to plant-pollinator health from MNPs pollution and argue that such harmful effects disrupt the communication between plant and pollinator for a successful pollination process.

Five Decades of Research Progress in Air Pollution, Children's Respiratory Health, and Emergency Department Visits: A Bibliometric Analysis.

Air pollution is a global environmental health concern. Our study aims to examine the collective scientific impact of air pollution, children's respiratory health, and emergency department visits during the last five decades. Original articles, review papers, and conference proceedings in the English language published from 1972 to 2022 were obtained after a comprehensive search of the Scopus database using the terms air pollution, children, respiratory health, and emergency department visit. The Biblioshiny web application of the R software (R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria) was used to analyse the publication trend and identify the top authors and journals of the subject. The countries' collaborative network was mapped, and the authors' trending keywords were tracked using a thematic map. In total, 1,309 publications authored by 6,342 authors from 483 sources were retrieved. Three distinctive collaborative network clusters were observed, with the United States as the connecting central node. Among the 39 trending keywords identified, particulate matter had constantly been a motor theme with an emerging interest in individual pollutants, specific diseases, and time series analysis. In conclusion, political will is a strong driver for research on air pollution, children's respiratory health, and emergency department visits, which is further enhanced by technological advancement that increases the availability and accessibility of air pollution and patient data. The trend for future studies is time series analysis and research on the impact of individual air pollutants on specific respiratory disorders in children.

Hazard assessment of different-sized polystyrene nanoplastics in hematopoietic human cell lines

The environmental presence of micro/nanoplastics (MNPLs) is an environmental and human health concern. Such MNPLs can result from the physicochemical/biological degradation of plastic goods (secondary MNPLs) or can result from industrial production at that size, for different commercial purposes (primary MNPLs). Independently of their origin, the toxicological profile of MNPLs can be modulated by their size, as well as by the ability of cells/organisms to internalize them. To get more information on these topics we have determined the ability of three different sizes of polystyrene MNPLs (50, 200, and 500 nm) to produce different biological effects in three different human hematopoietic cell lines (Raji-B, THP-1, and TK6). Results show that none of the three sizes was able to induce toxicity (growth ability) in any of the tested cell types. Although transmission electron microscopy and confocal images showed cell internalization in all the cases, their quantification by flow cytometry demonstrated an important uptake by Raji-B and THP-1 cells, in comparison with TK6 cells. For the first ones, the uptake was negatively associated with the size. Interestingly, when the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential was determined, dose-related effects were observed for Raji-B and THP-1 cells, but not for TK6 cells. These effects were observed for the three different sizes. Finally, when oxidative stress induction was evaluated, no clear effects were observed for the different tested combinations. Our conclusion is that size, biological endpoint, and cell type are aspects modulating the toxicological profile of MNPLs.

Spatio-temporal visualization and forecasting of {text {PM}}_{10} in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais

Air pollution due to air contamination by gases, liquids, and solid particles in suspension, is a great environmental and public health concern nowadays. An important type of air pollution is particulate matter with a diameter of 10 microns or less ({text {PM}}_{10}) because one of the determining factors that affect human health is the size of particles in the atmosphere due to the degree of permanence and penetration they have in the respiratory system. Therefore, it is extremely interesting to monitor and understand the behavior of {text {PM}}_{10} concentrations so that they do not exceed the established critical levels. In this work, we will study the {text {PM}}_{10} concentrations in all available monitoring stations in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. To better understand its behavior, we will provide a spatio-temporal visualization of the {text {PM}}_{10} concentrations. Besides the descriptive and visualization analysis, we consider six standard and advanced time series models that will be used to fit and forecast {text {PM}}_{10} concentrations, with application to three locations, one in Belo Horizonte, the Minas Gerais state capital, and the monitoring stations with the lowest and highest average {text {PM}}_{10} concentration levels.

Investigating the Effects of Air Pollution on Plant Species Resistance in Urban Areas

Context: Air pollution is a serious concern for environmental and human health, especially due to increasing the risk of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of air pollution on plant species resistance in urban areas. Evidence Acquisition: This narrative review was conducted by searching the databases of Web of Science, Science Direct, Scopus, PubMed, Google Scholar, and Springer. Sixty-five articles were screened by reading their abstracts and full texts. In the end, 12 relevant papers published from 1993 to 2021 were finally selected. Results: The literature review showed that the green spaces created by municipalities in different areas of the city included a set of trees and shrubs compatible by the climate, grass, soil, and water of the region, leading to a significant improvement in air quality. Based on the results, urban green space has the ability to reduce the amount of artificially produced pollutants, and the use of natural potential of trees can improve the quality of the environment depending on various factors such as the climatic condition of the region and the density and amount of vegetation cover. Conclusions: The most effective ways to reduce health and economic costs include reducing the emission of pollutants from cars and industries, extending urban green space, educating citizens, and organizational planning and cooperation. The findings of this study may have important implications for selecting plant species for vegetation traffic barriers.

Knowledge, attitudes and practices on household solid waste management and associated factors in Gelemso town, Ethiopia.

Improper solid waste management in urban and semi-urban cities of developing countries is the source of environmental pollution and public health concern. This study aimed to assess the households' knowledge, attitudes and practices of solid waste management and associated factors in Gelemso town. A community-based cross-sectional study design was used to assess the households' KAP of SWM in Gelemso town. A systematic random sampling technique was used to recruit 390 households from Gelemso town and data was collected using a structured questionnaire. Data analysis was carried out using SPSS version 22.0 software. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were used to predict the improper SWM practices. From 390 households included in the study, 61.3% of them were females. Generally, most households had correct knowledge and positive attitudes towards SWM but poor practice was observed in the study area. About 96% of the households considered solid waste as a source of environmental pollution and close to 92% of them replied that solid waste can be used for compost preparation. Majority (87.4%) of the households "strongly agreed" about the potential risk associated with improper solid waste disposal and nearly 80% of them also "strongly agreed" that proper SWM is crucial to create a healthy environment in the community. Nearly 80% had practiced improper SWM. Logistic regression analyses indicated that lack of experience in sorting solid waste, ways of removal, knowledge about reduce, reuse and recycle, absence of adequate solid waste landfills, and lack of door-to-door waste collections services were identified as the major contributing factors for the improper SWM practice in Gelemso town. In conclusion, the majority of the households had practiced improper SWM, such as disposing of solid waste in the backyard, along the roadsides, in gully and burned. These malpractices can significantly affect the environment and public health of the residents.

A Comparison of Conventional and Real-time Pollen Counting Methods in Las Vegas, NV

Pollen is a major environmental health concern in Las Vegas, NV, as it causes extensive allergic reactions in the population. Monitoring of outdoor pollen levels and types is essential, but the conventional method of counting pollen manually is time-consuming and labor-intensive, producing only 24-hour data. Pollen Sense (Provo, UT) has developed an automated sensor that relies on artificial intelligence, whereby pollen is collected and counted in real-time. The sensor needs to be evaluated for accuracy for different environments.

Polystyrene nanoplastics target lysosomes interfering with lipid metabolism through the PPAR system and affecting macrophage functionalization

Nanoplastics (NPs) are currently a main concern for environmental, animal and human health due to their potential to accumulate in different environmental compartments and provoke effects in living organisms.

Avaliação de risco ecológico em potencial avaliação de metal tóxico (chumbo) em prados contaminados nas proximidades da cidade suburbana: solo x forragens x gado

Heavy metal toxicity is becoming an increasing concern for environmental, human and animal health. The current research analyzed the lead (Pb) contamination in the food chain under three different irrigation sources (ground, canal, and wastewater). Soil, plant and animal samples were collected from the Jhang district of Pakistan and processed with an atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Lead concentration varied in the samples as: 5.22-10.73 mg/kg in soil, 2.46-10.34 mg/kg in forages and 0.736-2.45 mg/kg in animal samples. The observed lead concentration in forage and animal blood samples was higher than the standard limits. The pollution load index (0.640-1.32) in soil showed that lead contamination mainly took place at the wastewater irrigating sites. Bio-concentration factor values (0.313-1.15) were lower than one in all samples except Zea mays, showing that lead metal was actively taken up by Zea mays tissues from the soil. Enrichment factor values ranged from 0.849-3.12, showing a moderate level of lead enrichment. Daily intake and health risk index varied between 0.004-0.020 mg/kg/day and 0.906-4.99, respectively. All the samples showed maximum lead concentration at the wastewater irrigating site compared to the ground or canal water application sites. These results recommended that consistent application of wastewater for forage irrigation must be avoided to prevent health hazards associated with lead in the animal and human food chain. Government must implement adequate strategies to protect the animal and human health from the harms of toxic heavy metals.