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Int J Mol Sci 2019 Apr 2;20(7). Epub 2019 Apr 2.

Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008-5410, USA.

The olfactory system, composed of the olfactory organs and the olfactory bulb, allows organisms to interact with their environment and through the detection of odor signals. Olfaction mediates behaviors pivotal for survival, such as feeding, mating, social behavior, and danger assessment. The olfactory organs are directly exposed to the milieu, and thus are particularly vulnerable to damage by environmental pollutants and toxicants, such as heavy metals, pesticides, and surfactants, among others. Read More

Chemosphere 2019 Jun 27;224:884-891. Epub 2019 Feb 27.

Department of Pharmacognosy, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, A-1090, Vienna, Austria.

Comparative accumulation of cadmium (Cd) and nickel (Ni) and the consequences for the metabolism of common weed dandelion (triploid ones of Taraxacum sect. Taraxacum) were studied here for the first time. Cd accumulated more in both shoots and roots (489 and 2486 μg/g DW) than Ni (165 and 858 μg/g DW) after 14 days of exposure and only root Ni content did not increase between 7 and 14 days of exposure. Read More

Chemosphere 2019 Apr 5;227:179-190. Epub 2019 Apr 5.

Department of Chemistry, Centre for Advanced Studies, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar143005, Punjab, India. Electronic address:

Heavy metals are well recognised for their toxicity and pose human health risks even at very low levels. In the present work, groundwater from Ropar wetland, Punjab, India and its environs (18 sites), were analysed for physico-chemical parameters, water quality indices, heavy metal contents (cadmium, cobalt, chromium, copper, lead and zinc) and possible health risks posed to adults and children during summer and winter seasons. Groundwater was slightly-alkaline, non-saline and hard which may be suitable for irrigation purposes. Read More

Zhonghua Yu Fang Yi Xue Za Zhi 2019 Apr;53(4):360-364

State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Health Risk Assessment, South China Institute of Environmental Science, Guangzhou 510655, China.

To evaluate the non-carcinogenic health risk of heavy metals (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Pb and Zn) in residential indoor dust for young children around an e-waste dismantling area in South China. A village around an e-waste dismantling area in South China was selected as a research site in October 2016. Convenience sampling method was used to select 36 houses in the village and 36 dust samples were collected by vacuum cleaner. Read More

Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 2019 Aug 10;177:124-132. Epub 2019 Apr 10.

CESAM Associated Lab - Department of Biology, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal; Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal.

The biological responses of acidobiontic species to extremely acidic waters, as those related with Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) processes, are relevant not only to understand the toxicological degree of the waters as well as the mechanisms responsible for the survival and adaptation of such organisms. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of acidic pH and metals in biofilms collected in two sites a lentic permanent acid pond (AP) and a temporary acid stream (AS) affected by Acid Mine Drainage (AMD), and taking as control (C), an uncontaminated site with circumneutral pH. The results showed typical conditions of AMD-contaminated waters in sites AS and AP (pH < 3 and high concentrations of Al, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb and Zn), which are responsible for a substantial decrease in biomass and biodiversity of biofilms (with a dominance of acidobiontic species, such as Pinnularia aljustrelica and Eunotia exigua, comparing to the control site. Read More

Environ Toxicol Pharmacol 2019 Mar 28;69:86-94. Epub 2019 Mar 28.

Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Private Bag x323, Arcadia, 0007, South Africa. Electronic address:

Environmental presence and human exposure to heavy metals in air and cigarette smoke has led to a worldwide increase in respiratory disease. The effects of oral exposure to heavy metals in liver and kidney structure and function have been widely investigated and the respiratory system as a target is often overlooked. The aim of the study was to investigate the possible structural changes in the lung tissue of Sprague-Dawley rats after oral exposure for 28 days to cadmium (Cd) and mercury (Hg), alone and in combination at 1000 times the World Health Organization's limit for each metal in drinking water. Read More

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2019 Apr 13. Epub 2019 Apr 13.

CAS Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen, 361021, China.

Hydrothermal treatment (HTT) of sewage sludge (SS) with pig manure biochar (PMB) addition at 160-200 °C was conducted in this study. The effects of PMB addition on the dewaterability of SS and the speciation evolution, leaching toxicity, and potential ecological risk of heavy metals were investigated. The results showed that the solid contents of the filter cakes after adding PMB increased from 20. Read More

Sci Total Environ 2019 Apr 3;672:789-797. Epub 2019 Apr 3.

School of Environmental Engineering, University of Seoul, 163 Seoulsiripdae-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul 02504, Republic of Korea. Electronic address:

Ecotoxicity tests conducted under well-controlled lab conditions often do not reflect the real environmental conditions. To this end, we designed an ecotoxicity test using an aquatic midge, Chironomus riparius, raised in metal-contaminated field sediments (MCFS), which reflect the real environmental conditions, for five consecutive generations (F0-F4) followed by a toxic response to arsenic exposure (as a second challenge). The toxic responses (i. Read More

J Microbiol Methods 2019 Apr 9. Epub 2019 Apr 9.

Department of Biological Environment, Kangwon National University, 192-1 Hyoja-dong, Gangwon-do, Chuncheon-si 200-701, Republic of Korea. Electronic address:

A fed-batch bioreactor based on sulfur-oxidizing bacteria (SOB) was tested for rapid detection of heavy metal-induced toxicity in water. For this evaluation, SOB were exposed to water contaminated by selenium, mercury, hexavalent chromium, arsenic, cyanide, cadmium, and lead for 2 h and their inhibition rates were analyzed based on changes in electrical conductivity (EC). The results demonstrate that SOB were highly inhibited by selenium, mercury, hexavalent chromium, and arsenic but not by cyanide, cadmium, and lead. Read More

Environ Geochem Health 2019 Apr 10. Epub 2019 Apr 10.

School of Earth Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.

Plants that have grown for many years in the special environmental conditions prevailing in mining areas are naturally screened and show strong capacity to adapt to their environment. The present study investigated the enrichment characteristics of U and other heavy metals (As, Cu, Pb, Mn, Mo, Zn, Cd, Co, and Ni) in the soil-plant system in Xiazhuang uranium mine. Four dominant plants (Castanopsis carlesii, Rhus chinensis, Liriodendron chinense, and Sapium discolor) and soil samples were collected from the mined areas, unmined areas, and background areas away from the ore field. Read More

Sci Rep 2019 Apr 10;9(1):5855. Epub 2019 Apr 10.

Department of Botanical and Environmental Sciences, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, 143005, India.

Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPRs) are very effective in immobilization of heavy metals and reducing their translocation in plants via precipitation, complex formation and adsorption. The present study was therefore designed to understand the role of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Burkholderia gladioli in mitigation of Cd stress (0.4 mM) in 10-days old L. Read More

Sci Total Environ 2019 May 14;666:944-955. Epub 2019 Feb 14.

State Key Lab of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China. Electronic address:

Cadmium (Cd) is a common contaminant in environment. Crayfish are considered suitable for indicating the impact of heavy metals on the environment. However, there is limited information on the mechanisms causing damage to the hepatopancreas of Procambarus clarkii exposed to Cd. Read More

Sci Total Environ 2019 May 14;666:1126-1133. Epub 2019 Feb 14.

College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Hunan University), Ministry of Education, Changsha 410082, China.

Cadmium (Cd) contamination in river sediments becomes increasingly serious, and phytoremediation has been used to remediate Cd contaminated sediments, but the remediation efficiency needs to be improved. In this study, tea waste derived biochar (TB) was used to facilitate the phytoremediation of Cd contaminated sediments. Results showed that TB at 100, 500 and 1000 mg kg increased Cd accumulation and translocation in ramie seedlings by changing Cd speciation in sediments and altering the subcellular distribution of Cd in plant cells. Read More

J Nanosci Nanotechnol 2019 Sep;19(9):5418-5425

Graduate School of Applied Biological Sciences, Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu, Gifu 501-1193, Japan.

Yttrium oxide (Y₂O₃) nanoparticles have widespread applications; however, toxicity due to these nanoparticles has also been reported. In this study, we evaluated the toxicity of Y₂O₃ nanoparticles according to the technical specifications published by the International Standard Organization (ISO/TS 19337:2016). We used Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a model microorganism represented the environment. Read More

Polymers (Basel) 2019 Jan 30;11(2). Epub 2019 Jan 30.

Microbiology and Micotoxins Laboratory, Departamento de Investigación y Posgrado en Alimentos, Universidad de Sonora, Hermosillo, Sonora, C.P. 83000, México.

Sorbent materials of biological origin are considered as an alternative to the use of traditional methods in order to remove heavy metals. Interest in using these materials has increased over the past years due to their low cost and friendliness to the environment. The objective of this study was to synthesize and characterize cross-linked beads made of chitosan, alginate, and mycelium of a copper-tolerant strain of . Read More

Mar Pollut Bull 2019 Apr 12;141:535-549. Epub 2019 Mar 12.

Institute for the Biological Resources and Marine Biotechnology, National Research Council (IRBIM-CNR), Spianata San Raineri 86, 98122 Messina, Italy; Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno d'Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy. Electronic address:

Heavy metals (HMs) and polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs) enter the Arctic environment through a variety of anthropogenic sources with deleterious effects towards biota and public health. Bacteria first transfer toxic compounds to higher trophic levels and, due to the tight link existing between prokaryotic community functions and the type and concentration of contaminants, they may be useful indicator of pollution events and potential toxicity to other forms of life. The occurrence and abundance of HM-tolerant and PCB-oxidizing bacteria in the sub-Arctic Pasvik river area, heavily impacted by anthropogenic modifications, was related to HM and PCB contamination. Read More

J Environ Sci (China) 2019 Jun 31;80:229-239. Epub 2018 Dec 31.

State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China; National Engineering Laboratory for Sustainable Sludge Management & Resourcelization Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China. Electronic address:

The effects of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) on reactor performance, extracellular polymeric substances composition and microbial community structure and function in integrated fixed-film activated sludge-sequencing batch reactors (IFAS-SBRs) were investigated. Results showed that the addition of AgNPs from 0.1 to 10 mg/L exhibited no significant effects on nutrient removal. Read More

Chemosphere 2019 Mar 22;226:421-430. Epub 2019 Mar 22.

Department of Soil Science of the Federal University of Santa Maria, 97105-900, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil.

Foliar fungicide application in grapevines increases the content of heavy metals such as copper (Cu) in vineyard soils, which may reach phytotoxic levels. The application of soil amendments such as limestone and vermicompost may reduce Cu availability and phytotoxicity. The study aimed to assess growth, physiological status and changes in root morphology in young grapevines grown for 12 months in Cu-contaminated soil with and without the application of soil amendments. Read More

Math Biosci Eng 2019 02;16(3):1138-1149

Department of Biochemistry, Government College University Faisalabad (GCUF), Pakistan.

Heavy metals are released into the environment through both human and natural sources, may have a direct hepatic toxicity and are involved in chronic liver diseases. Modification in the regulation of heavy metals metabolism enhanced hepatitis c virus (HCV) replication which ultimately reduced outcomes of anti-viral therapy in chronic HCV patients. Chelation therapy with new drugs seems to eradicate HCV and may prevent liver complications. Read More

Sci Total Environ 2019 Mar 27;671:874-882. Epub 2019 Mar 27.

Irstea Lyon, Riverly Research Unit, Villeurbanne, France.

The toxicity of three field-collected sediments differentially contaminated with pesticides, heavy metals, phtalates and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), was assessed in Chironomus riparius. For this purpose, C. riparius larvae were exposed throughout their entire life cycle to sediments collected in three sites along the Saulx river in France, and the toxic effects were measured at different levels of biological organization: from the molecular (lipidomic analysis and transcriptional variations) to the whole organism response (respiration rate, shape markers and emergence rate). Read More

Biometals 2019 Apr 2. Epub 2019 Apr 2.

Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University, 110 Xiangya Road, Changsha, 410078, China.

Heavy metals are naturally existing elements that have relatively high atomic weight and a minimum density five times the density of water. Heavy metals have extensive applications in industries, homes, agriculture and medicine, leading to their wide distribution in the environment. Most heavy metals are reported to be highly toxic. Read More

J Inorg Biochem 2019 Mar 23;195:111-119. Epub 2019 Mar 23.

Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.

Alpha lipoic acid (α-LA) and its reduced form dihydrolipoic acid (DHLA) have been historically considered as excellent anti-oxidants and oxidative stress scavengers. Upon oxidation with reactive oxygen species (ROS) and pro-oxidants, α-LA may be reconstituted from DHLA and other reduced forms. Oxidative stress is one of the fundamental causes of functional degeneration, autophagy and apoptosis leading to cytotoxicity and loss of cell survival, often due to exposure to xenobiotics, pollutants, heavy metals, and other environmental and endogenous toxicants. Read More

Ren Fail 2019 Nov;41(1):159-166

b Department of Nephrology , The Affiliated People's Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Shanxi Provincial People's Hospital, Shanxi Kidney Disease Institute , Taiyuan , China.

Intermedin (IMD) is a member of the calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) superfamily and a pro-angiogenic factor. In the present study, we identified activation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway by IMD. Adding CoCl HUVECs was used to establish an in vitro model. Read More

Front Microbiol 2019 15;10:371. Epub 2019 Mar 15.

Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland.

The contamination of soil with toxic metals is a worldwide problem, resulting in the disruption of plant vegetation and subsequent crop production. Thus, remediation techniques for contaminated soil and water remain a constant interest of researchers. Phytoremediation, which utilizes plants to remove or stabilize contaminants, is perceived to be a promising strategy. Read More

Plant Biol (Stuttg) 2019 Mar 31. Epub 2019 Mar 31.

Division of Applied Life Science (BK21 Plus Program), Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Research Center, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, 52828, Republic of Korea.

Cadmium (Cd) is one of the most toxic heavy metals and a non-essential element to all organisms, including plants; however, the genes involved in Cd resistance in plants remain poorly characterized. To identify Cd resistance genes in rice, we screened a rice cDNA expression library treated with CdCl using a yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) mutant ycf1 strain (DTY167) and isolated two rice phytochelatin synthases (OsPCS5 and OsPCS15). The genes were strongly induced by Cd treatment and conferred increased resistance to Cd when expressed in the ycf1 mutant strain. Read More

Int J Environ Res Public Health 2019 Mar 28;16(7). Epub 2019 Mar 28.

State Key Laboratory for coal mine disaster dynamics and control, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China.

The proper disposal of Lead-Zinc Smelting Slag (LZSS) having toxic metals is a great challenge for a sustainable environment. In the present study, this challenge was overcome by its solidification/stabilization through alkali-activated cementitious material i.e. Read More

Environ Geochem Health 2019 Mar 28. Epub 2019 Mar 28.

Nakdong River Environment Research Center, National Institute of Environmental Research, 24, Pyeongri-1gil, Dasan-myeon, Goryeong-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do, 717-873, Republic of Korea.

This study aimed to select rivers of priority management through the assessment of heavy metal pollution of sediments. We investigated the distribution characteristics of heavy metals in surface sediments of the Nakdong River in South Korea and used various pollution indices to assess pollution risk and identify factors influencing pollution. The kriging method was used to determine heavy metal distribution. Read More

Food Addit Contam Part B Surveill 2019 Mar 28:1-9. Epub 2019 Mar 28.

a Department of Veterinary Science , University of Parma , Parma , Italy.

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the content of lead in carcasses of wild boars shot with lead bullets, in comparison with that of copper caused by lead-free ammunitions. Radiographic images of hunted boars were obtained in order to assess the degree of bullet fragmentation in the carcasses. Samples of meat were collected from different body areas at increasing distance from bullet trajectory, to be analysed by ICP-MS for lead and copper levels. Read More

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2019 Mar 27. Epub 2019 Mar 27.

School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi Key Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Guangxi University, No. 100 East Daxue Road, Xixiangtang District, Nanning, 530004, Guangxi Autonomous Region, China.

The stabilization of heavy metals (zinc and chromium) and the degradation of organic pollutants during supercritical water (SCW) and supercritical water oxidation (SCWO) treatment of electroplating sludge (EPS) with a high iron content were studied. Experiments were performed in a batch reactor at temperatures in the range from 623.15 to 823. Read More

Environ Monit Assess 2019 Mar 27;191(4):253. Epub 2019 Mar 27.

Department of Environmental Engineering and Management, Chaoyang University of Technology, Taichung, 41349, Taiwan.

The technology for remediating heavy metal-contaminated soil is considerably limited because heavy metals do not undergo decomposition. Off-site reuse has emerged as the main technique for treating heavy metal-contaminated soil. Soil is the primary material in red brick making; and in the sintering procedure, heavy metals could solidify and stabilize within bricks. Read More

Environ Monit Assess 2019 Mar 26;191(4):246. Epub 2019 Mar 26.

School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Chang'an University, No. 126 Yanta Road, Xi'an, 710054, Shaanxi, China.

The contamination of heavy metals (HMs) in agricultural soil lands has attracted the environmental world due to their abundance, persistence, and toxicity. A study has been conducted to evaluate the degree of HM contamination in the agricultural soils of northern Telangana, using geo-accumulation index (I), pollution index (PI), pollution load index (PLI), enrichment factor (EF), statistical analysis, and also spatial distribution. In this study, a total of 15 surface agricultural soil samples were collected and analyzed for the concentration of HMs including Cr, Cu, Co, Ba, V, As, Ni, Pb, and Zn. Read More

Chem Res Toxicol 2019 Apr 4. Epub 2019 Apr 4.

School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering , Wuhan University of Science and Technology , Wuhan 430081 , China.

Heavy metal pollution elicits severe environmental concern and health problem worldwide. Mercury is considered as a ubiquitous pollutant due to its versatile application in medicine, industry, and cosmetics. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are transcripts greater than 200 nt without protein-encoding function. Read More

Sci Total Environ 2019 Mar 20;670:555-568. Epub 2019 Mar 20.

Tecnologico de Monterrey, School of Engineering and Sciences, Campus Monterrey, Ave. Eugenio Garza Sada 2501, Monterrey, N.L. CP 64849, Mexico. Electronic address:

In recent years, the use of cosmeceutical-based personal care and beauty products has ever increased, around the world. Currently, an increasing number of compounds are being assimilated in the formulation of cosmetic products as preservatives, fragrances, surfactants, etc. to intensify the performance, quality, value, and lifespan of cosmetics. Read More

Biosens Bioelectron 2019 May 11;132:382-390. Epub 2019 Mar 11.

National Research Council of Canada, 6100 Royalmount Ave, Montreal, QC, Canada H4P 2R2. Electronic address:

This study describes an environmental biosensor for real time toxicity monitoring, which exploits high sensitivity of a microbial fuel cell (MFC) to variations in concentrations of electron donors and acceptors. Fast biosensor response to changes in total heavy metal concentration of a mining rock drainage was observed in laboratory tests with acceptable repeatability and a coefficient of determination (R) of 0.95-0. Read More

Chemosphere 2019 Mar 15;225:678-687. Epub 2019 Mar 15.

Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Via Università 100, 80055, Portici (NA), Italy.

Phytoremediation is an economic process through exploitation of plants capacity to accumulate heavy metals in polluted habitats by their harvestable parts. In the present investigation, Portulaca oleracea was examined to estimate its role in the accumulation of Mn(II), Cu(II), Zn(II), Fe(III) and Pb(II) ions and recognize its persistence against the industrial effluent toxicity from different farmlands located beside these regions (S1:S9) in Dakahlia district, Egypt. The most recorded associate plants were; Amaranthus viridus, Malva parviflora, Chenopodium murale and Echinochloa colonum, which have high potentiality of heavy metals (HM) accumulation. Read More

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2019 Mar 22. Epub 2019 Mar 22.

Department of Chemical Engineering, Кansas State University, 1005 Durland Hall, Manhattan, KS, USA.

Contamination of soil by heavy metals is among the important environmental problems due to their toxicity and negative impact to human health and the environment. An effective method for cleaning the soil from heavy metals is phytoremediation using the second-generation bioenergy species Miscanthus × giganteus. The purpose of this research is to study the benefits of M. Read More

Plants (Basel) 2019 Mar 21;8(3). Epub 2019 Mar 21.

National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute, Mohali 140306, India.

Over the past few decades, heavy metal contamination in soil and water has increased due to anthropogenic activities. The higher exposure of crop plants to heavy metal stress reduces growth and yield, and affect the sustainability of agricultural production. In this regard, the use of silicon (Si) supplementation offers a promising prospect since numerous studies have reported the beneficial role of Si in mitigating stresses imposed by biotic as well as abiotic factors including heavy metal stress. Read More

Chemosphere 2019 Mar 12;225:618-626. Epub 2019 Mar 12.

Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague, Technická 3, 166 28, Prague, Czech Republic. Electronic address:

It has been firmly established that macrofungi can accumulate large amounts of heavy metals in their sporocarps. However, the mechanisms of the accumulation and storage are being uncovered only recently. We have previously documented that Russula bresadolae can accumulate over 1 g Zn kg dry weight and that sequestration of a substantial proportion of overaccumulated Zn involves binding with peptides, RaZBPs, seen so far only in this species. Read More

Biol Trace Elem Res 2019 Mar 21. Epub 2019 Mar 21.

Department of Geological Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Kocaeli University, Kocaeli, Turkey.

Platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) is widely used blood-derived biomaterial which is directly applied to the surgical wounds. Depending on its autologous origin, PRF is thought as a safe material. However, it is not known to what extent the blood-derived toxins can be found in the PRF by considering the systemic exposure rates of the individuals to the toxins. Read More

J Environ Radioact 2019 Jul 16;203:112-116. Epub 2019 Mar 16.

Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Pharmacy, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Electronic address:

Depleted uranium (DU) is a by-product of the enrichment procedure of natural uranium. During production and usage, uranium may be released into the environment due to failure to follow standard procedures, thus causing environmental pollution. In this study, toxicity effects of uranium (VI) and protective role of mitochondrial permeability transition pore sealing and antioxidant agents studied by isolated human lymphocytes. Read More

Toxicol Rep 2019 25;6:210-214. Epub 2019 Feb 25.

Spectroscopy Department, Physics Division, National Research Centre, 33 El-Bohouth St., P.O. Box: 12622, Dokki, Cairo, Egypt.

Heavy metals are elements present in trace quantities in the environment and, in small concentrations, they play important roles for the living organisms yet it can cause toxicity if exceeded the recommended levels. Toxic metals contamination is an important environmental problem that was mainly manifested in the growing industrial cities where the levels in toxic metals exceeded the recommended levels leading to the increase of several health problems (that vary from memory disorder to carcinogenic diseases). The main sources of food contamination by toxic metals are the increase in petroleum fuels exhausts and the addition of fertilizers and metal-based pesticides during farming processes. Read More

Sci Total Environ 2019 Jun 11;669:421-430. Epub 2019 Mar 11.

State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, PR China.

Antimony (Sb) contamination of soils and its potential negative impact on crop yields have been recently recognized. To explore the effects of Sb(III) on wheat, responses of physical growth properties, enzyme activities and gene expression were examined. The root length was the most relevant indicator to exposure concentration, the root fresh weight was the most sensitive endpoint according to the comparison of the EC (50% inhibitory effect concentration) values, and NRAMP1 gene expression at 1 mg L was more sensitive than other genes. Read More

Environ Int 2019 May 14;126:717-726. Epub 2019 Mar 14.

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong. Electronic address:

Long term mining activities can cause significant metal pollution in the environment, thereby showing potential risk to the paddy field. Elucidating the interfacial processes of trace metals from contaminated paddy soil to rice within the rhizosphere can provide important information on metal biogeochemistry and food safety. The current study aims to explore the spatial distribution and molecular speciation of Cu from rhizosphere to rice plant in a mining-impacted paddy soil, and reveal the possible uptake mechanisms. Read More

Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 2019 Jul 15;175:8-18. Epub 2019 Mar 15.

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Life Science, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China. Electronic address:

HPP (heavy metal associated plant protein) and HIPP (heavy metal associated isoprenylated plant protein) are a group of metal-binding metallochaperones playing crucial roles in metal homeostasis and detoxification. Up to now, only few of them have been functionally identified in plants. Here, we identified 54 HPP and HIPP genes in rice genome. Read More

Int J Phytoremediation 2019 15;21(4):293-304. Epub 2019 Mar 15.

a Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry , CCS Haryana Agricultural University , Hisar , Haryana , India.

Aim: Chromium (Cr(VI)) would inflict serious morphological, metabolic, and physiological anomalies in plants ranging from chlorosis of shoot to lipid peroxidation and protein degradation. Cr(VI) toxicity is often associated with oxidative stress, caused by the excessive formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). In response, plants are equipped with a repertoire of mechanisms to counteract heavy metal (HM) toxicity. Read More

Aquat Toxicol 2019 May 28;210:179-187. Epub 2019 Feb 28.

Department of Physical, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Siena, Siena, Italy.

Nanoplastics are recognized as able to interact with other pollutants including heavy metals, and with natural organic matter, with implications for the potential risks to biota. We investigated the interaction of carboxylated polystyrene nanoparticles (PS-COOH NPs) with copper (Cu) and algal exudates (EPS) and how such interaction could affect Cu toxicity towards the freshwater microalga Raphidocelis subcapitata. PS-COOH NPs behavior in the presence of Cu and EPS was determined by dynamic light scattering (DLS), while PS-COOH NPs surface interaction with Cu ions and EPS was investigated by fluorimetric analysis. Read More

Rev Prat 2018 Dec;68(10):1069-1074

Inserm UMR-S 1124, centre universitaire des Saints-Pères, université Paris-Descartes, Paris, France.

Endocrine disruptor compounds and new mechanisms of toxicity. Recent observations have shown that certain exogenous substances could interfere with the endocrine system and thereby elicit toxic effects. This has led to the identification of the endocrine disruptor compounds (EDC) as a new class of toxic agents. Read More

Sci Rep 2019 Mar 12;9(1):4253. Epub 2019 Mar 12.

Arizona State University, School of Life Sciences, Tempe, Arizona, USA.

Heavy metal toxicity is an ecological concern in regions affected by processes like mining, industry, and agriculture. At sufficiently high concentrations, heavy metals are lethal to honey bees, but little is known about how sublethal doses affect honey bees or whether they will consume contaminated food. We investigated whether honey bees reject sucrose solutions contaminated with three heavy metals - cadmium, copper, and lead - as a measure of their ability to detect the metals, and whether ingesting these metals altered the bees' sucrose sensitivity. Read More

Inorg Chem 2019 Apr 12;58(7):4173-4189. Epub 2019 Mar 12.

Institute of Resource Ecology , Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf , Bautzner Landstraße 400 , 01328 Dresden , Germany.

Hexavalent uranium is ubiquitous in the environment. In view of the chemical and radiochemical toxicity of uranium(VI), a good knowledge of its possible interactions in the environment is crucial. The aim of this work was to identify typical binding and sorption characteristics of uranium(VI) with both the pure bovine milk protein β-casein and diverse related protein mixtures (caseins, whey proteins). Read More

Tumour Biol 2019 Mar;41(3):1010428319834856

3 Radiation Biology, The National Center for Radiation Research and Technology (NCRRT), Atomic Energy Authority (AEA), Cairo, Egypt.

Combining chemotherapy with radiotherapy potentiates the outcome of cancer treatment for the more comprehensive attack. In the current study, we continued to assess the therapeutic efficaciousness of the newly synthesized gallium nanoparticles (GaNPs) combined with low level of gamma radiation (IR), on the incidence of diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-induced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in rats. Oral administration of GaNPs (1 mg/Kg b. Read More