Because most chickens are reared in intensive farms, where a range of feed additives are used routinely, concerns have been raised on the potential public health risk of chicken product consumption. This study was conducted to characterize the contents of trace metals in fresh chicken tissues (354 samples) on the food markets in Guangdong province of southern China, a major region of chicken production with heavy per capita chicken consumption, and to assess the public health risk from chronic dietary exposure to the trace metals through chicken consumption. With the exception of Cr, Ni, and Pb, the contents of trace metals were generally higher in the chicken giblets (livers, gizzards, hearts, and kidneys) compared to muscles (breasts and drumsticks). Chicken tissues from the urban markets generally contained higher levels of As, Cu, Mn, and Zn than those from the rural markets, while the contents of Pb were typically higher in the chicken muscles from the rural markets. Results of statistical analyses indicate that Cu, Zn, and As in the chicken tissues derived mainly from the feeds, which is consistent with the widespread use of Cu, Zn, and phenylarsenic compounds as feed supplements/additives in intensive poultry farming. No non-carcinogenic risk is found with the consumption of fresh chicken meat products on the food markets, while approximately 70% of the adult population in Guangzhou and 30% of those in Lianzhou have bladder and lung cancer risk above the serious or priority level (10⁻⁴), which arises from the inorganic arsenic contained in the chicken tissues. These findings indicate that the occurrence of inorganic arsenic at elevated levels in chicken tissues on the food markets in Guangdong province poses a significant public health risk, thus the use of phenylarsenic feed additives in China's poultry farming should be significantly reduced and eventually phased out.

In this study, we clarified the accumulation and concentration of Cs, Na, and K in each organ (leaves, stem, and panicle) of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) under NaCl application condition. Pot experiments using Wagner pots (1/5000a) were conducted in an experimental field at Nihon University in 2018 and 2019, using quinoa variety CICA-127. The growth of quinoa as well as Cs accumulation and concentration was promoted by increasing the amount of NaCl applied. Quinoa accumulated most of the Cs in the leaves, and it was not translocated from the leaves to panicle after the seed filling stage. Cs accumulation by the aboveground parts under NaCl application was at least four times higher than that in the control. Accumulation of Na in stem was highest among organs. The quinoa plants had the mechanism to accumulate Na in the stem. Quinoa has bladder cells on the leaf surface, and excess Na accumulates in these cells. It is unknown whether bladder cells are present on the surface of the stem. Since Cs and Na inhibited the growth of plants, it is necessary to clarify the suppression method of stunting by Cs and Na. Thus, we believe that quinoa can be used for phytoremediation of Cs. Quinoa varieties with high Cs absorption need to be selected for effective phytoremediation in the future experiment.

The main objectives of our study were to evaluate soil contamination on a zinc-lead spoil heap in the Upper Silesian Industrial Region in southern Poland using pollution indices, and to investigate the relation between soil properties and the natural succession of vegetation. Organic carbon and nitrogen, pH, soil texture, base cations, and heavy metal content were analyzed in soil samples at depths of 0–15 cm below the organic horizon over a regular grid of 14 sampling plots. The contents of Zn, Pb, and Cd exceeded by several times the acceptable thresholds. Measurements of soil enzyme activity were used to evaluate the progress of vegetation development in relation to soil chemical properties. The results indicate that heavy metals had a significant impact on soil enzyme activity and the development of vegetation cover. High contents of Pb and Cd reduced enzyme activity, while this activity increased with increasing amounts of soil organic matter. Further, the accumulative capacities of heavy metals in needles of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and aboveground biomass of bladder campion (Silene vulgaris (Moench) Garcke) were examined. A high accumulation of Zn, Pb, and Cd in the aboveground tissues of S. vulgaris indicated an unusual tolerance of this species to heavy metals and the possibility of using this species in phytoremediation of post-industrial sites.

The global distribution of microplastic (particle size < 5 mm) is of growing concern, especially in aquatic environments where it may cause adverse effects on resident organisms. To date, however, few studies have focused on the impacts of microplastic on aquatic plants. Here, we conducted a microcosm study to investigate the toxic effects of microplastic on the carnivorous aquatic macrophyte Utricularia aurea Lour. Based on microscopic images and Raman spectrum analysis, we found that most polyvinyl chloride (PVC) particles were smaller than the valve of U. aurea bladders, thus allowing entrance into the plant, but this was not so for polyethylene (PE) particles. Furthermore, PVC (50 mg L⁻¹) had significantly negative effects on growth and physiological parameters such as macrophyte length, chlorophyll content, and fluorescence, whereas, at the same concentration, PE had no such effects. Further analysis revealed that after bladder removal, the macrophytes did not respond to PVC particle toxicity. Thus, intake of microplastics (i.e., PVC) through bladders is likely responsible for inducing toxic effects to the growth and physiological parameters of U. aurea.

Bladder cancer is a significant disease, the rates of which have increased over the few last years. However, its etiology remains as yet undefined. Cadmium, a widespread environmental carcinogen that has received considerable interest, presents evidence as a possible cause of bladder cancer. A literature review was conducted from the years 1984–2013 to study the accumulated evidence for cadmium as a possible cause of bladder cancer, including routes of cadmium exposure, accumulation, toxicity, carcinogenicity, and evidence from epidemiological and experimental studies. Special reference is devoted to cadmium nephrotoxicity, which illustrates how cadmium exerts its effects on the transitional epithelium of the urinary tract. Mechanisms of carcinogenesis are discussed. The effects of cadmium on gene expression in urothelial cells exposed to cadmium are also addressed. Despite different methodologies, several epidemiologic and nephrotoxicity studies of cadmium indicate that occupational exposure to cadmium is associated with increased risk of bladder cancer and provide additional evidence that cadmium is a potential toxic element in urothelial cells. In vitro studies provide further evidence that cadmium is involved in urothelial carcinogenesis. Animal studies encounter several problems such as morphology differences between species. Among the complex mechanisms of cadmium carcinogenesis, gene expression deregulation is the subject of recent studies on bladder cadmium-induced carcinogenesis. Further research, however, will be required to promise a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying cadmium carcinogenesis and to establish the precise role of cadmium in this important malignancy.

Prior investigations identified an association between low-level blood arsenic (As) and bladder cancer risk among Tunisian men but questions remain regarding confounding by cadmium (Cd), a well-established bladder carcinogen. A case-control study of Tunisian men was re-examined to assess the levels of cadmium in blood and reparse the association between the simultaneous exposure to these metals and bladder cancer risk. Levels of blood Cd were significantly twice higher among cases than in controls (P < 0.05) and were positively correlated with smoking and age. Additionally, analysis of metal levels among non-smokers according to the region of residence showed very high blood Cd and As levels for the coastal regions of Sfax and central Tunisia. After controlling for potential confounders, for low blood As levels (<0.67 μg/L), the OR for blood Cd was 4.10 (95 % CI 1.64-10.81), while for higher levels (>0.67 μg/L), it was reduced to 2.10 (CI, 1.06-4.17). Adjustment for Cd exposure did not alter the risk associated to As exposure. This study is the first to report the relationship between Cd exposure and risk of bladder cancer occurrence in interaction with smoking and As exposure. Smoking is shown to be the main exposure source to Cd in the Tunisian population but also environmental pollution seems to be responsible of Cd exposure among non-smokers. Exposure assessment studies encompassing a wider population are needed.

Beef and poultry as well as cattle and chicken livers are staple food items for Brazilian population, and previous studies had detected arsenic levels in these foods. This study aims to evaluate the risk of exposure to total and inorganic arsenic by meat intake in three age groups from Brazil (11–16, 16–21, and > 21 years). Our hypotheses are (i) that there is differences in the risk of exposure between age groups and (ii) the older individuals (> 21 years) are under higher risk. To test these hypotheses, we calculated the probabilistic estimated daily intake of total As (TAsᴱᴰᴵ) from poultry, beef, cattle liver, and chicken liver, and the probabilistic estimated incremental lifetime skin, bladder, and lung cancer risk (ILCR) associated with inorganic As ingestion from poultry only. TAsᴱᴰᴵ and ILCR from poultry differed among groups which confirm the first hypothesis. However, TAsᴱᴰᴵ and ILCR results cannot support the second hypothesis. Even though the age groups are under a low risk of exposure to As by meat intake, the results indicate that bladder/lung cancer risk (from poultry intake) slightly exceeds the safe limits in the older population.

Based on acute cytotoxicity studies, selenosulfate (SeSO₃ ⁻) has been suggested to possess a generally higher toxic activity in tumor cells than selenite. The reason for this difference in cytotoxic activity remained unclear. In the present study, cytotoxicity tests with human hepatoma (HepG2), malignant melanoma (A375), and urinary bladder carcinoma cells (T24) showed that the selenosulfate toxicity was very similar between all three tested cell lines (IC₅₀ 6.6–7.1 μM after 24 h). It was largely independent of exposure time and presence or absence of amino acids. What changed, however, was the toxicity of selenite, which was lower than that of selenosulfate only for HepG2 cells (IC₅₀ > 15 μM), but similar to and higher than that of selenosulfate for A375 (IC₅₀ 4.7 μM) and T24 cells (IC₅₀ 3.5 μM), respectively. Addition of amino acids to T24 cell growth medium downregulated short-term selenite uptake (1.5 versus 12.9 ng Se/10⁶ cells) and decreased its cytotoxicity (IC₅₀ 8.4 μM), rendering it less toxic than selenosulfate. The suggested mechanism is a stronger expression of the xc ⁻ transport system in the more sensitive T24 compared to HepG2 cells which creates a reductive extracellular microenvironment and facilitates selenite uptake by reduction. Selenosulfate is already reduced and so less affected. The cytotoxic activity of selenosulfate and selenite to tumor cells therefore depends on the sensitivity of each cell line, supplements like amino acids as well as the reductive state of the extracellular environment.

Purpose As one component of the German ecological environment observation, the Environmental Specimen Bank program was initiated in the mid-1980s. Under the program, representative specimens of marine, fresh water, and terrestrial ecosystems are sampled regularly and archived under chemically stable conditions. An initial characterization of the samples provides data regarding the status quo of the respective ecosystems. The aim of the present publication is to give insight into these real-time monitoring data, which have been generated for the last 10 to 20 years. This is done exemplarily for the heavy metals cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), and lead (Pb) in marine specimens of the Baltic and the North Sea. Methods Bladder wrack (Fucus vesiculosus), blue mussel (Mytilus edulis), eelpout (Zoarces viviparus), and eggs of herring gulls (Larus argentatus) were sampled at one location in the Baltic Sea and at two sites in the North Sea (Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea and Lower Saxony Wadden Sea). Annual samples were pooled, homogenized, and analyzed for a set of elements. Cd and Pb were quantified after freeze-drying and microwave digestion using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. Total Hg in freeze-dried samples was determined by atomic absorption spectrometry using a direct mercury analyzer. Results Time series data covering up to two decades revealed comparable cadmium levels at all three locations. Concentrations in bladder wrack ranged between 0.10 and 0.37 µg/g on a wet weight basis (ww). Respective values for blue mussel and eelpout liver were 0.07-0.29 and 0.01-0.10 µg/g ww. Herring gull eggs were not included in cadmium analyses. Declining trends were observed in North Sea bladder wrack and mussels, eelpout from the Lower Saxony site, and mussels from the Baltic Sea. Upward trends were apparent in eelpout from the Schleswig-Holstein location. Mercury concentrations in Baltic Sea specimens ranged from 1.1-2.7 ng/g ww in bladder wrack to 2.6-5.1, 26-52, and 86-226 ng/g ww in blue mussel, eelpout muscle, and herring gull eggs, respectively. No temporal trends were observed. North Sea bladder wrack had accumulated 5.4-24 ng/g ww Hg. The respective Hg values for blue mussel and eelpout muscle were 19-64 and 73-187 ng/g ww. Highest Hg contents were detected in herring gull eggs (90-1,100 ng/g ww). Declining trends of Hg were observed in herring gull eggs at both North Sea locations and in blue mussels at the Lower Saxony site. Lead concentrations in Baltic Sea specimens were 48-222 ng/g ww in bladder wrack, 85-189 ng/g ww in blue mussel, 2.0-9.5 and 10-42 ng/g ww in eelpout muscle and liver, and 2.7-26 ng/g ww in herring gull eggs. In the North Sea, Pb concentrations were as follows: 68-397 ng/g ww in bladder wrack, 101-507 ng/g ww in blue mussels, 2.6-35 and 5.9-158 ng/g ww in eelpout muscle and liver, and 3.5-55 ng/g ww in herring gull eggs. Highest Pb-levels were found at the Lower Saxony site. Declining Pb-trends were observed in bladder wrack from the Baltic Sea; in bladder wrack and mussel at the Schleswig-Holstein location; and in bladder wrack, mussels, eelpout liver, and herring gull eggs at the Lower Saxony site. Conclusions During the 10 to 20 years of monitoring, reliable data were obtained which allow a good insight into metal contamination of marine biota. Assessment of the data according to OSPAR criteria (OSPAR 2005) revealed cadmium levels above the derived background concentrations in mussels of all three sites. Mercury levels above background concentrations were found at both North Sea locations, whereas only mussels at the Lower Saxony site had Pb concentrations above the reference value. Archived specimens are available for further analyses and questions which may arise in the future (speciation of elements, metallomics).

To evaluate Cu and Zn levels in bladder cancer (BC) patients and their relationship with expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1). Plasma levels of Cu and Zn were determined in 66 transitional bladder cell carcinoma patients (BC group) and 60 matched controls. The concentration of Cu and Zn as well as the expressions of both VEGF and HIF-1 were also estimated in cancerous and non-cancerous bladder tissues in the BC group. The results showed that plasma Cu and Cu/Zn ratio were significantly higher in BC group when compared with the control group. In contrast, the plasma Zn in BC group was significantly lower than in the controls. Comparing levels of Cu and Zn in cancerous and non-cancerous bladder tissues among the BC group indicated a significantly higher Cu levels in the cancerous tissues, while Zn levels was significantly lower. There were higher expressions of both VEGF and HIF-1 in the cancerous samples. Moreover, the Cu concentration in cancerous tissues was significantly correlated with expressions of VEGF and HIF-1. Logistic regression analysis revealed that the increase in plasma Cu/Zn ratio and plasma Cu and the decrease in plasma Zn may be risk factors for development of bladder cancer. We concluded that alteration of plasma and bladder tissue levels of both Cu and Zn is correlated with pathogenesis of bladder cancer. The increase in Cu level in cancerous tissues of BC group has an important role in angiogenesis in bladder cancer cells.