Indicative and complementary effects of human biological indicators for heavy metal exposure assessment.
Although human biological indicators have been widely utilized for biomonitoring environmental pollutants in health exposure assessment, the relationship between internal and external exposure has not yet been adequately established. In this study, we collected and analyzed 61 rice, 56 pepper, and 58 soil samples, together with 107 hair, 107 blood, and 107 urine samples from residents living in selected intensive mining areas in China. Concentrations of most of the four elements considered (Pb, Cd, Hg, and Se) exceeded national standards, implying high exposure risk in the study areas. Regression analysis also revealed a correlation (0.33, P < 0.001) between the concentration of Pb in soil and that in human hair (as well as in human blood); to some extent, Pb content in hair and blood could therefore be used to characterize external Pb exposure. The correlation between Hg in rice and in human hair (up to 0.5, P < 0.001) further confirmed a significant indicative effect of human hair for Hg exposure. A significant correlation was also noted between concentrations of some elements in different human samples, for example, between Hg in hair and blood (0.641, P < 0.01) and between Cd in urine and blood (0.339, P < 0.01). To some extent, there could thus be mutual reflectance of the same heavy metal in different samples, with the possibility for complementary use in assessing heavy metal exposure.
Key Laboratory of Land Surface Pattern and Simulation, Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.|University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
Ruiya
R
Xing
Key Laboratory of Land Surface Pattern and Simulation, Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China. yhli@igsnrr.ac.cn.|Beijing Key Laboratory of Environmental Damage Assessment and Remediation, Beijing, China. yhli@igsnrr.ac.cn.
Yonghua
Y
Li
Key Laboratory of Land Surface Pattern and Simulation, Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.|University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
Biao
B
Zhang
Key Laboratory of Land Surface Pattern and Simulation, Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China. lihr@igsnrr.ac.cn.
Hairong
H
Li
Key Laboratory of Land Surface Pattern and Simulation, Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.|Beijing Key Laboratory of Environmental Damage Assessment and Remediation, Beijing, China.
Xiaoyong
X
Liao
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China; D000074062:Environmental Biomarkers; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D008906:Mining; D055815:Young Adult
D000074062:Environmental Biomarkers; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D019216:Metals, Heavy
Complementary effects; External exposure; Heavy metal; Human biological indicators; Internal exposure