Emission of hazardous trace elements (HTEs) from energy production is receiving much attention due to concerns about the toxicity to the ecosystem and human health. This study presented new field measurement data on the HTEs partitioning behavior and size-segregated elemental compositions of gaseous particular matter (PM) generated from a commercial circulating fluidized bed (CFB) power plant. Mineralogical and morphological characteristics of combustion ash and PM2.5 (particle diameter less than 2.5 μm) were determined by X-ray diffractometer (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDS). Functional groups alteration during CFB combustion was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The presence of aliphatic hydrogen at 2910 cm−1 and 2847 cm−1 in the PM2.5 suggested that the aliphatic carbon-rich volatiles were absorbed on the fine particles with large surface area. Fine fly ash (PM2.5) occurred as irregular glass particles or/and as unburned carbon. The typical irregular particles were mainly composed of Al-Si-Ca or Al-Si-Fe phases. The enrichment behavior of HTEs was determined for the airborne size-segregated particular matter. Elemental occurrences, combustion temperature, unburnt carbon, and limestone additives during CFB combustion were critical in the transformation behavior of HTEs. The total potentially mobile pollutants that exit the CFB power plant every year were estimated as follows: 0.22 tons of Cr, 0.12 tons of Co, 0.73 tons of Ni, 0.04 tons of As, 0.07 tons of Se, 3.95 kg of Cd, and 3.34 kg of Sb.

Metal concentrations (As, Cd, Pb, Cr, Ba, Co, Ni, Cu, and Zn) in conventional and organic produce were assessed, specifically, five most-consumed vegetables from the US including potato, lettuce, tomato, carrot and onion. They were from four representative supermarkets in a college town in Florida. All vegetables contained detectable metals, while As, Cd, Pb, Cr, and Ba are toxic metals, Co, Ni, Cu, and Zn are nutrients for humans. The mean concentrations of As, Cd, Pb, Cr and Ba in five vegetables were 7.86, 9.17, 12.1, 44.8 and 410 μg/kg for organic produce, slightly lower than conventional produce at 7.29, 15.3, 17.9, 46.3 and 423 μg/kg. The mean concentrations of Co, Ni, Cu, and Zn in five vegetables were 3.86, 58.5, 632, and 2528 μg/kg for organic produce, comparable to conventional produce at 5.94, 68.2, 577, and 2354 μg/kg. For toxic metals, the order followed tomato < lettuce < onion < carrot < potato, with root vegetables being the highest. All metals in vegetables were lower than the allowable concentrations by FAO/WHO. Health risks associated with vegetable consumption based on daily intake and non-carcinogenic risk based on hazard quotient were lower than allowable limits. For the five most-consumed vegetables in the US, metal contents in conventional produce were slightly greater than organic produce, especially for Cd and Pb.

Ambient particulate matter (PM) epidemiologically exacerbates respiratory and immune health, including allergic rhinitis (AR) and bronchial asthma (BA). Although fine and coarse particles can affect respiratory tract, the differences in their effects on the upper and lower respiratory tract and immune system, their underlying mechanism, and the components responsible for the adverse health effects have not been yet completely elucidated. In this study, ambient fine and coarse particles were collected at three different locations in Japan by cyclone technique. Both particles collected at all locations decreased the viability of nasal epithelial cells and antigen presenting cells (APCs), increased the production of IL-6, IL-8, and IL-1β from bronchial epithelial cells and APCs, and induced expression of dendritic and epithelial cell (DEC) 205 on APCs. Differences in inflammatory responses, but not in cytotoxicity, were shown between both particles, and among three locations. Some components such as Ti, Co, Zn, Pb, As, OC (organic carbon) and EC (elemental carbon) showed significant correlations to inflammatory responses or cytotoxicity. These results suggest that ambient fine and coarse particles differently affect nasal and bronchial epithelial cells and immune response, which may depend on particles size diameter, chemical composition and source related particles types.

Ants accumulate heavy metals and respond to pollution with modification in species composition, community structure, altered behaviour and immunity. However, the levels of heavy metals in ants’ nests and explicit individual-level responses towards heavy metals have not been revealed. We found that red wood ants Formica lugubris accumulate high and correlated values of such heavy metals as Al, Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb and Zn both in ants and nest material near cobalt smelter in Finland. Relative differences in metal concentrations were higher in nests than in ants. The highest values were obtained for elements such as Co (36.6), Zn (14.9), Cd (9.7), Pb (8.5), Cu (7.4), Ni (6.4), As (4.7), Cr (2.9) and Fe (2.4) in nest material, and Co (32.7), Cd (6.3), Pb (6), Fe (2.8), Ni (2.9) and Zn (2.1) in ants. In industrial and reference areas, ants have no differences in size, but differed in dry and residual body mass. In polluted areas, F. lugubris had less melanised heads, but not thoraxes. The sensitivity of cuticular colouration in red wood ants subjected to heavy metal pollution might be related to metal-binding properties of melanins. The overall results are useful for the improvement of biomonitoring techniques using ants as indicators of industrial contamination and for further discovery of novel ecotoxicological biomarkers.

Coal combustion and passive smoking are two important contributors to indoor air pollution (IAP) in rural areas of northern China. Although the association between outdoor air pollutants and hypertension risk had been widely reported, fewer studies have examined the relationship between IAP and hypertension risk. This study evaluated the association between IAP and hypertension risk in housewives in rural areas of northern China and the potential mediation pathway of metal elements. Our cross-sectional study, conducted in Shanxi Province, China, enrolled 367 subjects without taking anti-hypertensive drugs, including 142 subjects with hypertension (case group) and 225 subjects without hypertension (control group). We collected information on energy use characteristics and lifestyle using questionnaires. An IAP exposure index was developed to indicate the population exposure to coal combustion and passive smoking. Scalp hair samples were collected from the housewives and various trace and major metal elements were measured. Our results revealed that the IAP index was positively correlated with systolic and diastolic blood pressure. A significant association between the IAP index and hypertension risk was found both without [odds ratio (95% confidence interval, CI) = 2.08 (1.30–3.31)] and with [OR (95% CI) = 2.52 (1.46–4.36)] adjustment for confounders. We also observed that the IAP index was positively correlated with the arsenic, lead, and rare earth element levels in hair samples, and negatively correlated with the levels of some other trace elements (i.e., chromium, cobalt, nickel, and tin) and alkaline earth elements (i.e., calcium, magnesium, and barium) with an overall p value of <0.01. We concluded that IAP may contribute to the development of hypertension in rural housewives in northern China, possibly by interfering with the uptake of metal elements.

There is increasing evidence linking levels of trace elements (TEs) in adipose tissue with certain chronic conditions (e.g., diabetes or obesity). The objectives of this study were to assess concentrations of a selection of nine essential and possibly-essential TEs in adipose tissue samples from an adult cohort and to explore their socio-demographic, dietary, and lifestyle determinants. Adipose tissue samples were intraoperatively collected from 226 volunteers recruited in two public hospitals from Granada province. Trace elements (Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Se, V, and Zn) were analyzed in adipose tissue by high-resolution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (HR-ICP-MS). Data were collected on socio-demographic characteristics, lifestyle, diet, and health status by face-to-face interview. Predictors of TE concentrations were assessed by using multivariable linear and logistic regression. All TEs were detected in all samples with the exception of Se (53.50%). Iron, zinc, and copper showed the highest concentrations (42.60 mg/kg, 9.80 mg/kg, and 0.68 mg/kg, respectively). Diet was the main predictor of Cr, Fe, Mo, and Se concentrations. Body mass index was negatively associated with all TEs (β coefficients = −0.018 to −0.593, p = 0.001–0.090) except for Mn and V. Age showed a borderline-significant positive correlation with Cu (β = 0.004, p = 0.089). Residence in a rural or semi-rural area was associated with increased Co, Cr, Fe, Mo, Mn, V and Zn concentrations and with β coefficients ranging from 0.196 to 0.544 (p < 0.05). Furthermore, individuals with higher educational level showed increased Cr, Co, Fe and V concentrations (β coefficients = 0.276–0.368, p = 0.022–0.071). This is the first report on the distribution of these TEs in adipose tissue and on their determinants in a human cohort and might serve as an initial step in the elucidation of their clinical relevance.

Aerosol samples (as PM₁₀, n = 250) were collected from three rural/remote receptor locations in the mid Brahmaputra plain region and were chemically characterized for metals (Al, Fe, Co, Cu, Cr, Cd, Mn, Ni, Pb), ions (Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Na⁺, K⁺, NH₄⁺, F⁻, Cl⁻, NO₃⁻, SO₄²⁻), and carbon. Vital ratios like NO₃⁻/SO₄²⁻, EC/OC, K⁺/EC, K⁺/OC, enrichment factors and inter-species correlations were exploited to appreciate possible sources of aerosol. These empirical analyses pointed towards anthropogenic contributions of aerosol, particularly from biomass burning, vehicular emission, and road dust. The chemically characterized concentration data were subsequently fed into two receptor models viz. Principal Component Analysis-Multiple Linear Regression (PCA-MLR) and Chemical Mass Balance (CMB) for apportionment of sources of aerosol. The PCA-MLR estimates identified that the combustion sources together accounted for ∼42% of aerosol and the contribution of secondary formation to be 24%. Road and crustal dusts have been well apportioned by PCA-MLR, which together accounts for ∼26% of the aerosol. The CMB model estimates explained that the combustion sources taken together contributed ∼47% to the aerosol, which includes biomass burning (27%), vehicular emission (13%), coal (1%), kerosene (4%), and petroleum refining (2%). Other major sources that were apportioned were road dust (15%), crustal dust (26%), and construction dust (6%). There are inherent limitations in the source strength estimations because of uncertainty present in the source emission profiles that have been applied to the remote location of India. However, both the models (PCA-MLR and CMB) estimated the contribution of combustion sources to 42 and 47% respectively, which is comparable.

The goal of this study was to evaluate the adverse effects of wastewater effluents on freshwater crucian carp, Carassius auratus, inhabiting Sincheon stream using the integrated biomarker response (IBR) at the genotoxic (micronucleus [MN] test), oxidative stress (activity of catalase [CAT] and glutathione S-transferase [GST], and level of lipid peroxidation [LPO]), histopathological (degree of tissue changes [DTC]), and physiological (condition factor [CF] and liver somatic index [LSI]) levels. The CF and LSI were significantly (p < 0.05) enhanced in fish from downstream sites (DS1 and DS2) as compared to that of upstream (US) fish samples. Moreover, a significant increase in morphometric indices (DTC) was observed in C. auratus collected from downstream sites (p < 0.05) and histopathological responses showed the degree of pathogenicity in the order of liver > kidney > gills. The activities of CAT, GST, and LPO in fish from the DS1 and DS2 sites were notably increased in gills, liver, and kidney compared to that of fish from the US site. Additionally, the MN test level in C. auratus from the DS1 and DS2 were significantly increased (p < 0.05) when compared with that of the US site. Considering the higher bioaccumulation of Cd, Co, Cr, Mn, Ni, and Pb in gills, liver, and kidney of C. auratus collected from downstream sites compared to that of the upstream site (p < 0.05), the observed toxicity was likely attributable to metal accumulation. The multi-level IBR index was higher at the DS1 site (15.08) than at the DS2 (1.02) and the reference US (0.00) sites. Therefore, these findings demonstrated that wastewater effluent discharge induces significant DNA damage, oxidative stress, and tissue injuries in C. auratus and suggested that the multi-level IBR approach should be used to quantify these effects on fish in streams and rivers.

The anthropogenic contamination of water bodies with metals via fertilizer, industrial sewage and urban wastewater has resulted in widespread problems in aquatic organisms, but also poses a risk to consumer health. Shellfish from coastal and estuarine environments bioaccumulate toxic metals in their tissues due to their ability to concentrate inorganic contaminants several orders of magnitude above ambient levels. The aim of this study was to evaluate the presence of trace elements in adult specimens of indigenous clams (Ruditapes decussatus). To this end, wild clams were collected from four different brackish areas of Sardinia (Western Mediterranean Sea, Italy) devoted to extensive aquacultural practices. The concentration of 16 trace elements (Al, Ag, As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Se, Sn, Tl and Zn) in the tissues of the clams was quantified. The legal limits set by European Regulations for cadmium; mercury and lead were never exceeded. However, unexpectedly high values for aluminium and iron (mean 207 mg kg⁻¹ and 113 mg kg⁻¹ wet weight) were found in Santa Gilla lagoon, which is close to industrial settlements and had the highest values for the majority of chemical elements investigated. The highest values of the metalloid arsenic (As) were reported in the Porto Pozzo and San Teodoro lagoons (9.6 and 6.8 mg kg⁻¹ w.w., respectively). The clam R. decussatus confirmed the capacity of bivalves as suitable bioindicators of trace elements pollution. Further investigations are necessary for constant monitoring of clams, 32 which constitute an important traditional resource for the fishing activity in Sardinia.

Atmospheric particulates play a vital role in the transport of potentially toxic metals, being an important exposure pathways of people to toxic elements, which is faster and can occur in a much larger scale than water, soil and biota transport. Windblown materials in abandoned tailing ponds have not been well examined. The objectives of this investigation were: to study the major physical and geochemical properties of the materials eroded by wind inside the tailing ponds, and to understand the relative contribution of different sources to its heavy metals concentration. Study area is located in Cartagena-La Union mining district (SE Spain), where metallic mining of Fe, Pb and Zn has been developed for more than 2500 years. Wind-eroded particulates were monthly collected at 3 different heights (20, 50, and 80 cm) from the ground for a period of a full year using 4 dust collectors. Four tailing samples and 4 surface soil samples from the surrounding hills were also taken. Dust, soil, and tailing samples were examined for pH, particle size distribution, electrical conductivity, calcium carbonate content, Pb, Cu, Zn, Cd, Mn, Co, Ni, Ti and Zr concentrations. The results indicated that very coarse textured, slightly saline, and almost neutral wind-eroded deposits were generated with a very high temporal variability throughout the year. They also showed that the concentration of Cd, Mn, Pb and Zn, in the dust samples is extraordinarily high (18, 1254, 1831, and 5747 mg kg−1 respectively), whereas Co, Ni, and Cu had concentrations into the range of background concentrations found in the Earth's crust (3.8, 12, and 60 mg kg−1 respectively). Besides, the concentration of both categories of heavy metals in the dust samples was higher than that in tailing and less than that of the soils. The barren surfaces of tailing ponds and also the surface soils of the surrounding area seem to be the major contributors to the dust collected. Therefore, abandoned mines as well as their tailing ponds should be rehabilitated by proper technologies and then well stabilized and/or covered by appropriate plant vegetation to control the transfer, particularly by air, of environmentally hazardous materials to other areas.