Metal (Cu, Zn, Fe, Pb) concentrations in human placentas

The concentrations of some metals (Cu, Zn, Fe, Pb) in human placentas at term in two populations living in polluted (Krakow, n = 10) and non-polluted (Bieszczady, n = 13) areas were investigated by means of graphite furnace--or flame atomic absorption spectrometry (GF-AAS or F-AAS). The concentrations of Cu, Fe and Pb were higher in Krakow vs. Bieszczady, while Zn concentration was lower, but these differences were not significant. The following results were obtained for the whole studied group: Cu 1.17 +/- 0.25 microg/g w.w., Zn 8.44 +/- 2.10 microg/g w.w., Fe 115.0 +/- 31.9 microg/g w.w., Pb 51.6 +/- 18.0 ng/g w.w. The inverse accumulation of Zn and Pb is in accord with previous observations. In the whole group of placenta specimens the statistically significant correlation was also found between concentrations of Cu and Pb. The correlations between metal concentrations and placental or maternal features were the strongest for lead.     

Standardized growth toxicity testing (Cu, Zn, Pb, and pentachlorophenol) with Helix aspersa

Juvenile Helix aspersa (1 month, 1 g) were exposed for 4 weeks to food contaminated with copper, zinc, lead, and pentachlorophenol. At concentrations observed in contaminated soils, two essential metals at low levels (Cu and Zn) had a dose-dependent sublethal action on growth. Copper inhibited growth dose-dependently between 1000 and 2000 microg small middle dotg(-1) (EC(50)=1200 microg small middle dotg(-1)), whereas zinc had a toxic effect from 4000 microg small middle dotg(-1) (EC(50)=5500 microg small middle dotg(-1)) on. Lead, a nonessential metal, had no negative effect on growth, unlike cadmium (EC(50)=140 microg small middle dotg(-1)), as reported previously. Pentachlorophenol inhibited growth at a concentration of 500 microg small middle dotg(-1) from the fourth week and 1000 microg small middle dotg(-1) from the first week on. The results obtained with these key organisms in the food chain (consumers) complement those obtained with other land invertebrates (earthworms, springtails, wood-lice, etc.). The findings of the present study and those of earlier studies indicate that juvenile snails are useful organisms for testing the sublethal toxicity of chemicals acting via the food, i.e., the main route of toxicant uptake in land animals.     

RP-HPLC法同时测定头发、血和尿中锌铜铅镉方法研究

目的：建立同时测定头发、血和尿中锌、铜、锌、镉离子的反相高效液相色谱法，方法：进行meso-四（对羟基苯）卟啉和金属离子的配位反应条件，配合物的稳定性以及配合物萃取和分离条件的研究。结果：检出限分别为0．05μg、0．03μg、0．02μg、0．04μg；线性范围分别为0－40μg、0－15μg、0－4μg、0－3μg；测定发样的相对标准偏差（RSD）分别为4．8％、8．9％、6．5％、12．1％；尿样的RSD分别为5．6％、4．2％、13．3％、14．3％；血样锌、铜的RSD分别为9．2％、3．8％；三种样品中四种金属离子的加标回收率分别为92％－94％、86％－93％、100％－101％、84％－100％。结论：对三批样品同时用该法与原子吸收光度法测定锌铜，其结果无显著性差异，结果令人满意。     

电感耦合等离子体质谱法(ICP-MS)同时测定工作场所中铅、镉、铜、锌、铬及其化合物

目的建立一种同时测定工作场所空气中铅、镉、铜、锌、铬及其化合物含量的方法。方法用微孔滤膜采集工作场所空气中金属及其化合物,5 mL浓硝酸做为消解液,加热消解,电感耦合等离子体发射光谱法同时测定。结果方法在0.0μg/L~10.0μg/L范围内线性关系良好,相关系数0.999,最低检测浓度为0.00043~0.000 81 mg/m~3,精密度RSD在1.03%~3.98%之间,回收率89.0%~105.0%之间。结论该方法具有简便、快速、准确、线性范围宽、灵敏度高的优点,符合GBZ/T《职业卫生标准制定指南第4部分工作场所空气中化学物质测定方法》的要求,结果令人满意。     

Acute Toxicity of Waterborne Cd, Cu, Pb, Ni, and Zn to First-Instar Chironomus riparius Larvae

The acute toxicities of waterborne Cd, Cu, Pb, Ni, and Zn were determined in the first-instar larvae (generally considered to be the most sensitive) of Chironomus riparius, under standardized conditions. Toxicity tests were conducted in soft water (hardness, 8 mg/L as CaCO₃ equivalents) in the absence of food and were limited to 24 h to avoid control mortality associated with food deprivation. For each metal, a logarithmic range of concentrations was tested between 0 and 25 mg/L. First-instar C. riparius are most sensitive to Pb, with a 24-h LC50 of 0.61 mg/L (CI of 0.26–1.15 mg/L), and to Cu, with a 24-h LC50 of 2.09 mg/L (CI of 1.57–2.96 mg/L). The LC50 for Cd was 9.38 mg/L, while the LC50s for Zn and Ni were both higher than the highest tested concentration of 25 mg metal/L. Our results found that even first-instar chironomid larvae are well protected by both the current CCME Canadian water quality guidelines for the protection of aquatic life and the USEPA Water Quality Criteria, as LC50s were at least 25 times higher than the guideline concentrations.     

Levels of As, Cd, Pb, Cu, Se and Zn in bovine kidneys and livers in Jamaica

Paired liver and kidney samples from 100 free-range cattle in different parts of Jamaica were analyzed for essential and non-essential trace elements. We found significant enrichment of elements in the kidney (K) compared to the liver (L) with the K/L concentration ratios being 5.2 for Cd, 4.1 for Pb, 3.5 for Se and 2.1 for As, but the Cu contents of the kidney were significantly higher with the K/L ratio of 0.45. A large number of kidney and liver samples showed Cu concentrations in the ranges that were associated with deficiency effects in mammals. About 15% of the hepatic samples had Zn concentrations below 20 microg/g, suggesting that there might be zinc insufficiency in some of the animals. Positive associations were found between the metals in both the kidney and liver. On average, the intake of Cd from consumption of both bovine kidney and liver from the island was estimated to be 5.2 microg/day, equivalent to about 7% of the provisional tolerable daily intake (PTDI), although anyone who habitually consumed the few kidneys or livers with >40 microg/g cadmium may be at some risk of exceeding the PTDI. The consumption of offal from local animals did not appear to be an important dietary source of any of the essential microelements.     

Assessment of Pb, Cd, Cu, and Zn exposures of 6- to 10-year-old children in Mumbai

Population exposures to toxic trace metals are of great concern due to their nonbiodegradable nature and long biological half-lives for elimination from the body. Response to a toxic metal varies with age group; children are more sensitive and hence more at risk than others. The present study was therefore undertaken on 6- to 10-year-old children residing in various localities of Greater Mumbai and Thane. Blood samples from 566 children residing in 13 locations in Mumbai along with 410 air particulate samples and 64 "duplicate diet" samples were collected for this study. Levels of Pb, Cd, Cu, and Zn in these samples were estimated by differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetric technique. Intake of Pb, Cd, Cu, and Zn for 6- to 10-year-old children through ingestion and inhalation pathways have also been assessed. A correlation coefficient of 0.88 is observed between air lead and blood lead. It is also seen that every microgram increase in the Pb concentration in air (m-3) results in 3.56 microg increase in the blood Pb concentration (dl-1) in children. Similar correlation, however, was not observed in cases of Cd, Cu, and Zn.     

The concentration levels of Cd, Pb, Hg, Cu, Zn and Se in blood of the population in the Czech Republic

Knowledge of normal levels of concentrations of trace elements (Cd, Pb, Hg, Cu, Zn, and Se) in the population serves, among others, in design of regulations concerning health protection, determination of exposure limits and prevention of diseases caused by deficiency of trace elements. Concentrations of the named elements in whole blood of the Czech population were determined by means of atomic absorption spectrometry. The blood was collected during 1996-1998 from 1,216 blood donors (896 males and 320 females, average age 33 years) and 758 children (397 boys and 361 girls, average age 9.9 years). Mineralisation in a microwave digestion system was used in sample preparation. The accuracy of results was checked by means of the Control material Seronorm Whole Blood 404107 and Seronorm Serum 704121, Nycomed. Values of concentrations of the trace elements in blood found for adult (medians) were 0.7 microgram Cd.l-1, 800 micrograms Cu.l-1, 0.78 microgram Hg.l-1, 41 micrograms Pb.l-1, 76 micrograms Se.l-1, and 5,800 micrograms Zn.l-1, respectively. Statistically significant differences between men and women have been found in the concentrations of Cu, Hg, Pb, and Zn. In the juvenile population following medians of concentrations have been found: 0.15 microgram Cd.l-1, 1,047 micrograms Cu.l-1, 0.46 microgram Hg.l-1, 34 micrograms Pb.l-1, 69 micrograms Se.l-1, and 8,180 micrograms Zn.l-1. Statistically significant differences between boys and girls were found only in Pb and Zn concentrations. Concentrations of the studied elements correspond to the published values concerning population not exposed professionally.     

极谱催化波法连续测定锌、铁、锰、铜、铅、镉

以乙二胺和8-羟基哇啉为底液,用极谱催化液法连续测定人参三宝口服液和生物样品中Zn、Fe、Mn、Cu、Pb、Cd含量,方法具有灵敏度高,选择性好,操作简便,快速、准确等优点。六种元素的导数峰电位依次为-1.45V、-1.66V、-1.76V、-0.61V、-0.74V、-0.94V。波高和浓度线性范围依次为0～5ppm、0～5ppm、0～5ppm、0～3ppm、0～4ppm。六种元素测定下限均为2ppb,采用标准加入法对同一样品进行7次测定,回收率分别为98.7％,103.3％、104.5％、104.2％、95.0％、95.0％,变异系数为6.0～10.0％。     

Transfer of Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn in a soil-plant-invertebrate food chain: a microcosm study

The transfer of Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn was evaluated in a soil-plant (lettuce, Lactuca sativa)-invertebrate (snail, Helix aspersa) food chain during a microcosm experiment. Two agricultural soils, polluted and unpolluted, were studied. Lettuce was cultivated for eight weeks before introduction of snails into the microcosms (M-snails). In a parallel experiment, snails were exposed to lettuce only (i.e., without soil) in simpler exposure devices called containers (C-snails). Snail exposure duration was eight weeks for both M- and C-snails. No effects on snail survival were found. Both M- and C-snails exposed to polluted soil showed a growth reduction, but only after two weeks of exposure. Time-dependent accumulation in M-snails exposed to the polluted environment showed a regular increase of Cd and Zn concentrations over time and a rapid increase of Pb concentrations within the first two weeks, which then remained stable. Copper and Ni concentrations did not increase during any of the experiments. Concentrations in M- and C-snails were compared to estimate the relative contribution of soil and plant to the total bioaccumulation. The results suggest that the soil contribution may be higher than 80% for Pb, from 30 to 60% for Zn, and from 2 to 40% for Cd.     

微池留氧伏安法测定微量血中铜铅锌铁

报告了在不除氧情况下通过缩小被测试液体积来提高被测物质浓度的方法，使测定下限达到正常成人或儿童的５０μｌ全血中所含的铜、铅、锌、铁的量。实验结果与原子吸收法一致，符合临床检测要求。     

Determination of normal concentration levels of Cd,Pb, Hg,Cu, Zn and Se in urine of the population in the Czech Republic

Knowledge of normal levels of concentrations of trace elements (Cd, Pb, Hg, Cu, Zn, and Se) in the population serves, among others, in design of regulations concerning health protection, determination of exposition limits and prevention of diseases caused by deficiency of trace elements. Concentrations of the named elements in urine of the Czech population were determined by means of atomic absorption spectrometry. The urine has been collected during 1996-2000 from 1192 individuals (816 males and 376 females, average age 34.6 years) and 2008 children (1052 boys and 956 girls, average age 9.9 years). Mineralization in a microwave digestion system was used in sample preparation. The accuracy of results was checked by means of the Control Materials Seronorm 403,125 and BioRad 69,041. Values of concentrations of the trace elements in urine found for adult (medians) were 0.36 microgram Cd.g-1 creatinine, 10.6 micrograms Cu.g-1 creatinine, 0.68 microgram Hg.g-1 creatinine, 3.3 micrograms Pb.g-1 creatinine, 6.2 micrograms Se.g-1 creatinine, and 397 micrograms Zn.g-1 creatinine, respectively. Statistically significant differences between men and women have been found in the concentrations of Cu and Hg. In the juvenile population following concentrations have been found: 0.29 microgram Cd.g-1 creatinine, 16.1 micrograms Cu.g-1 creatinine, 0.32 microgram Hg.g-1 creatinine, 4.8 micrograms Pb.g-1 creatinine, 10.2 micrograms Se.g-1 creatinine and 460 micrograms Zn.g-1 creatinine. Statistically significant differences between boys and girls were found only in Cu and Hg concentrations. Concentrations of the studied elements correspond to the published values concerning population not exposed professionally.     

电感耦合等离子体发射光谱法测定奶及奶制品中锌、铁、钙、硒、铅、砷、铜

目的：研究测定奶及奶制品中锌、铁、钙、硒、铅、砷、铜电感耦合等离子体发射光谱法。方法：样品经硝酸消化完全后定容,上机测定,外标法定量。结果：锌、铁、钙、硒、铅、砷、铜检出限0.6、1.2、15、11、5、7、2μg/L,方法精密度RSD在0～20.7%之间,方法回收率在84.0%～110.0%之间。结论：本方法能够满足奶及奶制品中锌、铁、钙、硒、铅、砷、铜含量测定的要求。