Cadmium, copper and zinc in tissues of deceased copper smelter workers

Workers at a copper and lead smelter in northern Sweden have a multifactorial exposure to a number of heavy metals. The concentrations of cadmium, copper and zinc in liver, lung, kidney and brain tissues have been determined by atomic absorption spectrometry in 32 deceased long-term exposed male lead smelter workers, and compared with those of 10 male controls. Furthermore, copper and zinc levels in hair and nails were determined by energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence.

The highest cadmium concentrations among both workers and controls were observed in kidney, followed in order by liver, lung and brain. The levels in kidney, liver and lung were all significantly higher in the workers than in the controls (p < 0.03). Among the workers relatively strong positive correlations (p < 0.03) were observed between cadmium concentrations in liver and lung, liver and kidney, liver and brain, and lung and brain. In the exposed workers a positive correlation was observed between cadmium and zinc concentrations in the kidney (r_s = 0.38; p = 0.034). This is probably mainly due to the protein metallothionein, which is stored in the kidney, binding equimolar amounts of these two metals.

The highest concentrations of copper were found in hair and nails among both workers and controls, followed in order by liver, brain, kidney and lung. The tissue concentrations of copper in brain, lung and kidney were all significantly higher among the smelter workers than in the controls (p ≤ 0.036). Copper levels in lung and age at time of death were positively correlated among the exposed workers (r_s = 0.39; p = 0.029). In the same group, positive correlations between copper and zinc concentrations in kidney (r_s = 0.45; p = 0.009) and nails (r_s = 0.68; p < 0.001) were also observed, reflecting possible biological interactions between these two metals.

Among both workers and controls, the highest zinc concentrations were found in hair, followed in order by nails, liver, kidney, brain and lung. Significantly higher tissue concentrations among the workers as compared with the reference group were noted in kidney, liver and brain (p ≤ 0.033).

Neither copper nor zinc concentrations in hair and nails seemed to provide a useful measure of the trace element status of the smelter workers.     

Characterization of iron- and sulphide mineral-oxidizing moderately thermophilic acidophilic bacteria from an Indonesian auto-heating copper mine waste heap and a deep South African gold mine

Iron- and chalcopyrite-oxidizing enrichment cultures were obtained at 50°C from acidic, high-temperature, copper/gold mine environments in Indonesia and South Africa. Over 90% copper yield was obtained from chalcopyrite concentrate with the Indonesian enrichment in 3 months with 2% solids concentration, when pH was maintained at around 2. Neither addition of silver cations nor an enhanced nutrient concentration influenced chalcopyrite leaching. Excision and sequencing of bands from denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis of the amplified partial 16S rRNA gene showed that the enrichment cultures from different environments in South Africa and Indonesia were very simple, and similar. Chalcopyrite concentrate supported a simpler and different community than Fe²⁺. The members of the enrichment cultures were closely related to Sulfobacillus yellowstonensis and Sulfobacillus acidophilus.     

典型固体废物中冶金微生物及其浸出机理研究进展

典型固体废物(废电器、废电池、污泥、焚烧飞灰、废催化剂等)含有大量金属资源，回收再利用的价值极高。微生物浸出典型固体废物受多因素影响。对不同微生物浸出金属的菌种筛选、浸出规律和机理的掌握，有助于典型固体废物中金属资源的绿色高效回收，可为我国“双碳”目标作出贡献。本文综述了从典型固体废物中浸出金属的各类微生物，分析了冶金微生物的作用机制，并展望了微生物冶金的应用前景，以期为微生物冶金技术在典型固体废物中的高效应用提供理论参考。     

Synthesis of new chelating surfactants from octyl d-glucopyranosiduronic acid and amino acids for metal flotation

A new family of surfactants with metal-chelating properties was synthesized in few steps from octyl d-glucopyranosiduronic acid. The complexing function was either a carboxylic acid or a hydroxamic acid function introduced after coupling with glycine, aspartic acid, or glutamic acid and finally hydroxylamine. Interfacial properties were determined. Flotation experiments on a laboratory scale have been performed with Fe(III) solutions as model contaminant metal.     

Interhemispheric transport of viable fungi and bacteria from Africa to the Caribbean with soil dust

Daily aerosol samples collected in trade winds at Barbados, West Indies, throughout 1996–1997 yielded significant concentrations of viable (culture-forming) bacteria and fungi only when African dust was present. Air masses from the North Atlantic, North America, and Europe yielded no cultivable organisms. The strong association of cultivable organisms with African dust suggests various factors that might be relevant to viability. Although we did not specifically look for pathogens, these same mechanisms could protect them as well. Our results suggest that arid regions could be an important source for the long-range transport of viable microorganisms. The transport of microorganisms to Barbados follows a clear meteorological and seasonal pattern, which suggests that it should be possible to model the transport process and to predict events. Microorganism and dust concentrations were unusually great in 1997, possibly in response to the strong El Niño. This suggests that the long-range transport of microorganisms might be particularly responsive to climate variability in general.     

Isolation of keratinophilic fungi from floor dust in Arab elementary and preparatory schools in the West Bank of Jordan

Floor dust collected from classrooms of thirty three elementary schools (16 for girls, and 17 for boys) (children aged 6–11), and twenty four preparatory schools (13 for girls, and 11 for boys) (children aged 12–14) was studied for the occurrence of keratinophilic fungi with respect to human presence and age of children. Tichophyton mentagrophytes was present in 15.4% of the preparatory schools for girls, in 12.5% of elementary schools for girls, and in 11.8% of elementary schools for boys. It was not found in preparatory schools for boys. Microsporum gypseum was found in preparatory schools for girls only (7.7%). Trichophyton terrestre was also only isolated from elementary schools for boys (5.9%). Chrysosporium species were present in 30.3% of all elementary schools (10 schools/33), and in 20.8% of all preparatory schools (5 schools/24). Geotrichum candidum was the most frequent and predominant keratinophilic species in all schools. Pathogenic and potentially pathogenic keratinophilic fungi comprised a large proportion of all fungal isolates recovered from all schools ; they comprised 87.2 %–89.5 % of all fungal isolates in the elementary schools, and 90.4%–93.5% of all fungal isolates in preparatory schools.     

Guideline for the collection and preparation of non-transfusion autologous platelet concentrate or platelet-rich plasma from patients in hospitals

Non-transfusion autologous platelet concentrate (PC), also known as platelet-rich plasma (PRP), has become a widely used blood-based product in the field of sports medicine, rehabilitation medicine, and clinical medicine. Currently, autologous PC or PRP operation procedures (personnel qualification, equipment, methods, environment and tracking, protocols, preparations, techniques and product quality control) lack unified specifications and standards, which lead to inconsistencies in the quality of PC or PRP products made by medical institutions, affecting treatment efficiency. In blood collection and supply organizations, the collection of blood components has a series of standard operating procedures (SOP) and quality assurance which can be referenced by medical institutions to standardize the preparation and usage of patient autologous PC or PRP products. According to Technical Standards for Preparation of Platelet Concentrate for Blood Stations, we compiled this guideline for medical staff to prepare high quality and reliable PC or PRP products in order to promote the standardization of PC or PRP in clinical application.     

Effects of silage from maize crops differing in maturity at harvest,grass silage feed value and concentrate feed level on performance of finishing lambs

The effects of (i) medium and high feed value (MFV and HFV) maize silages and (ii) MFV and HFV grass silages, each in combination with a range of concentrate feed levels, on the performance of finishing lambs were evaluated using 280 Suffolk-X lambs (initial live weight 36.1 kg). The MFV and HFV maize silages represented crops with dry matter (DM) concentrations of 185 and 250 g/kg, respectively, at harvest, and had starch and metabolisable energy (ME) concentrations of 33 and 277 g/kg DM and 9.6 and 11.0 MJ/kg, respectively. HFV and MFV grass silages had DM and ME concentrations of 216 and 294 g/kg and 11.0 and 11.5 MJ/kg DM, respectively. A total of 13 treatments were involved. The four silages were offered ad libitum with daily concentrate supplements of 0.2, 0.5 or 0.8 kg per lamb. A final treatment consisted of concentrate offered ad libitum with 0.5 kg of the HFV grass silage daily. Increasing the feed value of grass silage increased (P < 0.001) forage intake, daily carcass and live weight gains, final live weight and carcass weight. Increasing maize silage feed value tended to increase (P = 0.07) daily carcass gain. Increasing concentrate feed level increased total food and ME intakes, and live weight and carcass gains. There was a significant interaction between silage feed value and the response to concentrate feed level. Relative to the HFV grass silage, the positive linear response to increasing concentrate feed level was greater with lambs offered the MFV grass silage for daily live weight gain (P < 0.001), daily carcass gain (P < 0.01) and final carcass weight (P < 0.01). Relative to the HFV maize silage, there was a greater response to increasing concentrate feed level from lambs offered the MFV maize silage in terms of daily carcass gain (P < 0.05) and daily live weight gain (P = 0.06). Forage type had no significant effect on the response to increased concentrate feed level. Relative to the MFV grass silage supplemented with 0.2 kg concentrate, the potential concentrate-sparing effect of the HFV grass silage, and the MFV and HFV maize silages was 0.41, 0.09 and 0.25 kg daily per lamb, respectively. It is concluded that increasing forage feed value increased forage intake and animal performance, and maize silage can replace MFV grass silage in the diet of finishing lambs as performance was equal to or better (depending on maturity of maize at harvest) than that for MFV grass silage.     

Distribution,pollution levels,toxicity, and health risk assessment of metals in surface dust from Bhiwadi industrial area in North India

Abstract

To understand distribution, toxicity, and health risk assessment of Cu, Ni, Cr, Pb, Zn, Fe, and Mn, 33 surface dust samples were collected during June 2015 from Bhiwadi Industrial Area (BIA) in north India. Average metal concentrations exceeded their corresponding values in upper continental crust depending upon metal(s) and sampling site(s). Industrial emissions resulted in high contamination factors and high pollution load index for metals. The BIA falls under least to moderately for Mn, unpolluted to heavily and extremely for Ni and Cu, Pb, and Zn and moderately to extremely polluted region for Cr. Inter-metal correlations and PCA indicated common and mixed sources for metals such Ni–Cr electroplating and alloys, battery recycling, stainless-steel, electrical wires, galvanizing, vehicular emissions, and wear and tear of vehicle parts. Non-carcinogenic health risk due to metals in surface dust was high in children compared to adults and major pathways were ingestion followed by dermal and inhalation. Surface dust in BIA falls under hazardous category as metals leached in toxicity characteristics leaching procedure and waste extraction test exceeded their prescribed regulatory limits. Leaching of metals can cause contamination of surface water, groundwater, and soils in surrounding areas, and can pose risk to human health and ecology.     

Assessments of contamination and human health risks of heavy metals in the road dust from a mining county in Guangxi,China

A total of 32 road dust samples were collected from mining areas and a control area in Nandan County, Guangxi, in order to investigate the contamination characteristics of heavy metals and associated health risks to local residents. The results indicated that elevated concentrations of As, Cd, Cu, Pb, Sb, and Zn were found in road dust in mining areas compared with control areas and background values. Pearson's correlation analysis and principal component analysis indicated that As, Cd, Cu, Pb, Sb, and Zn in road dust mainly originated from anthropogenic sources (e.g., vehicles emission, mining activities, and smelting activities), whereas Cr, Co, and Ni were associated with natural sources (e.g., soil weathering). Furthermore, noncarcinogenic hazards to both adults and children were found in mining areas, while noncarcinogenic health risks in the control area were negligible. The health hazard was mostly ascribed to the ingestion, followed by the dermal contact, and the inhalation. The cancer risks from As, Cd, Co, Cr, and Ni in all studied areas were within safe levels as the R values were below the threshold of 1 × 10^?6.     

Distribution,sources, and health risk assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in dust from urban environment in the Niger Delta,Nigeria

The concentrations of the 16 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were measured in urban street dust with a view to understanding the potential risk to urban residents exposed to street dust, sources, and distribution of the PAHs. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry was used to measure the concentrations of the PAHs after ultra-sonication with hexane/dichloromethane and clean up. The total concentrations of the ?16 PAHs in the urban street dust from Warri and its environs ranged from 165.1 to 1012 µg kg^?1. The isomeric ratios and the PCA indicated that combustion of petroleum and biomass are the major sources of PAHs in Warri and its environs. The total BaP carcinogenic and mutagenic potency concentrations (?BaP_TEQ and ?BaP_MEQ) were in the range of 0.03 to 219 µg kg^?1 and 0.52 to 182 µg kg^?1, respectively. The incremental life cancer risk from exposure of the residents of Warri and its environs ranged from 4.07 × 10^?7 to 3.11 × 10^?3 and 2.13 × 10^?7 to 1.49 × 10^?3 for the children and adults, respectively, which were higher than the baseline value of acceptable risk of 10^?6 (i.e., one case per million people).     

The structural flexibility of the human copper chaperone Atox1: Insights from combined pulsed EPR studies and computations

Metallochaperones are responsible for shuttling metal ions to target proteins. Thus, a metallochaperone's structure must be sufficiently flexible both to hold onto its ion while traversing the cytoplasm and to transfer the ion to or from a partner protein. Here, we sought to shed light on the structure of Atox1, a metallochaperone involved in the human copper regulation system. Atox1 shuttles copper ions from the main copper transporter, Ctr1, to the ATP7b transporter in the Golgi apparatus. Conventional biophysical tools such as X‐ray or NMR cannot always target the various conformational states of metallochaperones, owing to a requirement for crystallography or low sensitivity and resolution. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy has recently emerged as a powerful tool for resolving biological reactions and mechanisms in solution. When coupled with computational methods, EPR with site‐directed spin labeling and nanoscale distance measurements can provide structural information on a protein or protein complex in solution. We use these methods to show that Atox1 can accommodate at least four different conformations in the apo state (unbound to copper), and two different conformations in the holo state (bound to copper). We also demonstrate that the structure of Atox1 in the holo form is more compact than in the apo form. Our data provide insight regarding the structural mechanisms through which Atox1 can fulfill its dual role of copper binding and transfer.