Mercury from chlor-alkali plants: measured concentrations in food product sugar

Dufault, Renee; LeBlanc, Blaise; Schnoll, Roseanne; Cornett, Charles; Schweitzer, Laura; Wallinga, David; Hightower, Jane M; Patrick, Lyn; Lukiw, Walter J.

doi:10.1186/1476-069x-8-2

Cited by 59 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…By affecting both reactive oxygen species formation and inhibiting anti-oxidant defenses, mercury and PCBs may have synergistic effects in terms of observed hepatotoxicity. Also, mercury has been found to be a contaminant in high fructose corn syrup, a common food additive which is implicated in the current epidemic of obesity (Dufault et al 2009; Collison et al 2009). The liver is the principal organ that metabolizes fructose, which promotes steatosis and oxidative stress (Cortez-Pinto et al 1999; Kawasaki et al 2009).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Multiple classes of environmental chemicals are associated with liver disease: NHANES 2003–2004

Christensen

Carrico

Sanyal

et al. 2013

International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health

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Biomonitoring studies show that humans carry a body burden of multiple classes of contaminants which are not often studied together. Many of these chemicals may be hepatotoxic. We used the 2003–2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to evaluate the relationship between alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and 37 environmental contaminants, comprising heavy metals, non-dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and dioxin-like compounds, using a novel method. Linear regression models were constructed for each chemical separately, then as a class, using quartiles to represent exposure and adjusting for age, sex, race, income, and BMI. We then used an optimization approach to compile a weighted sum of the quartile scores, both within and across chemical classes. Using the optimization approach to construct weighted quartile scores, the dioxin like PCB, the non-dioxin like PCB and metal class-level scores were significantly associated with elevated ALT. A significant interaction was detected between the class-level score for metals, and the score for non-dioxin-like PCBs. When including all chemicals in one model, 3 chemicals accounted for 78 % of the weight (Mercury, PCB 180, 3,3’,4,4’,5-PNCB) with the remaining 22% associated with 4 chemicals (a dioxin and 3 PCBs). Validation with a holdout dataset indicated that the weighted quartile sum estimator efficiently identifies reproducible significant associations.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Multiple classes of environmental chemicals are associated with liver disease: NHANES 2003–2004

Christensen

Carrico

Sanyal

et al. 2013

International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health

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“…can generate ternary oxides such as Na 6 Si 8 O 19 and Na 2 Si 2 O 5 via reactions with silica (18,19) and can melt at ∼780°C (20,21). The use of HCl may not be a critical issue for the scaleup of the given synthetic procedure because HCl treatments have been well adopted in various industrial productions (22,23). On the other hand, the purity of 95.48% resulting from the heat treatment alone is substantially higher than those of the other silica resources, such as quartz, bentonite, and diatomaceous earth, which are prepared by similar procedures.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Recycling rice husks for high-capacity lithium battery anodes

Jung

Ryou²,

Sung

et al. 2013

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

269

182

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The rice husk is the outer covering of a rice kernel and protects the inner ingredients from external attack by insects and bacteria. To perform this function while ventilating air and moisture, rice plants have developed unique nanoporous silica layers in their husks through years of natural evolution. Despite the massive amount of annual production near 10 8 tons worldwide, so far rice husks have been recycled only for low-value agricultural items. In an effort to recycle rice husks for high-value applications, we convert the silica to silicon and use it for high-capacity lithium battery anodes. Taking advantage of the interconnected nanoporous structure naturally existing in rice husks, the converted silicon exhibits excellent electrochemical performance as a lithium battery anode, suggesting that rice husks can be a massive resource for use in high-capacity lithium battery negative electrodes.R ice is one of the most widespread food crops for human sustenance (Fig. 1A). It is currently cultivated in about 75 countries, and more than one-third of the global population eats rice as a staple food. Its worldwide annual production amounts to ∼422 million metric tons (1). The cultivation of rice plants generates a waste product, so-called rice husks (RHs), and upon the complete harvest of rice, the content of the RH reaches ∼20 wt% of the entire rice kernel, a very large amount, considering the massive scale of global rice production. The utilization of RHs has been an extensive research topic for decades (2). However, practical applications of RHs have been limited to a narrow range of low-value agricultural items, such as fertilizer additives, stockbreeding rugs, and bed soil, because of their tough and abrasive properties (2). There is a large opportunity for further research targeting more valuable applications.Although RHs contain a variety of components such as lignin, cellulose, and silica, the present study pays attention mainly to recycling of the silica component. It has been known (3, 4) that silica accounts for ∼15-20 wt% of the entire RHs (Fig. 1B, Lower Inset) and originates from monosilicic acid that is first introduced into rice plants through their roots and is then moved to the rigid outer epidermal walls of the plants where it is converted into silica. The silica in RHs plays an important role in protecting rice from external attack by insects and bacteria (3, 5, 6), but simultaneously facilitates ventilation between inside and outside RHs to preserve moisture and nutrients inside the kernels. To perform these critical dual functions, the silica in RHs has developed unique porous nanostructures through years of natural evolution.In an effort to recycle RHs toward high-value applications, in the present investigation, the RH silica possessing unique nanostructures has been applied in high-capacity lithium ion battery (LIB) anodes by reducing the silica to silicon (Si). Si has recently attracted considerable attention as an LIB anode due to its unparalleled theoretical capacity around 4,000 mAh/g ...

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“…For several decades chemical plant facilities in Poland (e.g. chlor-alkali production processes) as well as in other countries (Zagury et al 2006;Dufault et al 2009;Esbrí et al 2014) have been using mercury and its compounds in manufacturing processes, which resulted in high concentrations of mercury in nearby soils. This poses potential health and environmental risk over a much wider area Pereira et al 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecological strategy for soil contaminated with mercury

et al. 2016

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Aims The paper presents results from plot experiments aimed at the development of an ecological strategy for soil contaminated with mercury. Meadow grass (Poa pratensis) was tested on mercury contaminated soil in a former chlor-alkali plant (CAP) in southern Poland for its phytoremediation potential. Methods The stabilisation potential of the plants was investigated on plots without additives and after the addition of granular sulphur. Biomass production, uptake and distribution of mercury by plants, as well as leachates and rhizosphere microorganisms were investigated, along with the growth and vitality of plants during one growing season. Results The analysed plants grew easily on mercury contaminated soil, accumulating lower amounts of mercury, especially in the roots, from soil with additive of granular sulphur (0.5 % w/w) and sustained a rich microbial population in the rhizosphere. After amendment application the reduction of Hg evaporation was observed.Conclusions The obtained results demonstrate the potential of using Poa pratensis and sulphur for remediation of mercury contaminated soil and reduction of the Hg evaporation from soil. In the presented study, methods of Hg reduction on Bhot spots^were proposed, with a special focus on environmental protection. This approach provides a simple remediation tool for large areas heavily contaminated with mercury.

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Mercury from chlor-alkali plants: measured concentrations in food product sugar

Cited by 59 publications

References 7 publications

Multiple classes of environmental chemicals are associated with liver disease: NHANES 2003–2004

Multiple classes of environmental chemicals are associated with liver disease: NHANES 2003–2004

Recycling rice husks for high-capacity lithium battery anodes

Ecological strategy for soil contaminated with mercury

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