Earliest evidence of pollution by heavy metals in archaeological sites

Monge, Guadalupe; Jiménez‐Espejo, Francisco J.; García‐Alix, Antonio; Martı́nez-Ruiz, Francisca; Mattielli, Nadine; Finlayson, Clive; Ohkouchi, Naohiko; Sánchez, Miguel Cortés; Castro, José Marı́a Bermúdez de; Blasco, Ruth; Rosell, Jordi; Carrión, José S.; Rodriguez‐Vidal, Joaquín; Finlayson, Geraldine

doi:10.1038/srep14252

Cited by 41 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 46 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Evidence of microfragments of charcoal in Lower Paleolithic hominin dental calculus is Hubbard et al . doi:10.1093/molbev/msw143 MBE consistent with smoke inhalation, and suggests that smoke remediation in caves and other structures may have been a problem (Hardy, et al 2016;Monge, et al 2015). It has been theorized that cooking improved nutrient availability that may have led to an increase in brain volume and improve fitness early in human evolution (Wrangham and ConklinBrittain 2003;Fonseca-Azevedo and Herculano-Houzel 2012).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Divergent Ah Receptor Ligand Selectivity during Hominin Evolution

et al. 2016

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

We have identified a fixed nonsynonymous sequence difference between humans (Val381; derived variant) and Neandertals (Ala381; ancestral variant) in the ligand-binding domain of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) gene. In an exome sequence analysis of four Neandertal and Denisovan individuals compared with nine modern humans, there are only 90 total nucleotide sites genome-wide for which archaic hominins are fixed for the ancestral nonsynonymous variant and the modern humans are fixed for the derived variant. Of those sites, only 27, including Val381 in the AHR, also have no reported variability in the human dbSNP database, further suggesting that this highly conserved functional variant is a rare event. Functional analysis of the amino acid variant Ala381 within the AHR carried by Neandertals and nonhuman primates indicate enhanced polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) binding, DNA binding capacity, and AHR mediated transcriptional activity compared with the human AHR. Also relative to human AHR, the Neandertal AHR exhibited 150-1000 times greater sensitivity to induction of Cyp1a1 and Cyp1b1 expression by PAHs (e.g., benzo(a)pyrene). The resulting CYP1A1/CYP1B1 enzymes are responsible for PAH first pass metabolism, which can result in the generation of toxic intermediates and perhaps AHR-associated toxicities. In contrast, the human AHR retains the ancestral sensitivity observed in primates to nontoxic endogenous AHR ligands (e.g., indole, indoxyl sulfate). Our findings reveal that a functionally significant change in the AHR occurred uniquely in humans, relative to other primates, that would attenuate the response to many environmental pollutants, including chemicals present in smoke from fire use during cooking.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Divergent Ah Receptor Ligand Selectivity during Hominin Evolution

et al. 2016

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Natural vegetation contributes heavy metals to the environment through leaching, decomposition, and volatilization (Nagajyoti et al, 2010;Cuypers et al, 2013). Likewise, oceanic activities produce sea sprays and aerosols that contribute heavy metal into inland coastal areas (Zverina et al, 2014;Monge et al, 2015) (Figure 1).…”

Section: Natural and Other Sources Of Heavy Metals In Agro-environmenmentioning

confidence: 99%

Agroecological Responses of Heavy Metal Pollution with Special Emphasis on Soil Health and Plant Performances

Srivastava

Sarkar

Singh

et al. 2017

Front. Environ. Sci.

286

100

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

With modern day urbanization and industrialization, heavy metal (HM) contamination has become a prime concern for today's society. The impacts of metal contamination on agriculture range from the agricultural soil to the produce in our food basket. The heavy metals (HMs) and metalloids, including Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Sn, Hg, Pb, among others, can result in significant toxic impacts. The intensification of agricultural land use and changes in farming practices along with technological advancement have led to heavy metal pollution in soil. Metals/metalloids concentrations in the soil are increasing at alarming rate and affect plant growth, food safety, and soil microflora. The biological and geological reorganization of heavy metal depends chiefly on green plants and their metabolism. Metal toxicity has direct effects to flora that forms an integral component of ecosystems. Altered biochemical, physiological, and metabolic processes are found in plants growing in regions of high metal pollution. However, metals like Cu, Mn, Co, Zn, and Cr are required in trace amounts by plants for their metabolic activities. The present review aims to catalog major published works related to heavy metal contamination in modern day agriculture, and draw a possible road map toward future research in this domain.

show abstract

“…Lead exposure by industrial production has become the fatal public problem [1][2][3]. Lead is widely applied in electronic devices, which threatens the health of children living around the electronic waste recycling sites [4].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%