Heavy metal pollution in vegetables grown in the vicinity of a multi-metal mining area in Gejiu, China: total concentrations, speciation analysis, and health risk

Spatio-temporal cancer mortality studies in Spain have revealed patterns for some tumours which display a distribution that is similar across the sexes and persists over time. Such characteristics would be common to tumours that shared risk factors, including the chemical soil composition. The objective of the present study is to assess the association between levels of chromium and arsenic in soil and the cancer mortality. This is an ecological cancer mortality study at municipal level, covering 861,440 cancer deaths in 7917 Spanish mainland towns from 1999 to 2008. Chromium and arsenic topsoil levels (partial extraction) were determined by ICP-MS at 13,317 sampling points. To estimate the effect of these concentrations on mortality, we fitted Besag, York and Mollié models, which included, as explanatory variables, each town’s chromium and arsenic soil levels, estimated by kriging. In addition, we also fitted geostatistical-spatial models including sample locations and town centroids (non-aligned data), using the integrated nested Laplace approximation (INLA) and stochastic partial differential equations (SPDE). All results were adjusted for socio-demographic variables and proximity to industrial emissions. The results showed a statistical association in men and women alike, between arsenic soil levels and mortality due to cancers of the stomach, pancreas, lung and brain and non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas (NHL). Among men, an association was observed with cancers of the prostate, buccal cavity and pharynx, oesophagus, colorectal and kidney. Chromium topsoil levels were associated with mortality among women alone, in cancers of the upper gastrointestinal tract, breast and NHL. Our results suggest that chronic exposure arising from low levels of arsenic and chromium in topsoil could be a potential risk factor for developing cancer.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s11356-016-6806-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Arsenic and chromium topsoil levels and cancer mortality in Spain

Núñez

Fernández-Navarro

Martín-Méndez

et al. 2016

“…In areas with mining and mineral processing of metal ores, pollution by potentially toxic elements (PTEs) (Bini and Bech 2014) is a significant issue owing to their transport to soils, biota, and water streams (Keshavarzi et al 2012; Li et al 2014; Soltani et al 2014; Ma et al 2016). These elements in soils are non-biodegradable and extremely persistent in the environment (Boularbah et al 2006; Liu et al 2016), as they accumulate in soils, plants, and water streams leading to health risks for living beings (Clemente et al 2007; Ji et al 2013; Luo et al 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Distribution of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in tailings, soils, and plants around Gol-E-Gohar iron mine, a case study in Iran

Soltani

Keshavarzi

Moore

et al. 2017

This study investigated the concentration of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) including Al, As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, V, and Zn in 102 soils (in the Near and Far areas of the mine), 7 tailings, and 60 plant samples (shoots and roots of Artemisia sieberi and Zygophylum species) collected at the Gol-E-Gohar iron ore mine in Iran. The elemental concentrations in tailings and soil samples (in Near and Far areas) varied between 7.4 and 35.8 mg kg−1 for As (with a mean of 25.39 mg kg−1 for tailings), 7.9 and 261.5 mg kg−1 (mean 189.83 mg kg−1 for tailings) for Co, 17.7 and 885.03 mg kg−1 (mean 472.77 mg kg−1 for tailings) for Cu, 12,500 and 400,000 mg kg−1 (mean 120,642.86 mg kg−1 for tailings) for Fe, and 28.1 and 278.1 mg kg−1 (mean 150.29 mg kg−1 for tailings) for Ni. A number of physicochemical parameters and pollution index for soils were determined around the mine. Sequential extractions of tailings and soil samples indicated that Fe, Cr, and Co were the least mobile and that Mn, Zn, Cu, and As were potentially available for plants uptake. Similar to soil, the concentration of Al, As, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Ni, and Zn in plant samples decreased with the distance from the mining/processing areas. Data on plants showed that metal concentrations in shoots usually exceeded those in roots and varied significantly between the two investigated species (Artemisia sieberi > Zygophylum). All the reported results suggest that the soil and plants near the iron ore mine are contaminated with PTEs and that they can be potentially dispersed in the environment via aerosol transport and deposition.

“…Metals of the soil are hardly degradable by microbes of the soil and its extension to the food chain poses a threatens potential for the health human (Li et al 2014). Human beings could be exposed to heavy metals from soils via several pathways, ingestion (particles, diet and water), dermal contact and inhalation (Abrahams 2002) (Liu et al 2013).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Association between heavy metal and metalloid levels in topsoil and cancer mortality in Spain

Núñez

Fernández-Navarro

Martín-Méndez

et al. 2017

Spatio-temporal cancer mortality studies in Spain have revealed patterns for some tumours which display a distribution that is similar across the sexes and persists over time. Such characteristics would be common to tumours that shared risk factors, including the geochemical composition of the soil. The aim of this study was to assess the possible association between heavy metal and metalloid levels in topsoil (upper soil horizon) and cancer mortality in mainland Spain. Ecological cancer mortality study at a municipal level, covering 861,440 cancer deaths (27 different tumour locations) in 7917 Spanish mainland towns, from 1999 to 2008. The elements included in this analysis were Al, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn. Topsoil levels (partial extraction) were determined by ICP-MS at 13,317 sampling points. For the analysis, the data on the topsoil composition have been transformed by the centred logratio (clr-transformation). Principal factor analysis was performed to obtain independent latent factors for the transformed variables. To estimate the effect of heavy metal levels in topsoil composition on mortality, we fitted Besag, York and Mollié models, which included each town’s factor scores as the explanatory variable. Integrated Nested Laplace Approximation (INLA) was used as a tool for Bayesian inference. All results were adjusted for sociodemographic variables. The results showed an association between trace contents of heavy metals and metalloids in topsoil and mortality due to tumours of the digestive system in mainland Spain. This association was observed in both sexes, something that would support the hypothesis that the incorporation of heavy metals into the trophic chain might be playing a role in the aetiology of some types of cancer. Topsoil composition and the presence of potentially toxic elements in trace concentrations might be an additional component in the aetiology of some types of cancer, and go some way to determine the ensuing geographic differences in mortality in Spain. The results support the interest of inclusion of heavy metal levels in topsoil as a hypothesis in analytical epidemiological studies using biological markers of exposure to heavy metals and metalloids.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s11356-017-8418-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.