title: Human exposure to metals: levels in autopsy tissues of individuals living near a hazardous waste incinerator.
abstract: The concentrations of a number of metals were determined in the brain, bone, kidney, liver, and lung of 20 autopsied subjects who had lived, at least 10 years, in the neighborhood of a hazardous waste incinerator (HWI) in Tarragona (Catalonia, Spain). Results were compared with those obtained in 1998 (baseline survey) and previous surveys (2003 and 2007). Arsenic, Be, Ni, Tl, and V showed concentrations below the corresponding detection limits in all tissues. Cadmium showed the highest levels in the kidney, with a mean value of 21.15 μg/g. However, Cd was found below the detection limit in the brain and bone. Chromium showed similar concentrations in the kidney, brain, and lung (range of mean values, 0.57-0.66 μg/g) and higher in the bone (1.38 μg/g). In turn, Hg was below the detection limit in all tissues with the exception of the kidney, where the mean concentration was 0.15 μg/g (range, <0.05-0.58 μg/g). On the other hand, Mn could be detected in all tissues showing the highest levels in the liver and kidney (1.45 and 1.09 μg/g, respectively). Moreover, Pb showed the highest concentrations in bone (mean, 1.39 μg/g; range, <0.025-4.88 μg/g). Finally, Sn could be detected only in some tissue samples, reaching the highest values in the bone (0.17 μg/g). The current metal levels in human tissues from individuals living near the HWI of Tarragona are comparable and of a similar magnitude to previously reported results corresponding to general populations, as well as those of our previous surveys.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Toxicology and Environmental Health, School of Medicine, IISPV, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Sant Llorenç 21, 43201, Reus, Spain.
authors.forename: Montse
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mari
authors.forename: Martí
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nadal
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schuhmacher
authors.forename: Eneko
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Barbería
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: García
authors.forename: José L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Domingo
mesh_terms: D001151:Arsenic / Q000032:analysis; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000378:metabolism; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D002104:Cadmium; D002857:Chromium / Q000032:analysis; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006256:Hazardous Waste / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000378:metabolism; D008168:Lung / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008628:Mercury / Q000032:analysis; D008875:Middle Aged; D009532:Nickel / Q000032:analysis; D013793:Thallium / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D006256:Hazardous Waste; D002104:Cadmium; D002857:Chromium; D009532:Nickel; D013793:Thallium; D008628:Mercury; D001151:Arsenic