Article
Environmental Sciences
Claudia Galeano-Paez, Pedro Espitia-Perez, Luisa Jimenez-Vidal, Karina Pastor-Sierra, Shirley Salcedo-Arteaga, Luz Stella Hoyos-Giraldo, Adriana Gioda, Tatiana Dillenburg Saint'Pierre, Solange Cristina Garcia, Hugo Brango, Lyda Espitia-Perez
Summary: The study found that residents of La Mojana region showed significant increase in cytogenetic damage and total Hg levels in hair, which were related to high fish consumption. High fish consumption and T-Hg contents were also correlated with necrotic and apoptotic cell frequencies. Additionally, exposure to Hg induced genetic instability and increased micronuclei frequencies in individuals who consumed certain fish species with carnivorous habits.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Xiaoming Zhou, Yijun Feng, Zonglin Gong
Summary: This study found associations between blood levels of heavy metal elements cadmium, lead, mercury, urinary total arsenic, dimethylarsinic acid and elevation of ALT in adults. The associations between blood lead and mercury with ALT elevation were only observed in women.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2022)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Jose G. Dorea
Summary: This review comprehensively examines the impacts of informal metal extraction activities on early life exposure to neurotoxicants and neurodevelopment, highlighting mercury and lead as major neurotoxicants affecting children, with SubSaharan African countries showing the highest levels of contamination. Child labor is widely employed in unregulated metal processing activities, leading to additional occupational exposures.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Lauretta Ovadje, Benedict NL. Calys-Tagoe, Edith Clarke, Niladri Basu
Summary: The study found differences in mercury exposures and neuropsychological test results between miners from registered and unregistered ASGM sites, despite similar socio-demographic characteristics. The research provides evidence for stakeholders and parties of the Minamata Convention to consider various response options.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jeffrey K. Wickliffe, Maureen Y. Lichtveld, C. Wilco Zijlmans, Sigrid MacDonald-Ottevanger, Martin Shafer, Christa Dahman, Emily W. Harville, Stacy Drury, Gwendolyn Landburg, Paul Ouboter
Summary: Previous research in Suriname has found high concentrations of mercury in hair of women and children in rural interior communities, as well as in freshwater fish. Pregnant women from interior communities have significantly higher concentrations of total and methylmercury in hair compared to those from urban coastal cities. Mercury exposures in pregnant women in Suriname are largely influenced by diet and fish consumption, with methylmercury making up the majority of total mercury in both blood and hair.
JOURNAL OF EXPOSURE SCIENCE AND ENVIRONMENTAL EPIDEMIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Lorena Diaz de Leon-Martinez, Manolo Ortega-Romero, Arturo Gavilan-Garcia, Olivier C. Barbier, Leticia Carrizalez-Yanez, Evelyn Van-Brusel, Fernando Diaz-Barriga, Rogelio Flores-Ramirez
Summary: This study evaluated the association between artisanal Hg mining workers' exposure to a complex mixture of pollutants such as mercury, lead, arsenic, PAHs, and toluene, and kidney damage, identifying potential biomarkers of kidney damage.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Elias C. Nyanza, Francois P. Bernier, Jonathan W. Martin, Mange Manyama, Jennifer Hatfield, Deborah Dewey
Summary: The study found that prenatal exposure to mercury in women in areas with ASGM activities may lead to neurodevelopmental issues in infants, particularly language impairment. Co-exposure to high concentrations of mercury and lead, or mercury and arsenic, seemed to have negative potentiated effects on infants' neurodevelopment.
ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Feixue Li, Xuan Lin, Jing Liu
Summary: This study evaluated the temporal variability of neonicotinoid biomarkers in urine samples over one year in Chinese young adults, and found that most neonicotinoid biomarkers had poor reproducibility in spot urine samples. At least 2-4 spot urine samples are recommended for assessing one-year neonicotinoid exposure.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Andrea Santa-Rios, Benjamin D. Barst, Lesly Tejeda-Benitez, Yuber Palacios-Torres, Jill Baumgartner, Niladri Basu
Summary: The artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) sector is the largest user of mercury worldwide, leading to health concerns. A high-quality method was developed to assess mercury exposure in ASGM communities in Colombia using dried blood spots (DBS). The study found that speciating mercury in blood sampled from ASGM sites is necessary for understanding the sources of exposure.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Guiping Hu, Changmao Long, Lihua Hu, Yali Zhang, Shiyi Hong, Qiaojian Zhang, Pai Zheng, Zekang Su, Jiayu Xu, Li Wang, Xiaoying Gao, Xiaojun Zhu, Fang Yuan, Tiancheng Wang, Shanfa Yu, Guang Jia
Summary: This study aimed to explore the associations between hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) and immune response and genetic damage, and found that blood Cr level had dose-dependent relationships with urinary 8-OHdG and micronucleus frequency (MNF), while negatively associated with C-reactive protein (CRP) and first component of complement q (C1q). The study also found that CRP and C1q played a mediating role in the genetic damage caused by Cr(VI) exposure.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Buyun Du, Ping Li, Xinbin Feng, Runsheng Yin, Jun Zhou, Laurence Maurice
Summary: Recent studies in Guiyang, China, have shown that rice consumption is the major pathway for human methylmercury exposure, especially for school children. Hair and urine mercury concentrations showed slight seasonal variations, with higher values during the cold season. Students had significantly higher urine mercury concentrations compared to adults due to unique physiological factors, highlighting the need for more attention to children as a susceptible population.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Barbara De Santis, Francesca Debegnach, Piero Toscano, Alfonso Crisci, Paola Battilani, Carlo Brera
Summary: This study revealed the exposure scenario to mycotoxins of adult population throughout Europe, with a concern for public health about AFM1, FBs, T2/HT2, and NIV. OTA and DON were prevalent in Northern countries, while ZEN was higher in Southern countries.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Tatenda Dalu, Timothy Dube, Farai Dondofema, Ross N. Cuthbert
Summary: This study aimed to evaluate the contamination effects of illegal gold mining activities on freshwater Potamonautid crabs and quantify mercury levels in river sites. The results showed that illegal mining was prevalent, with mercury detected in most sites. Furthermore, the study revealed that illegal mining had a serious impact on crab abundance and habitat quality. Therefore, action is needed to address illegal mining in developing countries and protect biodiversity.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Janet Pinero, Pablo S. Rodriguez Fraga, Jordi Valls-Margarit, Francesco Ronzano, Pablo Accuosto, Ricard Lambea Jane, Ferran Sanz, Laura I. Furlong
Summary: The use of molecular biomarkers in disease diagnosis, monitoring, and drug treatment has increased significantly in recent decades. However, information on the biomarkers being used and their relevance is not readily accessible, posing challenges in finding and analyzing them. We propose a text mining strategy to identify and classify proteomic and genomic biomarkers used in clinical trials. Analysis of the data reveals patterns of use across therapeutic areas over time. This data is made available through the Clinical Biomarker App, a valuable and timely resource for biomarker discovery and development.
COMPUTATIONAL AND STRUCTURAL BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Laura Ruiz-Azcona, Bohdana Markiv, Andrea Exposito, Ana Pozueta, Maria Garcia-Martinez, Ignacio Fernandez-Olmo, Miguel Santibanez
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the manganese exposure of residents near a ferromanganese alloy plant in northern Spain, and determine its association with poorer cognitive function. The results showed that higher manganese exposure was associated with lower cognitive test scores in various tests and biomarker analyses.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Melody L. Kessler, Jennica E. Kelm, Hannah E. Starr, Emma N. Cook, Joshua D. Miller, Nelson A. Rivera, Heileen Hsu-Kim, Jillian L. Dempsey
Summary: This study reports three separate ligand-based reaction mechanisms between oleate-capped PbS nanocrystals and undec-10-ene-1-thiol (UDT), and reveals how these three pathways are intertwined. Experimental evidence shows different reaction pathways occur depending on the quantity of UDT added, including Z-type displacement, L-type binding, and X-type exchange mechanisms.
CHEMISTRY OF MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Natalia Neal-Walthall, Udonna Ndu, Nelson A. Rivera, Dwayne A. Elias, Heileen Hsu-Kim
Summary: This study explored the use of DGT passive samplers to quantify the methylmercury (MeHg) bioaccumulation potential and inorganic mercury (IHg) methylation potential in freshwater wetlands. The results showed that the vertical distribution of bioavailable MeHg is important for macrofauna food sources, and DGT samplers can predict IHg methylation and MeHg bioaccumulation potentials without explicitly determining IHg and MeHg speciation.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Danielle F. Mello, Laura L. Maurer, Ian T. Ryde, Dong Hoon Songr, Stella M. Marinakos, Chuanjia Jiang, Mark R. Wiesner, Heileen Hsu-Kim, Joel N. Meyer
Summary: Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are widely used in consumer products and biomedical applications. However, their toxicity mechanisms are still not well understood. This study used Caenorhabditis elegans as a model organism and found that AgNPs indirectly promote mitochondrial dysfunction, leading to adverse outcomes at the organismal level. It also revealed the role of gene-environment interactions in the susceptibility to AgNPs.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jacqueline R. Gerson, Natalie Szponar, Angelica Almeyda Zambrano, Bridget Bergquist, Eben Broadbent, Charles T. Driscoll, Gideon Erkenswick, David C. Evers, Luis E. Fernandez, Heileen Hsu-Kim, Giancarlo Inga, Kelsey N. Lansdale, Melissa J. Marchese, Ari Martinez, Caroline Moore, William K. Pan, Raul Perez Purizaca, Victor Sanchez, Miles Silman, Emily A. Ury, Claudia Vega, Mrinalini Watsa, Emily S. Bernhardt
Summary: The Peruvian Amazon is facing the highest known input of mercury pollution in any ecosystem globally, especially the forests near artisanal gold mining. Artisanal and small-scale gold mining is the largest global source of mercury, surpassing coal combustion. This study found that intact forests in the Peruvian Amazon near gold mining intercept large amounts of mercury, resulting in elevated mercury levels in the atmosphere, canopy foliage, and soils. Significant mercury accumulation was also observed in soils, biomass, and resident songbirds in protected and biodiverse areas, raising concerns about the impact of mercury pollution on conservation efforts in tropical ecosystems.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Stacy M. Pettigrew, William K. Pan, James Harrington, Axel Berky, Elvis Rojas, Beth J. Feingold
Summary: This study assessed the exposure to arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury among adults in the Amazon region of Madre de Dios, Peru. It found that individuals in artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) areas had higher levels of arsenic and cadmium, and higher household fish consumption was associated with higher levels of mercury and lead.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2022)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Gabrielle Bonnet, Francesco Pizzitutti, Eloy A. A. Gonzales-Gustavson, Sarah Gabriel, William K. K. Pan, Hector H. H. Garcia, Javier A. A. Bustos, Percy Vilchez, Seth E. E. O'Neal
Summary: This paper presents CystiHuman, the first model of human neurocysticercosis, a parasitic disease that is responsible for a large proportion of epilepsy cases in developing countries and also contributes to intracranial hypertension, hydrocephalus, and death. The model suggests that short-term interventions that successfully reduce parasite transmission to a small fraction of its original level, but are followed by a rapid recuperation in transmission levels, will likely fail to produce a substantial reduction in neurocysticercosis prevalence.
PLOS COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Francesco Pizzitutti, Gabrielle Bonnet, Eloy Gonzales-Gustavson, Sarah Gabriel, William K. Pan, Ian W. Pray, Armando E. Gonzalez, Hector H. Garcia, Seth E. O'Neal
Summary: The paper presents a new agent-based model and calibration approach for the transmission of pork tapeworm. The calibrated model accurately reproduces observed prevalences and can be transferred within an endemic region. This finding expands the potential applications of the model and informs future control interventions.
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
James C. Hower, John G. Groppo, Shelley D. Hopps, Tonya D. Morgan, Heileen Hsu-Kim, Ross K. Taggart
Summary: This study selected four different suites of fly ash to investigate the distribution of rare earth elements (REE). The results showed that the Fire Clay coal-derived fly ashes had a different REE distribution compared to the other fly ashes, with higher concentrations of REE and a relative dominance of heavy REE. Furthermore, the overall amount and distribution of REE underwent systematic changes during the process of fly ash collection and dust removal.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Zehao Jin, Jie Ren, Nelson A. Rivera, James C. Hower, Heileen Hsu-Kim
Summary: This study investigated the leachability of arsenic (As) and selenium (Se) in coal fly ash and found that major elements (Fe, Ca, and Al) can predict the leaching potential of As but not for Se. Heating and pH were not important predictive variables. These results suggest that correlation models combined with on-site elemental analysis with portable analyzers may enable a screening method for leachable As in coal ash.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Faye Koenigsmark, Nelson A. A. Rivera, Eric M. M. Pierce, Heileen Hsu-Kim
Summary: Sulfidation of liquid mercury droplets reduces their mobilization potential, but the extent of surface corrosion plays a crucial role in this process. Liquid elemental mercury can pollute soils for long periods of time and undergo corrosion, resulting in the formation of reactive phases like mercury oxide. The transformation potential of corroded mercury droplets in the presence of reduced inorganic sulfur species is not well understood. This study investigated the dissolution of corroded mercury droplets in the presence of sulfide and found that the release of soluble mercury depends on the extent of surface corrosion and sufficient sulfide concentration for the formation of HgS solids.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Andrew Middleton, Heileen Hsu-Kim
Summary: Low-grade residuals such as minewastes and combustion ash arepotential sources of critical metals such as rare-earth elements (REEs). Major challenges in the efficient recovery of REEs are the matrixinterferences in the waste extracts that impede subsequent purificationsteps. This study evaluated the impact of feedstock matrix variables such as aqueous aluminum (Al), iron (Fe), and pH on the recovery of neodymium (Nd) and erbium (Er) by supported liquid membrane (SLM) separations. It was found that the absolute concentrations of Fe and Al, rather than their molar ratios, controlled the mass transfer of Nd and Er. The permeability coefficients of Nd and Er were most sensitive to the concentration of Fe3+ in the feedstock. Increasing the pH of the feedstock also increased the REE recovery rates. The results provide insights for predicting REE mass transfer rates and SLM separation performance for extraction of low-grade feedstocks.
ACS ES&T ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Pooja Lalwani, Dillon E. King, Katherine S. Morton, Nelson A. Rivera Jr, Javier Huayta, Heileen Hsu-Kim, Joel N. Meyer
Summary: Lead is a developmental toxicant that can enter mitochondria through the mitochondrial calcium uniporter. In this study, we developed mechanism-based hypotheses about the interactive effects of lead with other mitochondria-damaging chemicals and tested these hypotheses using human liver cells. The results showed that the combination of lead, FCCP, and RuRed significantly decreased cell viability, suggesting an interactive toxicity. Further analysis ruled out altered cellular uptake and membrane potential as the mechanisms for this toxicity.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE-PROCESSES & IMPACTS
(2023)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Mark M. Janko, G. Cristina Recalde-Coronel, Camila P. Damasceno, Gabriela Salmon-Mulanovich, Alisson F. Barbieri, Andres G. Lescano, Benjamin F. Zaitchik, William K. Pan
Summary: Although malaria control investments have been successful globally, there has been a resurgence of malaria in the Amazon region following the withdrawal of support from the Global Fund. This study evaluated the impact of the PAMAFRO program on malaria incidence in the Loreto region of Peru and examined the influence of environmental risk factors.
LANCET REGIONAL HEALTH-AMERICAS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Nelson A. Rivera, Florence T. Ling, Zehao Jin, Ajith Pattammattel, Hanfei Yan, Yong S. Chu, Catherine A. Peters, Heileen Hsu-Kim
Summary: Coal combustion byproducts are enriched in arsenic (As) and selenium (Se), which are harmful to wildlife and humans if released into water and soils. This research aimed to determine the mineral associations and oxidation states of As and Se in fly ash at the nanoscale and microscale. The results showed that As and Se were associated with Ca- and Fe-rich particles and Se nanoparticles were attached to the surface of fly ash grains.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE-NANO
(2023)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Axel J. Berky, Emily Robie, Susy Navio Chipa, Ernesto J. Ortiz, Emma J. Palmer, Nelson A. Rivera, Ana Maria Morales Avalos, Joel N. Meyer, Heileen Hsu-Kim, William K. Pan
Summary: This study investigates blood lead levels (BLL) and sources of lead exposure in the Amazon region. The findings suggest that indigenous status and consumption of wild game are associated with increased BLLs. The use of lead ammunition in hunting wild game may serve as a common source of lead exposure in the Amazon. Additionally, communities relying on wild game and wild fish may face a dual burden of lead and mercury exposure.
LANCET REGIONAL HEALTH-AMERICAS
(2022)