High lithium concentrations in drinking water and plasma of exposed subjects

Bioimaging of trace metals in ancient Chilean mummies and contemporary Egyptian teeth by laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS)

“…Through bioaccumulation in calcified tissues, environmental lithium (likely via drinking water from surface water sources) contributes to lithium present in teeth and bone. A study by Zaldívar [29] showed that Li concentrations in the contemporary Lluta River and the Camarones River were unusually high (1509 μg/L, 5171 μg/L, respectively) and elevated lithium levels were correlated with higher blood plasma lithium. The blood plasma therapeutic Li levels reported by the National Institutes of Health are 0.8 to 1.2 mEq/L and the "abnormal" values are set at anything in excess of 2.0 mEq/L [30].…”

“…Still, this tooth had concentrations up to 2 μg/g in comparison to the lithium measured in the modern Egyptian teeth. As described previously the Li in the drinking water found in Lluta and Camarones rivers [29] in northern Chile is very high. Since trace elements in blood are at higher concentration than found in calcified dental tissue, it is likely that the individual was exposed to extreme high lithium concentrations from geological sources.…”

Intra-skeletal variability in trace elemental content of Precolumbian Chupicuaro human bones: the record of post-mortem alteration and a tool for palaeodietary reconstruction

“…Plasma Li concentrations vary according to the Li intakes (Zaldivar, 1980;Schrauzer, 2002). Following ingestion, non-excreted Li reaches different target organs such as cerebellum, cerebrum, kidneys, hair and liver (Schrauzer, 2002;Anke et al, 2005).…”

Environmental exposure to lithium during pregnancy and fetal size: A longitudinal study in the Argentinean Andes

“…Lithium concentrations between b 1 and 170 μg/L have been reported for drinking water in Texas, Japan and England (Bluml et al, 2013;Kabacs et al, 2011;Sugawara et al, 2013), while concentrations exceeding 1000 μg/L have been reported for certain areas in Austria (Kapusta et al, 2011) and northern Chile (Zaldivar, 1980). High concentrations have also been reported for certain bottled water, e.g.…”