青海省地下水质量评价及健康风险分析

以青海省为例,采用Fuzzy-Grey模式对该地地下水水质进行评价,结果表明,格尔木市水质较好为II类水,西宁市和海东地区均为III类水,水质的优劣次序为格尔木市>西宁市>海东地区,该结果与标准推荐模式评价结果相同,证实了该方法的可行性;同时,运用美国环保署推荐健康风险评价模型,对该地地下水健康风险进行了评价和分析,结果显示,该地区个人年均总风险均超过人体可接受风险水平,其中格尔木市的总风险最大达到了1.99×10^-4a^-1约为ICRP推荐标准的4倍,西宁市、海东地区分别约为2倍和4倍,总风险的大小顺序为格尔木市>西宁市>海东地区,其中对总风险主要贡献是六价铬的致癌风险。通过地下水水质评价和健康风险分析为当地地下水开采利用和风险管理提供科学依据。     

蒙陕大型煤矿开采区水质化学特征与健康风险

以蒙陕大型煤矿开采区地下水为研究对象,采用水质分析仪、离子色谱、原子荧光分析仪(AFS)、等离子质谱(ICP-MS)等分析仪器和方法对地下水样品的理化性质、水体主要阴阳离子和As、Hg、Cr、Cu、Cd、Pb、Zn、Ni等22种水体参数进行了测定,并运用模糊综合评价法和化学致癌物的健康风险评价模型对水质进行了评价。结果表明,蒙陕大型煤矿开采区地下深水(300 m)均属于一级水质,水质良好,危险金属污染并不明显。其主要阳离子含量总体呈现出Mg2+Na+Ca2+K+的特征,主要阴离子的含量总体呈现出SO42-Cl-NO3-F-的特征,主要的水质类型为SO4·Cl-Na型和重碳酸盐型。虽然大多危险金属对成人和儿童的致癌和非致癌风险均在可接受范围内,但危险元素Cr和As,无论成人还是儿童,其健康风险值均高于其他元素,说明Cr和As比其他元素更容易引起成人和儿童的健康风险,相比之下,危险金属Cr对儿童的致癌风险最大,而As对成人致癌风险较大。从各危险金属总体健康风险数值来看,危险元素引起成人和儿童总健康风险不容忽视,儿童总健康风险大于成人,尤其是在哈拉沟煤矿、王渠沟煤矿和瓜地湾露天煤矿区地下水危险金属总健康风险已经超过ICRP推荐的最大可接受风险值5.0×10-5a-1,应该引起高度重视。     

珠海市中小型水库水质综合评价

通过对珠海市20个中小型水库取水口的水样主要指标监测,运用水质指数法对其水质状况进行了分析及评价。结果表明:珠海市中小型水库水质状况良好,监测的20个中小型水库中,15个水库达到地表水二类水质标准,5个达到地表水三类水质标准;主要污染物为总氮,有三个样品的铁含量超过地表水标准限值,超过《生活饮用水卫生标准》限值,二个样品的硫化物超过《生活饮用水卫生标准》限值;作为饮用水需作进一步的处理。     

桶装纯净水中三种有害元素对人体的健康风险评价

本文根据2001～2004年对桶装纯净水的监测结果,将健康风险评价的方法应用于纯净水的卫生质量评价中,根据相应的数学模型分别计算了桶装纯净水中化学致癌物As和非致癌污染物Pb、Cu通过饮用途径对人体健康的年风险。桶装纯净水中的3种有害元素由饮水途径对人体所致的健康危害程度依次是As>Pb>Cu。其中As是主要的污染,占个人年风险的99.98%。而在非致癌污染物中,Pb又是主要污染,占非致癌污染物个人年风险的82.9%。     

砷的生物转化与代谢机制研究进展

砷广泛分布于自然界中,与人类的活动与健康息息相关.一方面,砷中毒与砷污染事件在全球范围内的频发,严重威胁人类的健康.目前的研究发现自然界中的抗砷微生物直接参与了砷的地球化学循环,在砷的生物转化以及在砷污染的生物治理中起到重要的作用.另一方面,砷作为毒物的同时亦是一种有效的中西药制剂,在治疗血液系统、恶性淋巴系统疾病及癌症中具有明显的疗效,因此砷在人体的转化过程与机制研究有待深入的探讨.有鉴于此,对砷在自然界和人体中的转化形式以及抗砷微生物的抗砷机制进行了阐述,并对砷的微生物转化在环境与医学中的应用进行了展望.     

天津城市公园灰尘重金属污染健康风险评价

分析了天津市中心城区41个代表性公园灰尘样品的重金属含量,借助健康风险评价模型,对天津市公园灰尘重金属的污染状况进行了健康风险评价。结果表明,天津市公园灰尘在不同程度上受到了重金属Cu、Pb、Cr、Cd和Ni的污染,其中,重金属Cu、Pb、Cr、Cd和Ni的含量平均值分别为113.18、63.32、103.18、1.14和40.58 mg·kg-1,均高于天津市土壤重金属元素的背景值。健康风险评价模型计算表明,人体经手-口接触行为直接摄入是公园灰尘暴露风险的主要途径,重金属日平均暴露剂量依次为手-口直接摄食剂量皮肤吸收剂量呼吸道吸入剂量。本研究的5种重金属元素对人体造成的慢性非致癌风险值依次表现为:CrPbCuNiCd,对人体不会造成危害,儿童的非致癌风险大于成人。致癌重金属的致癌风险依次为NiCrCd,均低于癌症风险阈值,尚未形成致癌风险。     

红海湾海产品体内重金属水平及人体暴露风险评估

分析了广东红海湾 13 种海产品肌肉组织中 8 种重金属铬(Cr)、钴(Co)、镍(Ni)、铜 (Cu)、锌(Zn)、砷(As)、镉(Cd)和铅(Pb)的浓度水平, 并利用单因子污染指数法(Pn)评价其污染状况。利用美国环保署提出的人体健康风险评价模式进行人体重金属暴露风险评估, 同时利用金属污染指数(XMPI)研究生物体的重金属富集效应。结果显示: 红海湾生物总体污染水平较低 , Cr 在软体类生物中属于轻度污染; Ni 在甲壳类生物中属于轻度污染; Cu 和 Zn 在鱼类中属于轻度污染; Cr 在鱼类和甲壳类中都属于中度污染。口虾蛄 Oratosquilla oratoria 对 Cd、 Cu、 Zn 存在潜在的严重积累作用 , 且As 含量超过了食用的参考剂量, 需引起重视。人体暴露风险评估表明 , 食用红海湾海产品 (口虾蛄除外 )对人体潜在的健康风险相对较低 , 建议食用海产品量控制在 25 g·d−1 以内。     

南水北调中线总干渠水中重金属含量及风险评价

于2018年5月—2020年6月对南水北调中线总干渠11个采样点表层水中18种重金属的浓度进行周期性采样监测, 并分别利用USEPA推荐的健康风险评价模型和物种敏感性分布(SSD)法评估常见重金属的人体健康风险水平和水生态风险水平。化学分析结果显示, 18种重金属均被普遍检出, 平均浓度大小排序为: Fe>Sr>Ba>Zn>Ti>Ni>Mn>Cu>V>Cr>As>U>Rb>Se>Pb>Bi>Co>Cd, 均未超出《地表水环境质量标准》(GB 3838—2002)Ⅰ类水标准和《生活饮用水卫生标准》(GB 5749—2006)限值。健康风险评价结果显示, 南水北调中线总干渠表层水中8种常见重金属(Cr、Cd、As、Cu、Pb、Zn、Ni、Mn)对儿童和成人的总健康风险值处于10–8级别。基于构建的8种常见重金属(As、Ni、Pb、Cr、Zn、Se、Cd、Cu)的SSD曲线, 计算重金属对本土淡水生物5%危害浓度(HC5)和潜在影响比例(PAF), 结果显示, 南水北调中线总干渠水中目标重金属对全体水生生物种群的影响比例小于5%, 但Cu和Zn分别可对8.54%和16.77%的藻类种群造成影响, Cr可对6.44%的甲壳类种群造成影响。上述结果表明, 南水北调中线总干渠水中重金属的当前含量不高, 不会对人体造成潜在健康风险; 以保护95%的生物物种为标准, 个别重金属对总干渠中藻类、甲壳类种群可能具有一定潜在风险, 尚有待进一步关注。     

不同渗氧能力水稻品种对砷的耐性和积累

水稻是目前世界上(尤其是东南亚)最主要的粮食作物之一,也是砷(As)通过食物链进入人体的主要途径。日益加剧的土壤砷污染,严重影响了稻米的产量和品质,进而威胁着人体健康。通过温室实验,研究CNT 87059-3、玉香油占和巴西陆稻3种不同渗氧能力的水稻品种在不同砷浓度处理下的生长情况和砷积累特征,结果表明:(1)渗氧能力强的玉香油占砷耐性指数最高,砷处理浓度为2 mg/L时耐性指数高达0.71,而CNT 87059-3的耐性指数为0.55,巴西陆稻仅有0.17;(2)随着砷处理浓度的升高,3种水稻品种的生物量呈现下降趋势,但渗氧能力强的玉香油占较其它两品种生物量的下降幅度小;(3)在不同砷浓度处理下水稻地下部分的砷含量有显著性差异(P0.001),且同种砷浓度处理下不同水稻品种的地下部分砷含量也存在显著性差异(P0.01),渗氧能力较强的水稻品种与渗氧能力较弱的品种相比能显著降低砷在根部(地下部分)的积累。水稻渗氧能力与其砷耐性和砷积累有显著相关性,渗氧能力越强,水稻的砷耐性越强,砷的积累量越少。因此,通过筛选渗氧能力强的水稻品种,有望降低污染农田水稻的砷含量和健康风险。     

砷在植物体内的吸收和代谢机制研究进展

砷污染在全世界尤其是东南亚地区已成为一个严峻的环境问题,严重威胁着农业生产、生态环境及人体健康。植物是砷流入人体最主要的途径之一。揭示植物对砷吸收、转运和储存及阐明植物调控砷超积累和迁移的分子机制,对开发植物修复技术并有效控制砷向食物链迁移意义重大。该文综述了目前植物砷吸收与代谢机制的研究进展,并对植物体内参与砷运输过程的转运蛋白进行了重点阐述。     

Drinking water quality and human health risk evaluations in rural and urban areas of Ibeju-Lekki and Epe local government areas,Lagos, Nigeria

Abstract

This study evaluated the drinking water quality and associated human health risks in three (3) rural and urban areas each in Ibeju-Lekki and Epe local government areas of Lagos, Nigeria. Two hundred structured questionnaires were administered to stakeholders, and samples were obtained from prevailing drinking water sources in the study areas using standard methods for microbiological, physicochemical, heavy metals and human health risk evaluations. Wells and boreholes were the major sources of drinking water in the rural and urban areas, respectively. Drinking water samples from the study areas contained more than one pathogenic bacterium. The physicochemical parameters except total organic carbon (TOC) were within permissible limits of the Nigerian Standard for Drinking Water Quality (NSDWQ). The mean values of Cd and As exceeded the maximum permissible limit of NSDWQ. The hazard quotient of cadmium and arsenic was greater than 1 indicating potential health risks if the water is not treated. In order to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goal 6 on clean water and sanitation by the next decade (2030), we recommend that frequent monitoring, treatment and stakeholders education on drinking water treatment techniques should be actively conducted particularly in rural areas in the state, country, region and continent.     

Non-carcinogenic risk assessment to human health due to intake of fluoride in the groundwater in rural areas of Gonabad and Bajestan,Iran: A case study

In this study, a field research regarding groundwater contamination with fluoride and its related health risks to human health was carried out in 39 rural areas of Gonabad and Bajestan, Iran, in 2017. The results indicated that fluoride levels in two rural areas exceeded the WHO guideline. A total of 55% and 4.7% of the studied rural areas in Gonabad and Bajestan, respectively, had fluoride levels below the minimum recommended value of WHO for fluoride (0.5 mg/L). In this article, chronic non-cancer risks to three different groups of people, adults, children, and infants, for exposure to the fluoride were assessed. Health risk index values for fluoride contamination for 44% and 90% of children and infants in rural areas of Gonabad and Bajestan, respectively, were more than unity (>1), which clearly reveals that these age groups at the studied areas are at the chronic health risk due to the intake of fluoride-containing water. The order of fluoride contribution to non-carcinogenic health risk among the studied age groups was infants > children > adults. Therefore, from a public health viewpoint, it would be prudent and important that risk reduction measures be implemented to diminish the total body burden of fluoride in residents.     

Effects of individual and combined exposure to sodium arsenite and sodium fluoride on tissue oxidative stress, arsenic and fluoride levels in male mice

Arsenic and fluoride are potent toxicants, widely distributed through drinking water and food and often result in adverse health effects. The present study examined the effects of sodium meta-arsenite (100 mg/l in drinking water) and sodium fluoride (5 mg/kg, oral, once daily), administered either alone or in combination for 8 weeks, on various biochemical variables indicative of tissue oxidative stress and cell injury in Swiss albino male mice. A separate group was first exposed to arsenic for 4 weeks followed by 4 weeks of fluoride exposure. Exposure to arsenic or fluoride led to a significant depletion of blood delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALAD) activity and glutathione (GSH) level. These changes were accompanied by increased level of blood and tissues reactive oxygen species (ROS) level. An increase in the level of liver and kidney thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) along with a concomitant decrease in the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and reduced GSH content were observed in both arsenic and fluoride administered mice. The changes were significantly more pronounced in arsenic exposed animals than in fluoride. It was interesting to observe that during combined exposure the toxic effects were less pronounced compared to the effects of arsenic or fluoride alone. In some cases antagonistic effects were noted following co-exposure to arsenic and fluoride. Arsenic and fluoride concentration increased significantly on exposure. Interestingly, their concentration decreased significantly on concomitant exposure for 8 weeks. However, the group which was administered arsenic for 4 weeks followed by 4 weeks of fluoride administration showed no such protection suggesting that the antagonistic effect of fluoride on arsenic or vice versa is possible only during interaction at the gastro intestinal sites. These results are new and interesting and require further exploration.     

Noncancer risk assessment of arsenic safe and unsafe water uses: Bayesian estimation on cohort study

Cancer and noncancer risk of arsenic exposure depends on arsenic intake through drinking water and diets. The present study evaluated the probability of noncancer effects of arsenic exposure from drinking water and diets in a cohort of 82 participants in arsenic-endemic rural areas, considering arsenic-safe and arsenic-unsafe water uses for three consecutive years. The risk assessment included the collection of last 24 hours' diet replica and urine of the participants followed by total arsenic analysis of the same. Toxic dose emerging from exposure duration is a nonlinear variable. So, Bayesian estimation of the data for noncancer risk assessment of the variable arsenic consumption was performed. In spite of using arsenic-safe water, we observed arsenic consumption and release. Participants with skin lesions had more arsenic in urine than participants without skin lesions. Future risk for participants without skin lesions was twice due to less arsenic release in urine. For the first time, Bayesian simulation was used to assess noncancer risk on a cohort for a consecutive three-year study. A significant finding was the higher assessed noncancer risk of the participants without skin lesions than the participants with skin lesions.     

High Concentration of Fluoride Can Be Increased Risk of Abortion

The presence of fluoride in drinking water can be either beneficial or harmful for human health, depending on its concentration. Most adverse effects of fluoride are observed at high concentrations (above 1.5 mg/L). This study was aimed to evaluate the effect of fluoride concentrations in drinking water on spontaneous abortion in two regions: one with low fluoride concentration and another with high fluoride concentration. The results showed that there is a relationship between the concentration of fluoride in drinking water and abortion, so that the risk of abortion increased at high concentrations of fluoride. However, further studies are needed to clarify this relationship due to the small area and population in this study.     

Spatial distribution and seasonal variation in fluoride enrichment in groundwater and its associated human health risk assessment in Telangana State,South India

Groundwater is a vital source of drinking water in Siddipet rural and urban regions of Central Telangana, South India and it is a major cause of fluoride toxicity in humans. The intake of elevated fluoride has a significant impact on human health, especially immediate problems that are seen in children's teeth. The primary aim of the study was to identify the seasonal variation in fluoride concentration and associated health risks in the residents of the study region. To assess the fluoride contamination in groundwater, a total of 158 samples were analyzed in two seasons. The mean concentrations of fluoride 1.26 mg/L and 2.21 mg/L were 1.46 and 2.8 times higher than the acceptable limit of 1.5 mg/L, before and after monsoon respectively. To estimate the human health risks due to the ingestion of elevated fluoride through drinking water, hazard quotient fluoride (HQ_Fluoride) was calculated using the United States Environmental Protection Agency method. HQ_Fluoride values were 0.44–2.44 and 0.89–4.67 for children, 0.36–2.00 and 0.73–3.82 for females, and 0.41–2.26 and 0.82–4.31 for males in pre- and post-monsoon seasons respectively, suggesting emphatically greater risk than the acceptable limits (HQ_Fluoride > 1), which generates health risks.     

Health risk assessment of fluoride in water distribution network of Mashhad,Iran

High and low levels of fluoride in drinking waters have been considered as a major public health issue in recent years. This cross-sectional study was conducted over five consecutive years (from 2012 to 2016) in the water distribution network of Mashhad city, Iran with the objectives of determining levels of fluoride and to perform health risk assessment among residents in the study area. Water samples were taken from 30 stations and were analyzed using UV-visible spectrophotometer. The mean annual concentrations of fluoride in all stations during five years of consecutive study were lower than the respective maximum permissible limits (1.5 mg/L) in water as regulated by the WHO. The human health risk assessment was performed by calculating the chronic daily intake and hazard quotient (HQ) of fluoride through human oral intake for adults (men and women) and children for each year during a five-year study. Health risk analysis in this study presented that the non-carcinogenic risk associated with fluoride exposure through drinking water in Mashhad was mostly acceptable because the mean HQ values of fluoride were lower than 1.     

Health-risk assessment related to the fluoride,nitrate, and nitrite in the drinking water in the Sanandaj,Kurdistan County,Iran

The concentration of fluoride and nitrate in groundwater is usually higher than that of surface water. The main objective of this study was to estimate the health-risk assessment associated with fluoride, nitrate, and nitrite in drinking water in Sanandaj and its villages. The number of samples in the Sanandaj and its rural was 106. The average concentration of fluoride in urban and rural drinking water was 0.22 mg/l and 0.27 mg/l, respectively. Fluoride concentration was also close to urban and rural drinking water. The concentration of nitrate in urban and rural drinking water was in the range between 0.28–27.77 mg/l and 1.28–80 mg/l, respectively. The concentration of nitrate reported in rural samples was higher than that of urban samples. The maximum concentration of nitrate reported in this study was 80 mg/l. The mean CDI for nitrate in the men, women, and children was 0.4258, 0.5110, and 1.1454, respectively. The findings of this study indicated that all three groups studied were exposed to nitrate contact hazards (HQ > 1). Therefore, the HQ in each of the three groups was higher than 1, which should be carefully monitored and necessary measures should be performed.     

Serum levels of the extracellular domain of the epidermal growth factor receptor in individuals exposed to arsenic in drinking water in Bangladesh

Epidermal growth factor receptor-dependent mechanisms have been implicated in growth signal transduction pathways that contribute to cancer development, including dermal carcinogenesis. Detection of the extracellular domain of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR ECD) in serum has been suggested as a potential biomarker for monitoring this effect in vivo. Arsenic is a known human carcinogen, producing skin and other malignancies in populations exposed through their drinking water. One such exposed population, which we have been studying for a number of years, is in Bangladesh. The purpose of this study was to examine the EGFR ECD as a potential biomarker of arsenic exposure and/or effect in this population. Levels of the EGFR ECD were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in the serum samples from 574 individuals with a range of arsenic exposures from drinking water in the Araihazar area of Bangladesh. In multiple regression analysis, serum EGFR ECD was found to be positively associated with three different measures of arsenic exposure (well water arsenic, urinary arsenic and a cumulative arsenic index) at statistically significant levels (p≤0.034), and this association was strongest among the individuals with arsenic-induced skin lesions (p ≤ 0.002). When the study subjects were stratified in tertiles of serum EGFR ECD levels, the risk of skin lesions increased progressively for each increase in all three arsenic measures (also stratified in tertiles) and this increasing risk became more pronounced among subjects within the highest tertile of EGFR ECD levels. These results suggest that serum EGFR ECD levels may be a potential biomarker of effect of arsenic exposure and may indicate those exposed individuals at greatest risk for the development of arsenic-induced skin lesions.     

A Dietary Risk Assessment for Indigenous Consumption of Natural Salt Deposits in the Darhad Valley,Northern Mongolia

The nomadic herding population of the Darhad Valley, in northern Mongolia, collects and utilizes a salt precipitate, called hujir, which develops at the saline system, Tohi. This culturally important indigenous dietary supplement is consumed daily as an ingredient in a salty milk-tea and because of its essential micro- and macronutrients it is a beneficial and necessary part of their daily diet. Despite its benefits, there are increasing health concerns among the Darhad people as a result of consuming hujir. Therefore, we conducted a dietary risk assessment. Consumption rates were obtained from interviews with nomadic herders of the valley and a chronic exposure assessment was completed using chemical analyses on hujir samples. A combination of chronic toxicity threshold values, dietary reference intake recommendations, and drinking water guidelines were used to estimate dietary risks related to hujir consumption. Exposures to arsenic, fluoride, and nitrate were as high as 33, 1.2, and 1.3 times the chronic oral reference dose, respectively. Exposures to antimony, arsenic, and lead were 1.7, 19, and 14 times the drinking water guidelines, respectively. Given these results, additional studies are needed to better understand possible health effects associated with hujir consumption in the Darhad population, especially for arsenic.