Concentrations and Potential Health Risks of Metals in Lip Products

Background: Metal content in lip products has been an issue of concern.Objectives: We measured lead and eight other metals in a convenience sample of 32 lip products used by young Asian women in Oakland, California, and assessed potential health risks related to estimated intakes of these metals.Methods: We analyzed lip products by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry and used previous estimates of lip product usage rates to determine daily oral intakes. We derived acceptable daily intakes (ADIs) based on information used to determine public health goals for exposure, and compared ADIs with estimated intakes to assess potential risks.Results: Most of the tested lip products contained high concentrations of titanium and aluminum. All examined products had detectable manganese. Lead was detected in 24 products (75%), with an average concentration of 0.36 ± 0.39 ppm, including one sample with 1.32 ppm. When used at the estimated average daily rate, estimated intakes were > 20% of ADIs derived for aluminum, cadmium, chromium, and manganese. In addition, average daily use of 10 products tested would result in chromium intake exceeding our estimated ADI for chromium. For high rates of product use (above the 95th percentile), the percentages of samples with estimated metal intakes exceeding ADIs were 3% for aluminum, 68% for chromium, and 22% for manganese. Estimated intakes of lead were < 20% of ADIs for average and high use.Conclusions: Cosmetics safety should be assessed not only by the presence of hazardous contents, but also by comparing estimated exposures with health-based standards. In addition to lead, metals such as aluminum, cadmium, chromium, and manganese require further investigation.     

Intake and Potential Health Risk of Butyltin Compounds from Seafood Consumption in Korea

Concentrations of butyltin compounds (BTs) were determined in 47 species of seafood commonly consumed in Korea to investigate intakes of BTs from seafood consumption and the potential health risks to the Korean population. The concentrations of BTs (the sum of dibutyltin and tributyltin) in seafood ranged from less than the limit of detection to 96.3 ng/g wet weight, which are levels similar to those reported for other countries. The intake of BTs from seafood consumption by the general population was estimated to be 17.2 ng/kg body weight/day. Fish accounted for 50% of the total intakes of BT, and the next contributor was cephalopods (26%). The estimated intakes for males and females were 18.6 and 15.7 ng/ kg body weight/day, respectively. Among the age groups investigated, children (<2 years and 3–6 years) had higher intakes of BTs compared with adults. The estimated intake of BTs for Korean population groups was 5–8% of the tolerable daily intake of 250 ng/ kg body weight/day set by the European Food Safety Authority. Our results suggest that the Korean population is not expected to exceed the threshold value for adverse health effects.     

Bioaccumulation of Heavy Metals in Mollusca Species and Assessment of Potential Risks to Human Health

Along the Alexandria coast of the Egyptian Mediterranean Sea, five edible species of bivalve molluscs and one gastropoda species (Mactra coralline, Ruditapes decussates, Paphia undulate, Venerupis rhomboids, Crista pectinata and Coralliophila meyendorffi) were analyzed for content of metals (Cadmium, Chromium, Lead, Cobalt and Nickel) in the muscle and in the sediments where they live. The potential health risks of metals to humans via consumption of seafood were assessed by estimated daily intake and target hazard quotient. Significant positive correlations (p < 0.05) were obtained between tissue concentrations for all pairs of metals, with the exception of Cadmium. Significant positive correlations were also obtained for the concentrations of Cd and Ni in tissues of all studied species relative to their concentrations in surface sediments. However, correlations between tissue and sediment concentrations for Chromium, Lead and Cobalt were negative. Ruditapes decussates and C. meyendorffi had the highest values for the summed target hazard quotient and may pose a potential risk to local inhabitants through their consumption in the diet. The potential risk would arise from exposure to high tissue concentrations of Cd and Pb, which exceeded published guidelines for safety of seafood products in some cases. Chromium contributed a considerable fraction of the total target hazard quotient for all metals combined, but did not exceed the published guidelines. Cobalt and Ni did not contribute greatly overall to the target hazard quotient, except in the case of Ni in V. rhomboids.     

Intake and Potential Health Risk of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Associated with Seafood Consumption in Korea from 2005 to 2007

Concentrations of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were measured in 26 types of seafood commonly consumed by the general Korean population. The concentrations of total and carcinogenic PAHs ranged from 12.3 to 243 ng/g dry weight and from 0.21 to 18.4 ng/g dry weight, respectively, similar to those reported in other countries. The lower-molecular–weight aromatics, such as naphthalene, phenanthrene, and fluorine, predominated in the seafood samples. Estimated intakes of PAHs by seafood consumption for the general population, for men, and for women were 15.3, 16.7, and 13.8 ng/kg body weight/d, respectively. Squid, mackerel, and yellow croaker contributed to the highest intakes of PAHs. Among the 8 age groups investigated, children age <2 years and 3 to 6 years had high intakes of PAHs compared with adult groups. Dioxin toxic equivalents (TEQs) of PAHs were calculated using a TEQ proposed in the literature, and the intake was estimated to be 0.91 pg TEQ/kg body weight/d, which indicates that PAHs contributed the most (43%) to total TEQ intake. The estimated excess cancer risk values from seafood consumption for the general population (2.85 × 10⁻⁶), for men (2.93 × 10⁻⁶), and for women (2.68 × 10⁻⁶) slightly exceeded the guideline value (1.0 × 10⁻⁶) for potential cancer risk.     

Health Risk of Consuming Heavy Metals in Farmed Tilapia in Central Taiwan

Taiwan is a small island nation, and many aquaculture sites are located near industrial parks. Anthropogenic activities may contaminate fish ponds. Therefore, we investigated the concentrations of eight metal elements in tilapia tissues (muscle and scale) at two fisheries. We compared the difference in metal content in tilapia at these two fisheries with that in non-contaminated fish at the Fisheries Research Institute. Probabilistic risk analysis was carried out to assess the health risk for people who eat contaminated tilapia. The predicted 95th percentiles of the hazard quotient and excess lifetime cancer risk for residents consuming contaminated tilapia were found to be in the range of 3.1–9.2 and 1.03 × 10⁻⁵ ~ 1.85 × 10⁻⁵, respectively.     

环境所致健康危害判定标准的探讨

环境所致健康危害判定标准是以环境医学观点制定环境污染区某因子是否已构成当地人群某种健康危害原因的准则。它是我国环境卫生标准系列项目之一。本文对该判定标准的基本概念和内容加以论述。     

Effects of Repeated Seafood Consumption on Urinary Excretion of Arsenic Species by Volunteers

Arsenic (As) is a known human carcinogen and widely distributed in the environment. The main route of As exposure in the general population is through food and drinking water. Seafood harvested in Korea contains high-level organoarsenics such as arsenobetaine, arsenocholine, and arsenosugars, which are much less harmful than inorganic arsenics. However, for those who eat large amounts of seafood it is important to understand whether seafood consumption affects urinary levels of inorganic As metabolites such as arsenite, arsenate, monomethylarsonic acid (MMA), and dimethylarsinic acid (DMA). In this study we investigated urinary As metabolites (inorganic As, MMA[V], DMA[V]) and some biological indexes such as AST, GSH, GPX, lipid peroxidation, and uric acid in volunteer study subjects (seven males and nine females). Total urinary As metabolites were analyzed by the hydride generation method, followed by arsenic speciation using HPLC with ICP-mass spectrometry. Study subjects refrained from eating seafood for 3 days prior to the first urine collection and then ingested seafood daily for 6 consecutive days. The first voided urine of the morning was collected from each subject the first day of the consecutive 6 days of seafood ingestion but prior to the first seafood meal. The first voided urine of the morning was also collected on days 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, and 14 after seafood ingestion. The daily mean intake of total As was 6.98 mg, comprised of 4.71 mg of seaweed (67%), 1.74 mg of flat fish (25%), and 0.53 mg of conch (8%). We observed a substantial increase in total urinary As metabolites for subjects consuming seafood from day 1, which recovered to control level at day 10. The increase in total urinary As metabolites was attributed to the increase in DMA, which is a more harmful metabolite than organoarsenics. However, no significant changes in response biological indexes were observed. These results suggest that it is necessary to evaluate As metabolism when assessing the exposure to inorganic As and potential chronic health effects of seafood consumption in Korea.     

Comparison of Seafood Consumption in a Group of Italian Mother-Child Pairs

Seafood is an important component of healthful human diets. Intake of seafood is recommended both for young women and children. In fact, it is a good source of high-quality protein, low in saturated fats, and rich in essential nutrients (e.g. iodine, iron, choline, and selenium) and long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs), especially omega-3. However, the relationship between maternal diet and the children''s dietary habits is controversial. This study investigated the possible association between the seafood consumption by mothers and that by their 8-11 years old children and compared maternal seafood intakes during pregnancy and about 10 years later. The seafood consumption by 37 pregnant women was assessed in 1999-2001. In 2009, mothers were asked to report their weekly intake and their children''s. Mother-child pairs showed a similar consumption pattern: the overall intake was 1.28±0.77 vs 1.19±0.64 (p=0.49) while the sum of specific items was 3.71±3.01 vs 3.18±2.90 (p=0.049). However, it cannot be discerned whether maternal diet affected the children''s nutritional habits or vice-versa. In fact, mothers showed to have a higher seafood intake about 10 years after pregnancy (3.71 vs 1.83; p<0.001), suggesting that a progressive modification of dietary habits occurred after delivery, possibly due to the influence of maternal diet on the nutritional habits of offspring or due to the presence of children in the family unit, that could have influenced maternal dietary habits. This dietary improvement could be brought forward through educational interventions addressed to young women, that could also allow a more informed choice of the healthier species of fish both for them and their children.Key words: Child, Food habits, Mothers, Pregnancy, Seafood, Italy     

深圳某海鲜市场所售牡蛎体内重金属含量及评价

目的了解深圳某海鲜市场所售牡蛎中重金属含量,以便更好地开展卫生质量监控。方法采集深圳某海鲜市场中牡蛎,测定牡蛎中5种重金属（Pb、Cd、Cr、Hg及无机As）含量,根据无公害食品水产品有毒有害物质标准限量对牡蛎的食用安全性进行评估。结果所检牡蛎中Cd含量均高于无公害水产品质量安全标准,含量范围在1．04～2．24mg／kg之间,而Pb、Cr、无机As、Hg4种重金属的含量均低于安全标准。结论深圳某海鲜市场所售牡蛎重金属Cd含量均超标,卫生质量欠佳。     

Microplastic Contamination of Seafood Intended for Human Consumption: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: Microplastics (MPs) have contaminated all compartments of the marine environment including biota such as seafood; ingestion from such sources is one of the two major uptake routes identified for human exposure.Objectives: The objectives were to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of the levels of MP contamination in seafood and to subsequently estimate the annual human uptake.Methods: MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Web of Science were searched from launch (1947, 1974, and 1900, respectively) up to October 2020 for all studies reporting MP content in seafood species. Mean, standard deviations, and ranges of MPs found were collated. Studies were appraised systematically using a bespoke risk of bias (RoB) assessment tool.Results: Fifty studies were included in the systematic review and 19 in the meta-analysis. Evidence was available on four phyla: mollusks, crustaceans, fish, and echinodermata. The majority of studies identified MP contamination in seafood and reported MP content <1 MP/g, with 26% of studies rated as having a high RoB, mainly due to analysis or reporting weaknesses. Mollusks collected off the coasts of Asia were the most heavily contaminated, coinciding with reported trends of MP contamination in the sea. According to the statistical summary, MP content was 0–10.5 MPs/g in mollusks, 0.1–8.6 MPs/g in crustaceans, 0–2.9 MPs/g in fish, and 1 MP/g in echinodermata. Maximum annual human MP uptake was estimated to be close to 55,000 MP particles. Statistical, sample, and methodological heterogeneity was high.Discussion: This is the first systematic review, to our knowledge, to assess and quantify MP contamination of seafood and human uptake from its consumption, suggesting that action must be considered in order to reduce human exposure via such consumption. Further high-quality research using standardized methods is needed to cement the scientific evidence on MP contamination and human exposures. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP7171     

Risks and causes of hospitalizations among physicians in Taiwan

OBJECTIVES: To assess the causes and cause-specific risks of hospitalization among physicians in Taiwan. DATA SOURCE: The data used in this study were retrieved from filed claims and registries of the National Health Insurance Research Database. A cohort of 33,380 physicians contracted with the national insurance program between 1997 and 2002 were linked to the information on the inpatient claim data for hospitalization. STUDY DESIGN: The physicians' incidence density of hospitalization was compared with that of the general population, other health personnel, and nurses to compute the calendar year-, age-, and gender-standardized hospitalization ratios (SHRs). A multivariate log-linear model was also used to assess the effects of gender, age, type of contract, and specialty on the risks of hospitalization. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Compared with the general population, physicians experienced significantly reduced risks of all causes (SHR=54.5, 95 percent confidence interval [CI] 53.4-55.5) and all major cause-specific hospitalizations, especially mental disorders (SHR=6.9, 95 percent CI 5.8-8.4). On the other hand, compared with other health personnel, physicians had a small but significantly higher risk of all causes of hospitalization (SHR=107.8, 95 percent CI 105.1-110.6). Higher risks of hospitalization were also noted for neoplasms (SHR=108.9, 95 percent CI 102.0-116.3) and diseases of the respiratory system (SHR=114.2, 95 percent CI 107.3-121.5). In addition to the above diagnoses, physicians also had significantly higher risks for genitourinary and musculoskeletal system and connective tissue problems than nurses. Compared with their physician colleagues, female physicians, young (<30 years) and older (> or =60 years) physicians, and those working with the health institutions and programs were at elevated risks of hospitalization for all causes as well as for certain specific diseases. CONCLUSIONS: Physicians in Taiwan are at higher risks of developing specific diseases compared with their allied health colleagues. As the health of physicians is vital to the quality of care, Taiwanese health policy analysts should recognize that increased patient volume and satisfaction with public health care should not be achieved at the expense of physicians' health.     

Heavy Metals Concentrations in Fish from Sicily (Mediterranean Sea) and Evaluation of Possible Health Risks to Consumers

Cadmium, lead, mercury and chromium concentrations in fish muscle tissue taken from various Sicilian areas were detected. Fish caught in Siracusa, nearby a petrochemical industrial area, were more contaminated by cadmium, lead and chromium (respectively 0.366, 0.32, 0.72 μg/g) than those from the other sites. In the Sicily Channel, we found the highest bioaccumulation of mercury (0.31 μg/g). Although some metals concentrations exceed the limits set by the European regulation, the estimated weekly intake was below the Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intake established by the European Food and Safety Authority, and the Target Hazard Quotient values indicate that there is no carcinogenic risk for humans.     

广东沿海海域海产品中重金属的含量及评价

目的 了解广东沿海海域海产品中重金属污染状况和食用安全性.方法 2007年4-8月采集广东沿海海域17个海区及2个海鲜批发市场海产品,采用电感耦合等离子体质谱法同时测定海产品中5种元素[铅(Pb)、镉(Cd)、铬(Cr)、铜(Cu)及锌(Zn)]含量,采用单因子污染评价模式对金属含量进行污染评价,根据无公害食品水产品有毒有害物质标准限量对海产品的食用安全性进行评估.结果 广东沿海海域鱼类中5种重金属含量均低于国家无公害标准.而贝类等软体动物中重金属含量相对较高.牡蛎中Zn及Cu含量最高,出现污染超标现象;栉孔扇贝及牡蛎中Cd含量超过无公害标准;除方斑东风螺的Cr含量超过无公害标准,贝类中Cr及Pb含量均低于无公害标准.结论 广东沿海海域鱼类5种重金属安全卫生质量较好,贝类中重金属含量大于鱼类,出现一定的超标现象.