BACKGROUND: Arsenic, cadmium, and lead are toxic elements that widely contaminate our environment. These toxicants are associated with acute and chronic health problems, and evidence suggests that minority communities, including Hispanic/Latino Americans, are disproportionately exposed. Few studies have assessed culturally specific predictors of exposure to understand the potential drivers of racial/ethnic exposure disparities.
OBJECTIVE: We sought to evaluate acculturation measures as predictors of metal/metalloid (hereafter \"metal\") concentrations among Mexican American adults to illuminate potential exposure sources that may be targeted for interventions.
METHODS: As part of a longitudinal cohort, 510 adults, aged 35 to 69 years, underwent baseline interview, physical examination, and urine sample collection. Self-reported acculturation was assessed across various domains using the Short Acculturation Scale for Hispanics (SASH). Multivariable linear regression was used to assess associations between acculturation and urinary concentrations of arsenic, cadmium, and lead. Ordinal logistic regression was utilized to assess associations between acculturation and a metal mixture score. Lastly, best subset selection was used to build a prediction model for each toxic metal with a combination of the acculturation predictors.
RESULTS: After adjustment, immigration factors were positively associated with arsenic and lead concentrations. For lead alone, English language and American media and food preferences were associated with lower levels. Immigration and parental heritage from Mexico were positively associated with the metal mixture, while preferences for English language, media, and food were negatively associated.
CONCLUSIONS: Acculturation-related predictors of exposure provide information about potential sources of toxic metals, including international travel, foods, and consumer products. The findings in this research study provide information to empower future efforts to identify and address specific acculturation-associated toxicant exposures in order to promote health equity through clinical guidance, patient education, and public policy.

Silver carp mediated biological control techniques are often advocated for controlling cyanobacteria blooms in eutrophic water, which are often enriched with arsenic (As). However, the transfer and fate of As during the biological control of cyanobacteria blooms by silver carp in As-rich eutrophic water remain unclear. Based on the simulated ecosystem experiment, the accumulation of As in silver carp and the transfer and fate of As in the water-algae-silver carp system during Microcystis aeruginosa blooms controlled by silver carp were investigated. Microcystis aeruginosa showed high tolerance to As(V). The accumulation of As in different tissues of silver carp was different, as follows: intestine > liver > gill > skin > muscle. After silver carp ingested As-rich Microcystis aeruginosa, As accumulation in the intestine, liver, gill, and skin of silver carp was enhanced under the action of digestion and skin contact. Compared with the system without algal, As accumulation in the intestine, liver, gill, and skin of silver carp increased by 1.1, 3.3, 3.3, and 9.6 times, respectively, after incubation for 30 days in the system with Microcystis aeruginosa, while the accumulation of As in the muscle was only slightly increased by 0.56 mg/kg. This work revealed the transfer and fate of As during algal control by silver carp, elucidated the accumulation mechanism of As in water-algae-silver carp system, enriched our understanding of As bioaccumulation and transformation in As-rich eutrophication water, and provided a scientific basis for assessing and predicting As migration and enrichment in water-algae-silver carp system.

Floating treatment wetlands (FTW) are receiving growing interest as a phyto-technology, however, there are significant research gaps regarding the actual role of plant species and plant-microbiome interactions. In this study, the performance of Equisetum hyemale for nutrient uptake was examined in FTW microcosms under the influence of abiotic stressors: As (3 mg/L) and Pb (3 mg/L) as well as Cl- (300 and 800 mg/L) in reference to control during short screening experiment. High removal efficiency of nutrients in water solutions, up to 88 % for TN and 93 % for PO4-P was observed. However, PO4-P removal was inhibited in the As reactor and max equalled 11 %. Lead and As were removed with high efficiency, reaching 98 % and 79 % respectively. At the same time only Pb was bound in root biomass in effective way (reaching up to 51 %). Limited As accumulation of 0.5 % in plant roots suggests that microbial processes play a major role in its reduction. The development and structure of microbiome in microcosms was analysed by means of 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, proving that Pb was the most influential factor in terms of selection pressure on specified bacterial groups. In turn, in As treatment development of Serratia subpopulation was observed, while Cl- treatment resulted in the rhizobiome composition most similar to control. The outcomes of this study indicate that E. hyemale is a suitable species for FTW usage in Pb polluted water bodies and at the same time capable to withstand periodic salinity increases. E. hyemale exhibits low As binding in biomass; however, extended exposure might amplify this effect because of the slow-acting, but beneficial, mechanism of As uptake by roots and shoots. The microbiome analysis complements the insight to mechanisms of FTW performance and impact of applied stress factors on bacterial structure and functions.

A holistic understanding of the chemical recovery of lakes from arsenic (As) pollution requires consideration of within-lake biogeochemical cycling of As and processes occurring in the surrounding catchment. This study used a watershed mass balance approach, complemented by experimental sediment incubations, to assess the mobility and transport of As within a subarctic watershed (155 km2) impacted by more than 60 years of atmospheric mining emissions. The period of record spanned a transition from drought to high streamflow between September 2017 and September 2019, which yielded insights into the interacting effects of hydrology and within-lake biogeochemical cycling of As. Internal loading of As from contaminated lake sediments (25 - 46 kg As year-1) and contributions from terrestrial sources (16 - 56 kg As yr-1) continue to negatively impact lake water quality (19 - 144 μg As L-1), but the relative importance of these loads varies seasonally and inter-annually in response to changing hydrological conditions. Wet conditions resulted in greater transport of As from terrestrial reservoirs and upstream areas, shorter lake water retention time, and increased the downstream export of As. During dry periods, the lake was disconnected from the surrounding watershed resulting in limited terrestrial contributions and longer lake water residence time, which delayed recovery due to the greater relative influence of internal loading from contaminated sediments. This study highlights that changing hydroclimatic regimes will alter trajectories of chemical recovery for arsenic impacted lakes through the coupling of within-lake and watershed transport processes.

Water scarcity is a growing concern due to rapid urbanization and population growth. This study assesses spring water quality at 20 stations in Giresun province, Türkiye, focusing on potentially toxic elements and physicochemical parameters. The Water Quality Index rated most samples as \"excellent\" during the rainy season and \"good\" during the dry season, except at stations 4 (40° 35\' 12″ North/38° 26\' 34″ East) and 19 (40° 44\' 28″ North/38° 06\' 53″ West), indicating \"poor\" quality. Mean macro-element concentrations (mg/L) were: Ca (34.27), Na (10.36), Mg (8.26), and K (1.48). Mean trace element values (μg/L) were: Al (1093), Zn (110.54), Fe (67.45), Mn (23.03), Cu (9.79), As (3.75), Ni (3.00), Cr (2.84), Pb (2.70), Co (1.93), and Cd (0.76). Health risk assessments showed minimal non-carcinogenic risks, while carcinogenic risk from arsenic slightly exceeded safe limits (CR = 1.75E-04). Higher arsenic concentrations during the rainy season were due to increased recharge, arsenic-laden surface runoff, and human activities. Statistical analyses (PCA, PCC, HCA) suggested that metals and physico-chemical parameters originated from lithogenic, anthropogenic, or mixed sources. Regular monitoring of spring water is recommended to mitigate potential public health risks from waterborne contaminants.

UNASSIGNED: From at least the fifteenth to late nineteenth centuries, peasants in the Austrian province of Styria ate up to several hundred milligrams of arsenic trioxide or sulfide daily or weekly for periods up to a number of years. Taking these doses of arsenic was believed to increase muscular power and enhance the beauty and sexual attractiveness of peasant girls. There do not appear to be contemporaneous records of the known consequences of chronic arsenic exposure. The historical records of arsenic eating there are reviewed and appear to be valid. The benefits are subjective judgements by arsenic eaters. The lack of objective reports of the anticipated external and internal clinical and pathological effects of arsenic poisoning depends on a smaller number of clinical accounts and autopsy reports and the general medical literature of those times, so it is weaker, but it is consistent.
UNASSIGNED: Why the arsenic eaters did not show the well-known consequences of prolonged exposure to high doses of arsenic is not known. Possible explanations include increases in detoxifying metabolism in the consumers due to induced genomic changes and selection in people and in the gut microbiome, as shown in other populations. Whether these effects would suffice to protect people against their high doses of arsenic has not been explored.
UNASSIGNED: Although the nature and mechanisms of arsenic toxicity have been extensively described, much still remains to be discovered.

Increased values of arsenic in potable water in eastern Croatia has been a matter of scientific interest for the past two decades due to numerous health effects, including carcinogenic ones. This study investigated whether prolonged exposure to increased arsenic from water could be detectable through increased arsenic in urine, and whether it influenced the incidence of kidney and bladder cancer in Osijek-Baranja County. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was used for analysis of water samples from available water sources (wells, aqueducts). In addition, examinees from Osijek, Našice, Vladislavci, Čepin and Dalj gave their urine samples for analysis. Data on cancer incidence were obtained from the Institute for Public Health Registry and cumulative incidence of kidney and bladder cancer was calculated for the period between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2018. Elevated arsenic concentration in drinking water was recorded in Vladislavci, Čepin and Osijek area with values above the allowed maximum according to the EU standards (10 µg L-1) and as a result, arsenic levels in urine of the inhabitants were also elevated. Cumulative incidence for bladder cancer showed correlation between increased arsenic in water and urine in the areas affected by increased arsenic in water. Epidemiologic data suggest a conclusion that elevated arsenic could be considered at least as a cofounding factor for urinary tract cancer.

COVID-19 can cause a range of complications, including cardiovascular, renal, and/or respiratory insufficiencies, yet little is known of its potential effects in persons exposed to toxic metals. The aim of this study was to answer this question with in silico toxicogenomic methods that can provide molecular insights into COVID-19 complications owed to exposure to arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury, nickel, and chromium. For this purpose we relied on the Comparative Toxicogenomic Database (CTD), GeneMANIA, and ToppGene Suite portal and identified a set of five common genes (IL1B, CXCL8, IL6, IL10, TNF) for the six metals and COVID-19, all of which code for pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines. The list was expanded with additional 20 related genes. Physical interactions are the most common between the genes affected by the six metals (77.64 %), while the dominant interaction between the genes affected by each metal separately is co-expression (As 56.35 %, Cd 64.07 %, Pb 71.5 %, Hg 81.91 %, Ni 64.28 %, Cr 88.51 %). Biological processes, molecular functions, and pathways in which these 25 genes participate are closely related to cytokines and cytokine storm implicated in the development of COVID-19 complications. In other words, our findings confirm that exposure to toxic metals, alone or in combinations, might escalate COVID-19 severity.
COVID-19 može izazvati niz komplikacija, uključujući kardiovaskularnu, bubrežnu i/ili respiratornu insuficijenciju, ali se malo zna o njegovim potencijalnim učincima u osoba koje su izložene toksičnim metalima. Cilj ovog istraživanja bio je odgovoriti na to pitanje pomoću in silico toksikogenomske metode, koja može pružiti molekularni uvid u komplikacije bolesti COVID-19 uslijed izloženosti arsenu, kadmiju, olovu, živi, niklu i kromu. U tu su svrhu korišteni Komparativna toksikogenomska baza podataka (CTD), GeneMANIA i ToppGene Suite portal te je identificirana skupina od pet zajedničkih gena (IL1B, CXCL8, IL6, IL10, TNF) za šest metala i COVID-19, koji svi kodiraju proinflamatorne i antiinflamatorne citokine. Lista je proširena s dodatnih 20 srodnih gena. Fizičke interakcije dominirale su između gena na koje utječe kombinacija ispitivanih metala (77,64 %), a koekspresija je dominantna interakcija između gena na koje djeluju pojedinačni metali (As 56,35 %, Cd 64,07 %, Pb 71,5 %, Hg 81,91 %, Ni 64,28 %, Cr 88,51 %). Biološki procesi, molekulske funkcije i putovi u kojima sudjeluje tih 25 gena blisko su povezani s citokinima i citokinskom olujom, koja je uključena u razvoj komplikacija bolesti COVID-19. Drugim riječima, ovi rezultati potvrđuju da izloženost toksičnim metalima, bilo pojedinačno ili u kombinaciji, može dovesti do razvoja težih oblika bolesti COVID-19.

The effect of metallic elements on semen quality remains controversial, with limited evidence on the effects of metal mixtures. We conducted a study involving 338 participants from multiple centers in Eastern China, measuring 17 urinary metals and semen quality parameters. Our analysis used various statistical models, including multivariate logistic and linear regression, Bayesian Kernel Machine Regression, and weighted quantile sum models, to examine the associations between metal levels and semen quality. Logistic regression showed that higher urinary lead was associated with increased risk of abnormal sperm concentration (OR = 1.86, p = 0.021), arsenic to higher abnormal progressive motility risk (OR = 1.49, p = 0.027), and antimony to greater abnormal total motility risk (OR = 1.37, p = 0.018). Conversely, tin was negatively correlated with the risk of abnormal progressive motility (OR = 0.76, p = 0.012) and total motility (OR = 0.74, p = 0.003), respectively. Moreover, the linear models showed an inverse association between barium and sperm count, even after adjusting for other metals (β = - 0.32, p < 0.001). Additionally, the WQS models showed that the metal mixture may increase the risk of abnormal total motility (βWQS = 0.55, p = 0.046). In conclusion, semen quality may be adversely affected by exposure to metals such as arsenic, barium, lead, and antimony. The combined effect of the metal mixture appears to be particularly impaired total motility.

In our study, blood concentrations of lead (Pb), arsenic (As), and cadmium (Cd) and urine concentrations of thallium (Tl) were measured together with related symptoms of heavy metal poisoning in cigarette smoking volunteers diagnosed with schizophrenia, in cigarette smokers not diagnosed with schizophrenia, and in the control group of non-smokers and not diagnosed with schizophrenia volunteers. Our study was performed on 171 volunteers divided into the following subgroups: patients diagnosed with schizophrenia with at least 1 year of continuous cigarette smoking experience (56 participants), cigarette smokers not diagnosed with schizophrenia with at least one year of continuous smoking experience (58), and control group (not diagnosed with schizophrenia and non-smoking volunteers) (57). Smoking durations of cigarette smokers diagnosed with schizophrenia and cigarette smokers not diagnosed with schizophrenia are not similar (p = 0.431). Blood Pb, As, and Cd concentrations and urine Tl concentrations were the highest in the subgroup of cigarette smokers not diagnosed with schizophrenia, followed by the subgroup of cigarette smokers diagnosed with schizophrenia, and the control group. Only blood Pb concentrations were significantly higher (probability value p < 0.05) in the group of cigarette smokers not diagnosed with schizophrenia (5.16 μg/dL), comparing to the group of cigarette smokers diagnosed with schizophrenia (3.83 μg/dL) and to the control group (3.43 μg/dL). Blood Cd and As concentrations and urine Tl concentrations were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in cigarette smokers not diagnosed with schizophrenia than in the control group. The results revealed a statistically significant positive correlation (p < 0.001) in the cigarette smokers in the schizophrenia diagnosed group between blood Pb, blood As, and urine Tl concentrations and the duration of cigarette smoking.