Objectives: To study the association between metals mixture exposure and DNA oxidative damage using mixture analysis methods, and to explore the most significant exposure factors that cause DNA oxidative damage. Methods: Workers from steel enterprises were recruited in Shandong Province. Urinary metals were measured by using the inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry method. The level of urinary 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) was determined by using the ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry method. Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR), elastic net regression and quantile g-computation regression were used to analyze the association between urinary metals and urinary 8-OHdG. Results: A total of 768 subjects aged (36.15±7.40) years old were included in the study. BKMR, elastic net regression and quantile g-computation all revealed an overall positive association between the mixture concentration and increased urinary 8-OHdG. The quantile g-computation results showed that with a 25% increase in metal mixtures, the urinary 8-OHdG level increased by 77.60%. The elastic net regression showed that with a 25% increase in exposure risk score, the urinary 8-OHdG level increased by 26%. The BKMR summarized the contribution of individual exposures to the response, and selenium, zinc, and nickel were significant contributors to the urinary 8-OHdG elevation. Conclusion: Exposure to mixed metals causes elevated levels of DNA oxidative damage, and selenium, zinc, and nickel are significant exposure factors.
Humans ; Adult ; Nickel/toxicity* ; Selenium ; Bayes Theorem ; Metals/toxicity* ; 8-Hydroxy-2'-Deoxyguanosine ; Oxidative Stress/physiology* ; Zinc ; DNA Damage

In this study, the content of five heavy metals(Pb, Cd, As, Hg, and Cu) in 59 batches of Lonicerae Japonicae Flos(LJF) medicinal materials and pieces were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry(ICP-MS). The health risk assessment was processed using the maximum estimated daily intake(EDI), target hazard quotients(THQ), and carcinogenic risks(CR) assessment models. With reference to the limit standard for heavy metal content in LJF specified in 2020 edition of Chinese Pharmacopoeia, five batches produced in Hebei were found to contain excessive Pb, and the remaining 54 batches met the specifications, with the unqualified rate of 8.47%. Comparative analysis of heavy metal content in LJF samples from three different producing areas, namely Shandong, Henan, and Hebei showed that the levels of Pb, As, and Hg in LJF from Hebei were significantly higher than those from Henan and Shandong. The samples produced in Shandong contained the highest content of Cd. The samples from Hebei contained the highest content of Cu while those from Shandong had the lowest content of Cu. As demonstrated by health risk assessment based on the EDI, THQ and CR models, these 59 batches of LJF samples did not cause significant health hazards for the exposed population, and there was no potential non-carcinogenic or carcinogenic risk. In conclusion, a few of LJF samples contained excessive heavy metals, so some measures, including controlling production environment, cultivating management mode, and optimizing processing methods, should be taken for ensuring the medication safety of LJF.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; Environmental Pollution/analysis* ; Mercury/toxicity* ; Metals, Heavy/toxicity* ; Risk Assessment

With the increasing occurrence of haze during the summer, the physicochemical characteristics and toxicity differences in PM_2.5 in different seasons are of great concern. Hangzhou is located in an area that has a subtropical monsoon climate where the humidity is very high during both the summer and winter. However, there are limited studies on the seasonal differences in PM_2.5 in these weather conditions. In this test, PM_2.5 samples were collected in the winter and summer, the morphology and chemical composition of PM_2.5 were analyzed, the toxicity of PM_2.5 to human bronchial cells BEAS-2B was compared, and the correlation between PM_2.5 toxicity and the chemical composition was discussed. The results showed that during both the winter and summer, the main compounds in the PM_2.5 samples were water-soluble ions, particularly SO₄^2-, NO₃^-, and NH₄⁺, followed by organic components, while heavy metals were present at lower levels. The higher the mass concentration of PM_2.5, the greater its impact on cell viability and ROS levels. However, when the mass concentration of PM_2.5 was similar, the water extraction from the summer samples showed a greater impact on BEAS-2B than that from the winter samples. The cytotoxicity of PM_2.5 was closely associated with heavy metals and organic pollutants but less related to water-soluble ions.
Air Pollutants/toxicity* ; Bronchi/metabolism* ; Carbon/chemistry* ; Environmental Monitoring ; Humans ; Ions ; Metals, Heavy ; Organic Chemicals ; Particle Size ; Particulate Matter/toxicity* ; Seasons ; Temperature ; Water

Heavy metal is one of pollutants existed widely in the environment, its relationship with cardiovascular disease has attracted more and more attention. In this review, the concentrations of heavy metals, including lead, cadium and asenic, in the body from several national surveillance networks and the epidemiological studies on the effects of the exposure of three heavy metals on cardiovascular system were summarized. It is suggested to strengthen nationwide surveillance for body concentrations of heavy metals in general population in order to provide baseline data for quantitative evaluation of the risk of heavy metal exposure on cardiovascular disease.
Cadmium ; Cardiovascular Diseases/chemically induced* ; Environmental Exposure/adverse effects* ; Environmental Pollutants/toxicity* ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Humans ; Lead/toxicity* ; Metals, Heavy/toxicity* ; Neoplasms ; Research/trends*

OBJECTIVEMany metals, some of which have been classified as environmental endocrine disruptors, are used extensively in everyday consumer products and are ubiquitous in our living environment. In the present study, we aimed to explore the associations between the prevalence risk of type 2 diabetes and plasma levels of 20 trace elements as well as those of heavy metals in a Han Chinese population.

METHODSWe conducted a case-control study to investigate the associations between plasma concentrations of 20 metals and diabetes in Jiangsu province. A total of 122 newly diagnosed cases of type 2 diabetes and 429 matched controls were recruited from community physical examinations in Suzhou City of Jiangsu Province. Plasma metal levels were measured by inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry.

RESULTSAfter adjusting for confounders, plasma vanadium, chromium, manganese, copper, zinc, arsenic, selenium, strontium, palladium, cadmium, cesium, and barium were associated with diabetes risk (P < 0.05). The adjusted OR increased with increasing concentration of vanadium, manganese, copper, zinc, and cesium.

CONCLUSIONMany metals, including manganese, copper, zinc, arsenic, selenium, and cadmium in plasma, are associated with the morbidity of diabetes. Monitoring of environmental metal levels and further studies are urgently needed.

Aged ; Case-Control Studies ; Diabetes Mellitus ; blood ; etiology ; Environmental Pollutants ; blood ; toxicity ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Metals ; blood ; Middle Aged ; Risk Factors

OBJECTIVEAssessment of the bacterium L. sphaericus as a dual-action candidate for biological control of mosquito-borne diseases and bioremediation of toxic metals.

METHODSLarvae of the mosquito, C. quinquefasciatus, were first evaluated for metal tolerance and then exposed to 5 ppm cadmium, chromium, arsenic, and lead in assays together with seven strains of L. sphaericus. A probit regression analysis was used to estimate the LC(50) of Cd, Cr, As, and Pb to C. quinquefasciatus. An analysis of covariance and multifactorial ANOVA examined the metal biosorption and larvicidal properties of the seven strains of L. sphaericus.

RESULTSWe found that L. sphaericus adsorbed the toxic metal ions and was toxic against mosquito larvae. The L. sphaericus strain III(3)7 resulted in a larvae mortality of over 80% for all the tested metals. This strain also exhibited the capacity to adsorb 76% of arsenic, 32% of lead, 25% of chromium, and 7% of cadmium.

CONCLUSIONThis study found combined metal adsorption and larval toxicity associated with three strains of L. sphaericus [III(3)7, OT4b.31, and CBAM5]. This suggests that a combination of these strains shows strong dual potential for biological control of mosquitos in heavy metal-contaminated areas and remediate the heavy metal contamination as well.

Animals ; Bacillaceae ; physiology ; Culicidae ; microbiology ; Host-Pathogen Interactions ; Insect Vectors ; Larva ; microbiology ; Metals, Heavy ; metabolism ; toxicity ; Water Pollutants, Chemical ; metabolism ; toxicity

As an important part of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), mineral medicine plays an irreplaceable role. However, little has been reported on its species and valence state of heavy metals and deleterious elements, and also the relevance to pharmacological effect and toxicology. The present paper, in a new perspective, summarized the determination of the species and valence state of heavy metals and deleterious elements in recent years, discussed the progress of the pharmacological effect and toxicology, and prospected for future study which might provide reference for mineral medicine.
Animals ; Drug Contamination ; statistics & numerical data ; Drug Therapy ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Metals, Heavy ; analysis ; toxicity ; Minerals ; analysis ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo study the association between metal exposure and risk of diabetes and prediabetes among Chinese workers exposed to metals.

METHODSWe used data obtained from the baseline survey of the Jinchang Cohort Study of workers in Jinchang Industry, the largest nickel production company in China. A total of 42,122 workers ⋝20 years of age were included in the study. A standardized, structured questionnaire was used to collect epidemiological information. Physical examinations and laboratory tests were conducted to evaluate the health status of the participants and to measure various biomarkers including blood sugar, lipids, and urinary metal concentrations. Logistic regression was used to study the association between occupational groups categorized according to the measured metal levels (office workers, low-level; mining/production workers, mid-level; and smelting/refining workers, high-level) and risk of diabetes and prediabetes.

RESULTSThe overall prevalence of diabetes and prediabetes was 7.5% and 16.8%, respectively. The adjusted odds ratios for diabetes among mining/production workers and smelting/refining workers compared to office workers were 1.5 (95% CI: 1.3, 1.7) and 3.8 (95% CI: 3.4, 4.3), respectively. No association was observed between these occupational groups and prediabetes in this study.

CONCLUSIONOccupations associated with higher levels of metal exposure were associated with an increased risk of diabetes in this cohort. More studies are needed to confirm this observed association.

Adult ; China ; epidemiology ; Cohort Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Metals, Heavy ; toxicity ; urine ; Middle Aged ; Occupational Exposure ; adverse effects ; Prediabetic State ; chemically induced ; epidemiology

Lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), and cadmium (Cd) are common heavy metal toxins and cause toxicological renal effects at high levels, but the relevance of low-level environmental exposures in the general population is controversial. A total of 1,797 adults who participated in the KNHANES (a cross-sectional nationally representative survey in Korea) were examined, and 128 of them (7.1%) had chronic kidney disease (CKD). Our study assessed the association between Pb, Hg, Cd exposure, and CKD. Blood Pb and Cd levels were correlated with CKD in univariate logistic regression model. However, these environmental heavy metals were not associated with CKD after adjustment for age, sex, BMI, smoking, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, diabetes, and these metals in multivariate logistic regression models. We stratified the analysis according to hypertension or diabetes. In the adults with hypertension or diabetes, CKD had a significant association with elevated blood Cd after adjustment, but no association was present with blood Pb and Hg. The corresponding odds ratio [OR] of Cd for CKD were 1.52 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.05-2.19, P=0.026) in adults with hypertension and 1.92 (95% CI, 1.14-3.25, P=0.014) in adults with diabetes. Environmental low level of Pb, Hg, Cd exposure in the general population was not associated with CKD. However, Cd exposure was associated with CKD, especially in adults with hypertension or diabetes. This finding suggests that environmental low Cd exposure may be a contributor to the risk of CKD in adults with hypertension or diabetes.
Adult ; Cadmium/blood/*toxicity ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Diabetes Mellitus/chemically induced/epidemiology ; *Environmental Exposure ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension/chemically induced/epidemiology ; Kidney/drug effects/pathology ; Lead/blood/*toxicity ; Male ; Mercury/blood/*toxicity ; Metals, Heavy/*poisoning ; Middle Aged ; Nutrition Surveys ; Poisoning/*epidemiology ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic/*epidemiology ; Republic of Korea ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVEThe effect of waste batteries leaching on the seedling growth and volatile constituents in leaves of Schizonepeta tenuifolia was assayed.

METHODThe different concentrations of waste batteries leaching on the seedling growth were discussed. Volatile compounds were analyzed by solid-phase micro-extraction (SPME) coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS).

RESULTThe results indicated that S. tenuifolia showed resistance to heavy metal polluting, but the high rate of waste batteries leaching had the inhibiting effect to seedlings growth. The waste batteries leaching cause the major volatile constituents in leaves of S. tenuifolia was changed greatly under waste batteries leaching solution stress.

CONCLUSIONHeavy metal leached by waste batteries had great effect on growth of S. tenuifolia, reducing its value for food and medical purposes.

Lamiaceae ; chemistry ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Metals, Heavy ; toxicity ; Plant Leaves ; chemistry ; drug effects ; Seedlings ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Stress, Physiological ; Volatile Organic Compounds ; analysis ; Waste Disposal, Fluid ; Water Pollutants, Chemical ; toxicity