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Bilobalide has shown strong anti-inflammatory activity. Colorectal cancer (CRC) is closely associated with inflammation. However, no studies have reported on the use of bilobalide for treating CRC. This study aims to evaluate the effect of bilobalide on CRC prevention. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), Western blotting, and immunofluorescence showed that bilobalide significantly inhibits the M2 polarization of macrophages dependent on phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) and interleukin-4 (IL-4). Analysis of signaling pathways showed that the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) was regulated. In particular, human CRC organoids were established. Western blotting, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase biotin-dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL), and analysis of cell viability and morphology further supported the hypothesis that the anti-CRC effects of bilobalide could be explained by its ability to suppress M2 macrophage polarization and promote M1 transformation. C57BL/6 mice treated with azoxymethane (AOM)/dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) were divided into three groups, i.e., control, AOM/DSS, low (2.5 mg/kg), and high (5 mg/kg). High-dose bilobalide markedly inhibited the progression of CRC, as evidenced by the increased body weight, decrease in disease activity index (DAI) death rate, and alleviation of colon length reduction and tumorigenesis. According to the in vivo results, reduced levels of inflammatory cytokines in the serum included tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), IL-6, IL-1β, and IL-10. Bilobalide reduced oxidative stress indices, lipid peroxide (LPO), and malondialdehyde (MDA) and increased reduced glutathione (GSH). In addition, the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), Ki67, cellular Myc (c-Myc), and CD206 was downregulated in the drug-treated groups, as confirmed by the immunohistochemical staining. Collectively, these results indicated that bilobalide administration improve experimental CRC by inhibiting M2 macrophage polarization and oxidative stress. Thus, bilobalide may prevent CRC and serve as a potential therapeutic target for CRC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: microRNA‐450b (miR‐450b) plays an important role in cancer progression; however, its function in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) remains largely unknown. This study aimed to investigate the action mechanisms of miR‐450b in OSCC. Materials and Methods: OSCC animal model was established via continuous induction with single‐drug 7, 12‐dimethylbenzo[a]anthracene (DMBA). Animal tissue samples were pathologically typed using haematoxylin–eosin (HE) staining. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database was used to predict miR‐450b and SERPINB2 expression in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). qRT‐PCR and Western blotting were used to detect gene and protein expression in OSCC tissue and cells, respectively. OSCC cell proliferation, growth, migration and invasion were detected using CCK‐8, colony formation, transwell migration and matrigel invasion assays, respectively. Bioinformatic tools were used to predict miR‐450b target genes. Dual‐luciferase reporter assay was used to verify targeting between miR‐450b and SERPINB2. Finally, small interfering RNA (siRNA) was used to reduce SERPINB2 expression to detect its effect on tumourigenesis. Results: Four stages of OSCC carcinogenesis (normal oral epithelium, simple epithelial hyperplasia, dysplasia and OSCC) were identified. miR‐450b was found to be overexpressed in OSCC animal samples, HNSCC samples and human OSCC cells. Upregulation of miR‐450b significantly promoted OSCC cell proliferation, colony formation, migration and invasion, while its downregulation had the opposite effect. SERPINB2 was found to be a miR‐450b target gene, and its expression was negatively correlated with miR‐450b expression. Altering SERPINB2 expression effectively inhibited OSCC cell invasion, metastasis and epithelial‐mesenchymal transition (EMT). Conclusions: miR‐450b plays a key role in OSCC tumourigenesis by regulating OSCC cell migration, invasion and EMT via SERPINB2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lung cancer, as a malignant tumor with both high incidence and mortality in China, is one of the major causes of death in our population and one of the major public health problems in China. Effective treatment of lung cancer is a major public health task for all human beings. Angiogenesis plays an important role in the development of tumor, not only as a basic condition for tumor growth, but also as a significant factor to promote tumor metastasis. Therefore, anti-angiogenesis has become a vital means to inhibit tumor development, and anti-angiogenic drugs can rebalance pro- and anti-angiogenic factors to inhibit tumor cells. This article reviews the mechanism of blood vessel formation in tumor tissues and the mechanism of action of different anti-angiogenic drugs, the combination therapy of anti-angiogenic drugs and other anti-tumor drugs, and the mechanism of anti-angiogenic drug resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethylene oxide is commonly used in industrial synthesis and medical disinfection. It is a known human carcinogen and has neurotoxicity. However, the association between ethylene oxide exposure and neurodevelopmental disorders remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the association between urinary concentrations of 2-hydroxyethyl mercapturic acid (HEMA; metabolite of ethylene oxide) and dyslexia among school-aged children. A total of 355 dyslexic children and 390 controls from three cities in China were enrolled in this case-control study from November 2017 to December 2020. Urinary HEMA was detected in 100% of the urine samples, suggesting widespread exposure to ethylene oxide in the children. Notably, the children with dyslexia had higher concentrations of urinary HEMA compared to the controls (geometric mean: 2.92 vs. 2.47 ng/mL) (P = 0.004). In the multivariable-adjusted model, urinary concentrations of HEMA were significantly associated with dyslexia risk. The individuals within the highest HEMA concentration demonstrated a 1.97-fold increased odds of dyslexia compared to those within the lowest quartile (95% confidence interval: 1.20–3.23). Thus, these findings suggested the possible link between HEMA levels and the risk of dyslexia. Further studies are warranted to validate this finding and illustrate the underlying mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is the most powerful carcinogen and highly toxic mycotoxin known in nature. AFB1 can contaminate the broiler diet and limit the development of broiler breeding in China. At present, the toxicity of AFB1 to broilers is mainly reflected in chronic consumption. The paper reviews the effect of genetic, physiological and environmental factors on AFB1 toxicity in broilers, and the effect of AFB1 on production performance, immune system and tissues and organs of broilers, summarizes the characteristics of commonly used antidotes in broiler production, so as to provide reference for reducing the harm of AFB1 to broilers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prostate cancer morbidity and mortality are increasing globally and in China, and the rate of metastasis is also rising, limiting the therapeutic effect and clinical prognosis of prostate cancer. CD151 is considered to be the first promoter of tumor metastasis in the tetraspanin superfamily. Previous research has linked CD151 to the progression of a number of malignancies, including prostate cancer. However, a recent study found that CD151 can inhibit the progression of prostate cancer. As a result, this paper examines existing research on CD151 and prostate cancer progression in order to clarify the relationship and provide a possible reference for future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The incidence of thyroid cancer in China has rapidly increased in recent decades. As the genetic profiles of thyroid cancer vary dramatically between different geographical regions, a comprehensive genetic landscape of thyroid cancer in the Chinese population is urgently needed. Methods: We retrospectively included thyroid cancer patients from three Chinese medical centers between February 2015 and August 2020. To dissect the genomic profiling of these patients, we performed targeted next-generation sequencing on their tumor tissues using a 1,021-gene panel. Results: A total of 458 Chinese patients with thyroid cancer were enrolled, including four malignant histological subtypes arising from follicular epithelial thyroid cells. BRAF driver mutations were identified in 76.0% of patients, followed by RET rearrangements (7.6%) and RAS driver mutations (4.1%). Tumors with more somatic mutations correlated with worse clinical characteristics, including older age at diagnosis, less differentiation of tumor, larger tumor size, lymph node metastasis and distal metastasis. Subclonal BRAF mutations occurred in 20% (6/30) of patients and were frequent in poorly differentiated or anaplastic tumors (33.3% [2/6] vs. 4.2% [1/24], P = 0.09) and those with distal metastasis (50.0% [2/4] vs. 8.7% [2/23], P = 0.09). Tumors with TERT promoter mutations had significantly more somatic mutations (average: 6.5 vs. 1.8, P < 0.001). Moreover, TERT promoter mutations were not associated with lymph node metastasis but significantly associated with older age at diagnosis and poorly differentiated or anaplastic tumors, regardless of their clonal architecture. Conclusion: Our results shed light on the molecular pathogenesis and clinical characteristics of thyroid cancer in the Chinese population. The number of somatic mutations, TERT promoter mutations, and the clonal architecture of BRAF mutations should be considered in the risk stratification of thyroid cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Betel nut is a popular but addictive and carcinogenic food. Xiangtan City, Hunan Province, China, is a typical area where betel nut is in vogue. We traced the use, spread and prevalence of betel nut in Xiangtan City through literature review, and data collection. The prevalence of betel nut in Xiangtan City is closely related to the behavioral choices of local people, betel nut enterprises, and the local government. The public's pursuit for betel nut chewing, the continuous development and innovation of betel nut enterprises and the support, and promotion of local government have jointly formed a positive closed-loop that promotes the popularity of betel nut locally. The interaction amongst the public, the government, and betel nut enterprises provides a breakthrough path for subsequent prevention and reduction of betel nut chewing and betel nut-related oral diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTRODUCTION Tobacco smoke contains a large number of harmful substances and carcinogens. Smoking and secondhand smoke cause a variety of cancers and diseases, seriously endangering human health. However, the status and characteristics of the awareness of hazards due to tobacco among people aged ≥15 years in Chongqing, China, are still unknown. METHODS A multistage stratified cluster random sampling method was used to select ten districts and counties in Chongqing Municipality, China and a total of 6622 people were investigated between August and October 2020. The chi-squared test was used to analyze the awareness of hazards due to tobacco in various populations after the data had been cleaned and weighted. RESULTS In 2020, the awareness rates of people aged ≥15 years in Chongqing, China, about a specific disease caused by smoking were lung cancer (77.1%), heart disease (45.1%), stroke (40.1%), and penile erectile dysfunction (24.2%). However, only 22.1% of the respondents knew that smoking could simultaneously lead to all four diseases mentioned above. Adult lung cancer was the disease with the highest awareness rating (72.5%), followed by children's lung disease (54.2%) and adult heart disease (46.1%). A total of 42.0% of respondents knew that secondhand smoke could cause the three diseases simultaneously. Only 22.0% of those correctly understood the harm of low-tar cigarettes. The logistic regression results showed that education level and occupation were risk factors for lack of awareness of hazards due to tobacco. In contrast, media campaigns on tobacco control were a protective factor. CONCLUSIONS The awareness of hazards due to tobacco among people aged ≥15 years in Chongqing, China, still needs to be improved. More graphic health warning labels and mass media campaigns about the hazards of tobacco should be carried out to raise people's awareness and warn about the health risks of smoking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bactrian camel (Camelus bactrianus) meat, as a product of national geographical indication, is mainly produced in the northwest regions of China. This study systematically evaluated the edible quality, nutritional quality, and carcinogenic substances of Bactrian camel meat using different heating times in four thermal processing methods (steaming, boiling, frying, and microwaving). Compared with the control group (uncooked), the thermal processing of meat demonstrated lower redness and moisture content; higher shear force values and protein, fat, and ash contents; and sharply increased the levels of amino acids and fatty acids. The moisture content of the fried and microwave-treated meat was significantly lower than that of the steamed and boiled meat (p < 0.05). Steamed meat was higher in protein but had a lower fat content than the other three processing methods (p < 0.05). Compared with frying and microwaving, meat from steaming and boiling showed higher levels of essential amino acids and lower shear force values. However, the smoke generated during frying led to the formation of large amounts of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and nitrites, and the levels of these substances increased with heating time. In addition, with the extension of the heating time, the shear force of the meat also increased gradually (p < 0.05). In summary, steaming and boiling were proven to be suitable processing methods for preserving better nutritional values while delivering less carcinogenic risk. With our results, we have established a nutritional database for Bactrian camel meat, providing a reference for selecting a suitable thermal processing method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The disease burden trend of lung cancer that is attributable to occupational carcinogens in China remains unclear. We used the data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study in 2019 to investigate the related disease burden from 1990 to 2019 and to project the disease burden for the next 25 years. The results indicate that the disease burden of lung cancer that can be attributed to occupational carcinogens significantly increased from 1990 to 2019 in China, and the absolute burden will continue to increase in the next 25 years. Background: Little is known about trends in the lung cancer burden from the disease that can be attributed to occupational carcinogens in China. Methods: Data regarding the lung cancer burden that can be attributed to occupational carcinogens in China were extracted from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study in 2019. Joinpoint regression analysis and an age-period-cohort (APC) analysis were conducted to estimate the trend of lung cancer burden as a result of occupational carcinogens from 1990 to 2019. A Bayesian APC model was used to predict the disease burden until 2044. Results: The average annual percentage changes of age-standardized summary exposure values (SEVs) of occupational lung carcinogens, as well as the age-standardized population attributable fraction (PAF) of lung cancer due to occupational carcinogens, were 0.5% (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.4–0.5%) and 0.1% (95% CI: 0–0.2%), respectively. In addition, both the joinpoint regression analysis and APC analysis demonstrated significantly increased trends of age-standardized lung cancer mortality (ASMR) and age-standardized disability-adjusted life years (ASDR) as a result of occupational carcinogens. Asbestos and silica accounted for the two most important occupational lung carcinogens in China. The absolute burden is expected to increase, mainly due to population aging and the age-specific rate of illness. Conclusions: The lung cancer burden that could be attributed to occupational carcinogens significantly increased from 1990 to 2019 in China, and the absolute burden will continue to increase in the next 25 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objectives of this study were PHEs concentration meta-analysis (Fe, Zn, Cr, Ni, Cu, Pb, and Cd) in eggplant irrigated by wastewater and the following estimation of non-carcinogenic (n-CR) risk for the consumers based on countries. According to the results, the rank order of PHEs concentration in eggplant was Fe (88.3 mg/kg -dry weight) > Zn (10.1 mg/kg -dry weight) > Pb (3.0 mg/kg -dry weight) > Ni (2.7 mg/kg -dry weight) > Cu (1.1 mg/kg -dry weight) > Cd (0.9 mg/kg -dry weight) > Cr (0.05 mg/kg -dry weight). Moreover, n-CR risk showed that all investigated countries (China, India, Pakistan, Turkey, and Jordan) except for United Arab Emirates (UAE) had a considerable n-CR in both age groups (adults and children). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acral melanoma, the most common melanoma subtype among non-White individuals, is associated with poor prognosis. However, its key molecular drivers remain obscure. Here, we perform integrative genomic and clinical profiling of acral melanomas from 104 patients treated in North America (n = 37) or China (n = 67). We find that recurrent, late-arising focal amplifications of cytoband 22q11.21 are a leading determinant of inferior survival, strongly associated with metastasis, and linked to downregulation of immunomodulatory genes associated with response to immune checkpoint blockade. Unexpectedly, LZTR1 – a known tumor suppressor in other cancers – is a key candidate oncogene in this cytoband. Silencing of LZTR1 in melanoma cell lines causes apoptotic cell death independent of major hotspot mutations or melanoma subtypes. Conversely, overexpression of LZTR1 in normal human melanocytes initiates processes associated with metastasis, including anchorage-independent growth, formation of spheroids, and an increase in MAPK and SRC activities. Our results provide insights into the etiology of acral melanoma and implicate LZTR1 as a key tumor promoter and therapeutic target. Despite acral melanoma being the most common melanoma subtype in non-White individuals, its molecular drivers remain unknown. Here, the authors integrate genomic and clinical data from 104 patients and identify late-arising focal amplifications of chr22q11.21 and LZTR1 as a key tumour promoter in this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context • A wide variety of malignancies common to humans display abnormal constitutive expression of nuclear factor kappa beta (NF-κβ). The study of NF-κβ can increase understanding of its role in cancer, especially in lung-tumor formation. Objective • This review intended to examine the research on the impact of the NF-κβ signaling pathway on the development of malignancies of the lungs and the advances in the regulation of that pathway to mitigate and provide treatment for lung carcinoma. Design • The research team performed a narrative review by searching the PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science databases. The search used the keywords NF-κB or NF-kappa B or nuclear factor kappa B and non-small-cell lung cancer or non-small-cell lung carcinoma or NSCLC or lung cancer or lung adenocarcinoma or lung squamous carcinoma. Setting • This study were conducted at Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Qingxian People’s Hospital, Cangzhou City, Hebei Province, People’s Republic of China. Results • As a major cell survival signal, nuclear factorkappaB (NF-kappaB) is involved in multiple steps in carcinogenesis and in cancer cell’s resistance to chemoand radio-therapy. Recent studies with animal models and cell culture systems have established the links between NF-kappaB and lung carcinogenesis, highlighting the significance of targeting NF-kappa signaling pathway for lung cancer treatment and chemoprevention. Conclusions • While no convincing evidence exists that survival of lung cancer cells is dependent on NF-κβ, inhibition of NF-κβ is a potent supporting therapy for enhancing the therapeutic effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Constitutive and therapeutically induced activation of NF-κβ reduces the tumor-massacre effect of treatment, so inhibiting NF-κβ might increase antitumor activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urinary mutagenicity reflects systemic exposure to complex mixtures of genotoxic/carcinogenic agents and is linked to tumor development. Coal combustion emissions (CCE) and diesel engine exhaust (DEE) are associated with cancers of the lung and other sites, but their influence on urinary mutagenicity is unclear. We investigated associations between exposure to CCE or DEE and urinary mutagenicity. In two separate cross‐sectional studies of nonsmokers, organic extracts of urine were evaluated for mutagenicity levels using strain YG1041 in the Salmonella (Ames) mutagenicity assay. First, we compared levels among 10 female bituminous (smoky) coal users from Laibin, Xuanwei, China, and 10 female anthracite (smokeless) coal users. We estimated exposure–response relationships using indoor air concentrations of two carcinogens in CCE relevant to lung cancer, 5‐methylchrysene (5MC), and benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P). Second, we compared levels among 20 highly exposed male diesel factory workers and 15 unexposed male controls; we evaluated exposure‐response relationships using elemental carbon (EC) as a DEE‐surrogate. Age‐adjusted linear regression was used to estimate associations. Laibin smoky coal users had significantly higher average urinary mutagenicity levels compared to smokeless coal users (28.4 ± 14.0 SD vs. 0.9 ± 2.8 SD rev/ml‐eq, p = 2 × 10−5) and a significant exposure‐response relationship with 5MC (p = 7 × 10−4). DEE‐exposed workers had significantly higher urinary mutagenicity levels compared to unexposed controls (13.0 ± 10.1 SD vs. 5.6 ± 4.4 SD rev/ml‐eq, p =.02) and a significant exposure‐response relationship with EC (p‐trend = 2 × 10−3). Exposure to CCE and DEE is associated with urinary mutagenicity, suggesting systemic exposure to mutagens, potentially contributing to cancer risk and development at various sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Although halophilic archaea are rich in natural environments, their biotechnological applications are not as prevalent as those of other extremophiles, such as thermophiles and alkaliphiles. This study presents an simple method to prepare a hydrogel composite using crude cell lysate of a halophilic archaea, Halorubrum ejinoor sp. (H.e.) which was isolated from a saline lake in Inner Mongolia, China. Furthermore, formation mechanism and potential applications of the hydrogel as an adsorbing material are discussed. Results: Halorubrum ejinoor sp. (H.e.) cell lysate was firstly prepared by adding pure water onto the H.e. cell pellet, followed by a short incubation at 60 °C. The cell lysate was injected into different metal ion (or H+) solutions to obtain the hydrogel composite. It was observed that H+, Fe3+, La3+, Cu2+, and Ca2+ induced gelation of the cell lysate, while Fe2+, Co2+, Ni2+, Mg2+, Na+, and K+ did not. DNA and extracellular polysaccharides (EPS) in the H.e. cell lysate were found to be responsible for the gelation reaction. These results suggest that DNA and EPS should be crosslinked by metal ions (or H+) and form a networked structure in which the metal ion (or H+) serves as an anchor point. Potential application of the hydrogel as an adsorbing material was explored using La3+-induced H.e. hydrogel composite. The hydrogel composite can adsorb the fluoride, phosphate and DNA-binding carcinogenic agents, such as acridine orange. Conclusions: The simplicity and cost effectiveness of the preparation method might make H.e. hydrogel a promising adsorbing material. This work is expected to expand the technical applications of haloarchaea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The incidence of gallbladder carcinoma (GBM) in China has increased in recent years. Here, the functional mechanism of lncRNA TTN-AS1 in GBC was preliminary elucidated. Methods: The expression levels of lncRNA TTN-AS1, miR-107, and HMGA1 in tissues and cell lines were assessed by RT-qPCR. Cell proliferation was measured by MTT assays. Cell invasion and migration abilities were evaluated by Transwell assays. The relationship between miR-107 and lncRNA TTN-AS1 or HMGA1 was confirmed by luciferase reporter assay. Results: Upregulation of lncRNA TTN-AS1 and downregulation of miR-107 were detected in GBC. Furthermore, the expressions between TTN-AS1 and miR-107 were mutually inhibited in GBC. Functionally, lncRNA TTN-AS1 promoted cell viability and motility in GBC by sponging miR-107. In addition, miR-107 directly targets HMGA1. And HMGA1 can be positively regulated by lncRNA TTN-AS1 in GBC. Furthermore, HMGA1 promoted GBC progression by interacting with lncRNA TTN-AS1/miR-107 axis. Conclusion: LncRNA TTN-AS1 acted as a tumor promoter in GBC by sponging miR-107 and upregulating HMGA1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Minimal research exists on polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) exposure from traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs), despite their significant contributions to domestic and international health protection. This study is the first to investigate the levels, profiles, and health risks of PCB residue in Pheretima, a typical TCM produced from earthworm. Seventy-seven Pheretima samples from different regions of China were analyzed for 45 PCB congeners. PCBs were found in all samples exhibiting species-dependent discrepancies. ∑ 45 PCBs was ranging from 0.532 to 25.2 µg/kg (mean 4.46 µg/kg), with CB-11 being the most abundant congener contributing 71.8% ± 10.8% to ∑ 45 PCBs, followed by CB-47, which were all non-Aroclor congeners called unintentionally produced PCBs (UP-PCBs). The average estimated daily intake of ∑ 45 PCBs, ∑ 7 ID-PCBs (indicative polychlorinated biphenyls), and CB-11 were 0.71, 0.04, and 0.51 ng/kg bw/d, respectively. The ∑HQ of PCBs in Pheretima samples was 2.97 × 10 -4 -2.46 × 10 -2 (mean 2.77 × 10 -3 , 95th 4.21 × 10 -3 ), while the ∑RQ ranged from 1.19 × 10 -8 to 2.88 × 10 -6 (mean 4.87 × 10 -7 , 95th 2.31 × 10 -6 ). These findings indicate that Pheretima ingestion does not pose significant non-carcinogenic risks. However, certain individual samples exhibit an acceptable level of potential risks, particularly when considering that PCBs are recognized as endocrine disruptors and classified as probable carcinogens. These results contribute to the safety evaluation of traditional medicines and suggest the potential use of Pheretima as a bioindicator for PCB pollution. It is advisable to monitor UP-PCBs as indicator congeners and gather additional toxicological data., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Consumers are exposed to a range of mineral oil hydrocarbons (MOH) via food. The potential adverse health effect of MOH varies widely. Since infant formula (IF) is the major food source for infants, it is necessary to understand MOH exposure and consequent health impact. In the present study, occurrence data of 42 IF samples and food consumption data of 0–6 months infants from China National Food Consumption Survey in 2015 were linked to evaluate the dietary exposure to MOH of 0–6 months infants in China. Ordinary consumers (who purchased IF for 0–6 months infants in different packaging type randomly), packaging type loyal- and brand loyal-consumers were selected as three representative populations. For ordinary consumers and packaging-loyal consumers, dietary exposure to MOH was estimated both deterministically and probabilistically. For brand-loyal consumers, point-estimation was used as the exposure assessment method. Due to toxicological gaps for MOHs, it was inappropriate to derive health-based guidance value and perform the robust human health risk assessment. MOE approach was used to characterise MOSH risk. The no-observed-adverse-effect level for induction of liver microgranulomas, 19 mg/kg BW per day, was used as a reference point for calculating margins of exposure (MOEs) for MOSH exposure. Although first exposure occurs in babies, there are no relevant toxicology studies. All MOE values for different scenarios were higher than 100. There are no dose-response data on the carcinogenicity of MOAH mixtures and hence it is not possible to establish a reference point to calculate the MOE and characterise its risk. Therefore, it is not possible to draw conclusions about the full nature of possible concerns for infants aged 0–6 months. This study evaluates by a probabilistic approach the dietary intake of Chinese infants aged 0–6 months to MOH for the first time and describes the associated uncertainties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carcinogenicity evaluation is an important field of pesticide risk assessment. However, the criteria and evidences for carcinogen classification vary from country to country. In this review, the carcinogen classification systems and principles currently used by International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and European Union (EU) were summarized, and the characteristics and differences of them were analyzed. The IARC classification was based on the hazard level without reviewing the quantitative risk characteristics considered by other institutions. The mechanism of carcinogenesis was one of the important evidences for classification, but the associcated approaches adopted by various institutions were generally under processing. Taking glyphosate as an example, this review explained the complexity of carcinogenic evaluation due to differences in classification and evaluation methods, as well as differences in evidence collection and analysis. The purpose of this review is to provide reference for the establishment of pesticide carcinogen evaluation system and promotion related international communication in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To assess the environmental quality and health risk of heavy metals in suburban vegetable fields under different cultivation patterns in an industrial city of China, a total of 28 and 22 soil samples from open fields and greenhouses, respectively, were collected in a suburban area and the contents of lead (Pb), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd), and arsenic (As) were measured. The results showed a degree of accumulation of heavy metals in suburban vegetable soils when compared with background values: the concentrations of Pb, Cr, Cu, and Zn in greenhouse soils were higher than in open fields, especially for Zn. Some agricultural soils were even moderately to heavily contaminated by Cr, Cu, and Cd, and the percentages of greenhouse soils within class 1 and class 2 pollution levels were significantly higher than open fields for Pb, Cu, and Zn. Of note, children had the higher noncarcinogenic health risk for the exposure to toxic heavy metals than other populations, and Cr and As were of most concern with regard to the potential occurrence of health effects, but the carcinogenic and noncarcinogenic health risk values calculated in our study were both within the expected range for children and adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Two of the most important causes of global disease fall in the realm of environmental health: household air pollution (HAP) and poor water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) conditions. Interventions, such as clean cookstoves, household water treatment, and improved sanitation facilities, have great potential to yield reductions in disease burden. However, in recent trials and implementation efforts, interventions to improve HAP and WASH conditions have shown few of the desired health gains, raising fundamental questions about current approaches. OBJECTIVES: We describe how the failure to consider the complex systems that characterize diverse real-world conditions may doom promising new approaches prematurely. We provide examples of the application of systems approaches, including system dynamics, network analysis, and agent-based modeling, to the global environmental health priorities of HAP and WASH research and programs. Finally, we offer suggestions on how to approach systems science. METHODS: Systems science applied to environmental health can address major challenges by a) enhancing understanding of existing system structures and behaviors that accelerate or impede aims; b) developing understanding and agreement on a problem among stakeholders; and c) guiding intervention and policy formulation. When employed in participatory processes that engage study populations, policy makers, and implementers, systems science helps ensure that research is responsive to local priorities and reflect real-world conditions. Systems approaches also help interpret unexpected outcomes by revealing emergent properties of the system due to interactions among variables, yielding complex behaviors and sometimes counterintuitive results. DISCUSSION: Systems science offers powerful and underused tools to accelerate our ability to identify barriers and facilitators to success in environmental health interventions. This approach is especially useful in the context of implementation research because it explicitly accounts for the interaction of processes occurring at multiple scales, across social and environmental dimensions, with a particular emphasis on linkages and feedback among these processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genomic instability is a risk to organism health detected by methods such as the comet assay (CA). It is a highly sensitive and versatile method to detect low levels of DNA damage in a wide range of cells from humans as well as from other species as compared to other methods with the same proposal. CA is a powerful DNA damage analysis tool and its applicability extends to the genotoxicity analysis of, that is, drugs and carcinogenic substances. This study analyzed papers employing CA in the Scopus database in order to assess its scientific importance, employability, and trends by evaluating: number of articles per year, total citations and per year, country of publication and their clusters, clusters of authors, most frequently abstracts terms, name of journal, affiliations, country of publication, subject area, relevant keywords compared to citation clusters, and impact factor (IF) CiteScore. It was retrieved 13,828 articles from 1990 to 2018, with a peak in 2014 and a decline from 2015 to 2018. Four author clusters from China, United States, India, and Brazil were identified, countries presenting the greatest number of publications. China presented the most recent scientific advances in the field. It was also detected nine clusters of themes, and a positive correlation between publications, citations, and the IF. There are full employability and versatility in the use of the method. Currently, there is an advance in Chinese scientific production on the subject, and there is greater use of the method on oxidative damage researches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Wine ageing is of great importance to the quality and organoleptic properties of Huangjiu. The aim of the present work was to investigate the effect of ageing temperature on the content changes in ethyl carbamate (EC) and its precursors including citrulline, arginine, ornithine and urea in Hakka Huangjiu. Aroma compound changes were also detected using headspace solid‐phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography spectrometry. Results indicated that with the increase in ageing temperature, citrulline and EC concentrations increased, whereas arginine and ornithine concentrations decreased. Urea was decreased slightly from 4 to 20 °C while increased at 37 °C. Pearson test demonstrated that ageing temperature had significant correlation with EC and arginine. The concentrations of aroma compounds, especially esters, alcohols, acids and heterocyclic compounds were different in different ageing temperatures. Ageing temperature of Hakka Huangjiu was suggested setting in a lower temperature as for strictly controlling contents of urea and citrulline, as well as EC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The illegal oil (coming from the waste cooking oil and animals' fat, etc.) is being processed as daily edible oil by a series of processing programs in China. It contains enormous toxic carcinogenic substances such as aflatoxin, dioxins, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), etc. In China, 22 million tons of cooking oil is approximately consumed each year, however, 2-3 million tons (account for 10%) of the illegal oil is circulated back to the daily market finally. This research aims to analyze four parts among the illegal oil. It combines the Chinese food safety legal loophole with the treatments of other developed countries to solve China's illegal oil problem. What's more, carrying out a field survey is conducted to understand the source of the illegal oil and have a clear understanding of consumers' usage. Next, the main reason for the spread of the illegal oil which is from the street stalls and restaurants is revealed. The new technique is also used to transform the illegal oil into biodiesel fuel (BDF), however, the material (the illegal oil) cannot be easily obtained due to many barriers and challenges in China. Based on the field survey results, setting up a specific feedback mechanism for restaurants/hotels and the other policy implications are proposed to China's governments for solving the illegal oil issue in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PM2.5-bound metal contaminants are associated with multiple chronic diseases in human. At global level, the contamination status has not been well controlled yet. Here we report findings from a long-term air pollution surveillance in Jinan city of Shandong, China. During 2014-2022, the dynamics and trends of PM2.5-bound heavy metal contaminants were monitored in an industrial area and a downtown area. The surveillance targets included: antimony (Sb), aluminum (Al), arsenic (As), beryllium (Be), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), selenium (Se). The human exposure and health risks were calculated and we found that the health risks of most contaminants showed peak values in autumn and winter. But Al, Mn, Hg and Be were found to result in highest health risk in spring or summer in the downtown area. In the industrial area we identified 100% alarming health index >1 (ranged from 1.12 to 3.35) in autumn and winter. In winter the total non-carcinogenic HI was all above 1 (peak value 2.21). Mn and As together posed >85% non-carcinogenic risk. As and Cd were ranked as major drivers of carcinogenic risks (5.84 × 10 -6 and 2.78 × 10 -6 ). Pd and Cd both showed non-negligible environmental levels but risk assessment model for their air-exposure associated non-carcinogenic risks are not yet available. This study updates air pollution data and status for air pollution status in China. This study provides valuable 9 year long-term reference to experimental and field studies in the related fields., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Source-specific risk apportionment for soil potentially toxic metals (PTMs) is of great significance for contamination prevention and risk management in urban environments. Eighty-five urban soil samples were obtained from an oasis-tourist city, China and examined for eight PTMs (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn). The pollution levels, sources, and ecological risk of soil PTMs were quantified, and their source-specific ecological and human health effects were also estimated using the multi-proxy approaches. The results demonstrated that accumulation of Cd, Hg, Pb, Cr, Cu, and Zn in soils was observed compared to their background levels, and the soils experienced varying degrees of PTMs pollution, especially at sites with high-intensity anthropogenic activities. Natural sources, atmospheric deposition, industrial sources, vehicular emissions, and comprehensive inputs were the principal sources, with contributions of 29.28%, 25.86%, 20.13%, 16.50%, and 8.23%, respectively. The integrated ecological risks of PTMs in soils were moderate at most sites, with atmospheric deposition being the dominant contributor to ecological risks. Children exhibited pronounced non-cancer risks, but adults had no notable non-cancer risks. Moreover, there were potential carcinogenic risks for both children and adults within the study region. Non-cancer and carcinogenic risks were more significant for children than adults, and traffic emissions were the primary contributor to non-cancer risks (adults: 20.53%, children: 20.49%) and carcinogenic risks (adults: 22.95%, children: 22.08%). The industrial and traffic activities were considered as priority control sources for soil pollution control and risk management, with Hg, Cd, Zn, and Pb corresponding to the priority elements. This study highlights the source-specific ecological and human health effects of PTMs pollution in urban soils, thereby providing valuable information for targeted pollution control and priority source management., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Occurrence of five heavy elements (HEs) was analyzed in indoor dust (n = 45) in households from four settlements in Vojvodina Province, Serbia. Overall medians (mg/kg) of Pb (5.6), Ni (5.2), Cu (27), and Cr (6.8) were below soil background values, while median for Cd (1.1) exceeded it. Pollution load index showed that the households' microenvironment in examined region might be regarded as unpolluted. Integrated pollution index revealed low contamination by Pb, Ni, and Cr, but high with Cu and Cd. Source apportionment by principal component analysis and positive matrix factorization suggested two possible sources: outdoor pollution and household materials. Hazard index was below safe limit (<1), indicating no adverse non-carcinogenic health effects. Estimated total carcinogenic risk for children and adult population was not negligible. Results indicated that attention should be paid to the presence of HE in indoors to conduct effective control measures and to ensure the health of the population.

Exposure to heavy metals (HMs) present in the particulate matter from municipal solid waste during pretreatment and recycling processes may pose a serious health risk to workers. This was the first study on the exposure of municipal solid waste (MSW) recycling workers to toxic metals. The concentrations of HMs (Cd, Pb, As, Co, Cr, Ni, Cu, Fe, Mn, and Zn) during personal exposure to PM 2.5 among municipal waste recycling facility workers in Kashan City, Iran, were investigated from January 15 to March 15, 2023. The research was performed in the three main stages of the waste recycling process: dismantling, sorting, and collecting. PM 2.5 samples were collected using a personal environmental monitor (PEM) attached to a sampling pump. The non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic health risk values and related uncertainty for waste recyclers from HMs inhalational exposure were calculated using USEPA methodology and Monte Carlo simulations. The results showed that the dismantlers exhibited the highest exposure concentrations of PM 2.5 (mean 2148 ± 1257 μg m -3 ), followed by sorters (mean 1864 ± 965 μg m -3 ), and collectors (mean 1782 ± 876 μg m -3 ). Health risk assessment indicated that 95th percentile contents of Ni, As, Co, and Zn were responsible for the non-carcinogenic risk (HQ) values exceeding the acceptable level of 1. The contents of As, Ni, and Cr in PM 2.5 caused a non-acceptable carcinogenic risk for waste recyclers due to inhalational exposure, as the carcinogenic risk (CR) values exceeded the acceptable threshold of 1 × 10 -6 . Monte Carlo simulation results revealed that the mean and median CR values from inhalational exposure to carcinogenic HMs exceeded the acceptable level of 1 × 10 -6 for municipal waste recyclers. As results of this study indicated the high-risk to hazardous metals for waste recyclers due to occupational exposure in the MSW recycling sites, it is suggested to consider workers' exposure as the public health concern., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Electrical and electronic waste (e-waste) is considered as resource and secondary source of metals, and is being recycled for recovery of precious and base metals. But the processes of recycling and the waste generated during e-waste recycling in informal and formal sectors contribute toxic metals in to the environment. This work aimed to compare the environmental and health impacts of informal and formal e-waste recycling facilities at New Delhi and Bhiwadi Industrial area in India, respectively. Here, concentrations of Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sn, V, Zn, and Ag, and As in surface dust collected from informal and formal recycling sectors and their associated pollution, human health and ecological risk are presented. Metal concentrations were higher than the background levels in both sectors. Contamination factor (C f ), contamination degree (C deg ), pollution load index (PLI), geo-accumulation index (I geo ) and enrichment factor (EnF) of metals indicated severe pollution levels in both sectors. However, contamination in informal sector was comparatively higher than the formal sector. Sampling sites in both sectors had very high ecological risk. Storage, dismantling/shredding and recycling techniques were contributors of metals in surface dust in formal sector whereas fumes deposition, re-suspension, and dried by-products during acid bath treatments were additional sources in informal sector. Metal pollution depends on metal(s), e-waste type(s) and recycling sector(s). Total non-carcinogenic health risk due to metals was 6.5E+00 and 6.0E+01 and 6.2E+00 and 5.5E+01 in adult and children in informal and formal sectors, respectively. Total carcinogenic risk was 3.3E-03 and 7.2E-03 in informal and formal sectors, respectively. Ingestion was major pathways of metals followed by dermal and inhalation and children were more prone to risk compared to adults. Formal sectors too cause metal pollution but to lesser degree compared to informal. More effective pollution control measures are required in formal sector to control environmental pollution., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Sudesh Yadav reports a relationship with Jawaharlal Nehru University that includes: employment., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The Huai'an area in Jiangsu Province of East China is an endemic region of esophageal cancer (EC). The regional heterogeneity of EC suggests that the levels of potential carcinogens might vary throughout the environment. It has been suggested that the most likely carcinogens related to EC are a group known as the N-nitrosamines. In this study, we measured the concentrations of nine nitrosamines in drinking water and human urine in two areas in China, one with a high incidence of EC (Huai'an) and one with a low incidence (Nanjing). Among the nine target analytes, N-nitrosodi-n-propylamine (NDPA), N-nitrosodibutylamine (NDBA), N-nitrosopyrrolidine (NPyr), N-nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA) and N-nitrosomorpholine (NMor) occurred at higher concentrations in drinking water in the high incidence area. Inhabitants from the high incidence area also had urinary excretions with significantly higher concentrations of NDEA, NDBA, N-nitrosopiperidine (NPip) and N-nitrosodiphenylamine (NDPhA). These findings indicated that people in the high EC incidence area were exposed to higher levels of nitrosamines. However, the association between the incidence of EC and nitrosamines exposure will need to be evaluated in more detail. • Esophageal cancer (EC) is a complex disease with regional heterogeneity. • The high EC incidence area was shown to have higher nitrosamines contamination. • NDPA, NDBA, NDEA, NPyr and NMor were enriched in the drinking water. • Urinary concentrations of NDEA, NDBA, NPip and NDphA were higher. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Abstract Beijing experienced a period of severe atmospheric particulate pollution from 2015 to 2016. In order to acquire the characteristics of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) under heavy polluting status, one year sampling campaign was carried out. We selected PM2.5 samples which had the highest concentrations or suffered serious haze-fog weathers in each month. Through the analysis of data from heavily polluting phase, the mean concentrations of PM2.5 and PAHs in winter (369.63 μg m−3 and 223.60 ng m−3) were obviously higher than that in other seasons. The concentration of Σ 16 PAHs ranged from 3.22 to 297.01 ng m−3, with a mean value of 77.48 ng m−3. In winter, 4-ring PAH congeners (52.33%) contributed the most in PM2.5, followed by 5-rings (27.05%), 6-rings (11.55%) and 2∼3-rings (9.06%). Summertime measurements showed the highest decline in PAHs concentrations for 3∼5-ring congeners. The diagnostic ratios and PCA analysis manifest that vehicle and combustion emission were major sources and totally occupied 88.57% under heavy polluting stage. Moreover, exponential relationship between LWM/HWM (light/high weight molecule-PAHs) and combustion-derived PAHs, as well as linear relationship between BghiP and ∑PAHs verified that the pollution sources mentioned above affected local atmosphere environment as major sources. The highest total BaP equivalent concentration suggested that toxicity potency under heavy polluting phase was mainly attributed to 5-ring PAHs. Through analysis of carcinogenic-PAHs, potency risk to adults was significantly higher than that to children. BaP, BbF and DahA, which belong to 5-ring congeners, contributed the highest potency carcinogenic risk. BbF in winter, BaP in spring and winter may cause potential risk to local residents. Graphical abstract Image Highlights • Characteristics of PAHs under heavy polluting phase were studied in urban Beijing. • 4-ring PAH congeners (52.33%) contributed the most in PM2.5 in winter. • Diesel-fuelled vehicle emission and coal combustion were major sources under heavy polluting stage. • Toxicity potency was mainly influenced by 5-ring PAH congeners, such as BaP, BbF and DahA. • BbF in winter, BaP in spring and winter may cause potential risk to citizen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The identification of volatile organic components in snuff was accomplished using GC-MS analysis in this study. The findings of the GC-MS analysis revealed the presence of nicotine, its derivatives, and several other toxic chemicals that are hazardous to human health. Furthermore, the content of 34 elements in four brands of snuff consumed in Neyshabur City was determined by ICP-OES analysis (with five repetitions). The health hazards of measured heavy elements were examined from two perspectives: carcinogenic (7 heavy elements were checked) and non-carcinogenic (4 heavy elements were checked). The investigation of non-carcinogenic hazards from inhalation was based on the computation of the hazard quotient (HQ) factor, and the results indicated that inhaling five heavy metals, Cu, Pb, Ni, Zn, and Cd, does not represent a substantial health risk ((HQ < 1). In contrast, the computed HQ factors for Cr and As were relatively high (1 < HQ < 10), indicating a substantial health risk from breathing these two elements. The carcinogenic factor (CR value) results revealed that the degree of carcinogenic risk for Cd was very low (CR value less than 1 × 10 -6 ) and did not pose a concern to the consumer population. However, the risk of As, Cr, and Ni exposure is considerable in the carcinogenic risk range (CR values between 1 × 10 -6 and 1 × 10 -4 )., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Toxic metal(loid)s (TMLs) in agricultural soils cause detrimental effects on ecosystem and human health. Therefore, source-specific health risk apportionment is very crucial for the prevention and control of TMLs in agricultural soils. In this study, 149 surface soil samples were taken from a coal mining region in northwest Bangladesh and analyzed for 12 TMLs (Pb, Cd, Ni, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Zn, Cu, As, Se, and Hg). Positive matrix factorization (PMF) and absolute principal component score-multiple linear regression (APCS-MLR) receptor models were employed to quantify the pollution sources of soil TMLs. Both models identified five possible sources of pollution: agrochemical practice, industrial emissions, coal-power-plant, geogenic source, and atmospheric deposition, while the contribution rates of each source were calculated as 28.2%, 17.2%, 19.3%, 19% and 16.3% in APCS-MLR, 22.2%, 13.4%, 24.3%, 15.1% and 25.1% in PMF, respectively. Agrochemical practice was the major source of non-carcinogenic risk (NCR) (adults: 32.37%, children: 31.54%), while atmospheric deposition was the highest source of carcinogenic risk (CR) (adults: 48.83%, children: 50.11%). NCR and CR values for adults were slightly higher than for children. However, the trends in NCR and CR between children and adults were similar. As a result, among the sources of pollution, agrochemical practices and atmospheric deposition have been identified as the primary sources of soil TMLs, so prevention and control strategies should be applied primarily for these pollution sources in order to protect human health., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Heavy metal pollution in agricultural soil is a threat to people's health and sustainable development. However, there is currently no nationwide health risk assessment in China. In this study, we performed a preliminary assessment of heavy metals in agricultural soils of the Chinese mainland, and found obvious carcinogenic risks (total lifetime carcinogenic risk (TLCR) > 1 × 10 -5 ). A similar spatial distribution pattern was found in soil heavy metal and the mortality of esophagus and stomach cancers. Combining the potential carcinogenic risk assessed by LCR for individual heavy metal with Pearson correlation, Geographical Detector (q statistic > 0.75 for TLCR, p < 0.05), and redundancy analysis (RDA), it was found that long-term exposure and intake route of heavy metals exceeding the maximum safety threshold (Health Canada standard) may induce digestive system (esophagus, stomach, liver, and colorectum) cancers in rural populations. Through Partial Least Squares Path Model (PLS-PM), it was also revealed that the LCR of heavy metals was closely related to the soil environmental background (path coefficients = 0.82), which in turn was affected by factors such as economic development and pollution discharge. The current research results highlight the potential carcinogenic risk to the digestive system associated with low-dose and long-term exposure to heavy metals in agricultural soils, and policymakers should propose countermeasures and solutions according to the local conditions., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

To explore the change features of PM 2.5 -bound metals in a background site of North China in the past ten years, 71 and 160 samples were collected from December 2011 to January 2013 (period Ⅰ) and from September 2019 to November 2021 (period Ⅱ) in Tuoji Island National Atmospheric Monitoring Station, respectively.The concentration of metals sampled was determined using ICP-MS, and the concentrations, sources, and health risks of heavy metals were compared. The results revealed that the average concentration of PM 2.5 was (54.06±39.71) μg·m -3 during period Ⅱ, which was 3.53 ng·m -3 lower than that during period Ⅰ. The concentrations of Zn, Mn, As, Pb, and V in stage Ⅱ decreased by 54.53, 172.63, 0.8, 79.06, and 3.81 ng·m -3 , respectively, whereas the concentrations of Cr, Cu, Cd, and Ni increased by 2.01, 5.42, 3.03, and 3.55 ng·m -3 , respectively. The PMF model results indicated that the biggest contributor to PM 2.5 -bound metal was industrial emissions (32.32%), followed by coal combustion (27.47%), vehicle emissions (23.70%), ship emissions (9.69%), and dust sources (6.83%) during period Ⅱ. The contribution ratio of dust sources and ship emissions decreased by 20.73% and 8.83%, respectively, whereas for coal combustion and industrial emissions it increased by 2.50% and 13.52%, respectively, when compared with that during period Ⅰ. The total carcinogenic risk induced by PM 2.5 -bound heavy metals of period Ⅱ increased, with the highest contributions by Cr and Cd. The total non-carcinogenic risk decreased, with Mn contributing the most. Therefore, in the process of air pollution control, the control of pollution sources of heavy metals such as Cr and Mn should be reinforced.

Emissions from the iron and steel industry are a major source of air pollution. To investigate the composition characteristics, estimate the secondary transformation potential, and assess the ecological risk and human health risks of air pollutants from iron and steel industry, field measurements of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and trace metals (TMs) were conducted simultaneously from 2020 to 2022 in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region, China. The average mixing concentration of VOCs (Σ 64 VOCs) was 58.2 ppbv. Alkanes, alkenes and aromatics were the major components. Benzene and ethylene were the most abundant VOC species. In the O 3 season, the calculated OH loss rates (L OH ) and ozone formation potential (OFP) were 10.87 S -1 and 181.74 ppbv, respectively, which increased 39.54% and 21.51% compared to the non-O 3 season. Furthermore, the O 3 -VOCs-NOx sensitivity indicated that O 3 formation was under the VOCs-limited regime. The average concentration of total 10 trace metals (Σ 10 TMs) was 226.8 ng m -3 , Zn, Pb and Mn were the top abundant TM species. The results also found that Se was extremely contaminated; Pb and Zn was heavily to extremely contaminated; Cu, As and Ni were moderately to heavily contaminated. For lifetime cancer risk, the cumulative carcinogenic risks were 1.84E-5 for children, 6.14E-5 for adults and 1.83E-5 for workers. The carcinogenic risks of individual chemicals cannot be ignored, especially for Cr, Ni, benzene and 1,3-butadiene. The hazard index values for workers and residents were 0.53 and 2.23, respectively, suggesting a high non-carcinogenic risks to the exposed population. These findings deepen the understanding of the pollutant character of the iron and steel industry, and provide theoretical support for policy development on O 3 pollution treatment and human health in the YRD region, China. For the study area, we recommend utilizing high-quality raw coal, reducing the volatile hydrocarbon content in the sinter feed, and installing absorption device for highly reactive VOC components at the exhaust outlet., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Understanding the precise sources of heavy metals (HMs) in soil and the contribution of these sources to health risks has positive effects in terms of risk management. This study focused on the HMs in the soil of five land uses in an industrial and mining city. The sources of HMs in soils were identified, and the soil mineralogical characteristics and health risks of HMs were discussed. The results showed that the HMs (Cu, Zn, Ni, Cd, Pb) found in the soil of the five land uses were affected by human activities. For example, the Cu in grassland, gobi beach, woodland, green belt, and farmland is 22.3, 3.5, 22.5, 16.7, and 21.3 times higher than the soil background values in Gansu Province, respectively. The Positive Matrix Factorization model (PMF) results revealed that traffic emissions and industrial and agricultural activities were the primary sources of HMs in the soil, with industrial sources accounting for the largest share at 55.79%. Furthermore, various characteristics proved that the studied HMs were closely related to smelting products. Concentration-oriented health risk assessments showed that HMs in the different soil types held non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks for children and adults. Contamination source-oriented health risk assessments of children and adults found that industrial activities controlled non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks. This study highlighted the critical effects of smelting on urban soil and the contribution of pollution sources to health risks. Furthermore, this work is significant in respect of the risk control of HMs in urban soils., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Background: Little is known about trends in or projections of the disease burden of dietary gastric and esophageal cancer (GEC) in China., Objective: We aim to report GEC deaths and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) from 1990 to 2019, predict them through 2044, and decompose changes in terms of population growth, population aging, and epidemiological changes., Methods: We retrieved dietary GEC data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) online database and used joinpoint regression and age-period-cohort models to analyze trends in dietary GEC deaths and DALYs from 1990 to 2019 in China. We used a Bayesian age period cohort model of integrated nested Laplace approximations to predict the disease burden of GEC through 2044 and obtained the estimated population of China from 2020 to 2050 from the Global Health Data Exchange website. Finally, we applied a recently developed decomposition method to attribute changes between 2019 and 2044 to population growth, population aging, and epidemiological changes., Results: The summary exposure values and age-standardized rates decreased significantly from 1990 to 1999, with percentage changes of -0.06% (95% CI -0.11% to -0.02%) and -0.05% (95% CI -0.1% to -0.02%), respectively. From 1990 to 2019, for dietary esophageal cancer, the percentage change in age-standardized mortality rate (ASMR) was -0.79% (95% CI -0.93% to -0.58%) and the percentage change in age-standardized DALY rate (ASDR) was -0.81% (95% CI -0.94% to -0.61%); these were significant decreases. For dietary stomach cancer, significant decreases were also observed for the percentage change in ASMR (-0.43%, 95% CI -0.55% to -0.31%) and the percentage change in ASDR (-0.47%, 95% CI -0.58% to -0.35%). In addition, data from both the joinpoint regression and annual percentage change analyses demonstrated significantly decreasing trends for the annual percentage change in ASMR and ASDR for GEC attributable to dietary carcinogens. The overall annual percentage change (net drift) was -5.95% (95% CI -6.25% to -5.65%) for dietary esophageal cancer mortality and -1.97% (95% CI -2.11% to -1.83%) for dietary stomach cancer mortality. Lastly, in 2044, dietary esophageal cancer deaths and DALYs were predicted to increase by 192.62% and 170.28%, respectively, due to age structure (121.58% and 83.29%), mortality change (76.81% and 92.43%), and population size (-5.77% and -5.44%). In addition, dietary stomach cancer deaths and DALYs were predicted to increase by 118.1% and 54.08%, with age structure, mortality rate change, and population size accounting for 96.71% and 53.99%, 26.17% and 3.97%, and -4.78% and -3.88% of the change, respectively., Conclusions: Although the predicted age-standardized rates of mortality and DALYs due to dietary GEC show downward trends, the absolute numbers are still predicted to increase in the next 25 years due to rapid population aging in China., (©Hui-Xiao Guo, Qi Wang, Can Wang, Qing Chen Yin, Hua Zhi Huo, Bing Hua Yin. Originally published in JMIR Public Health and Surveillance (https://publichealth.jmir.org), 21.09.2023.)

In this study, based on the assessment of soil heavy metals (HMs) pollution using relevant indices, a comprehensive approach combined network environ analysis (NEA), human health risk assessment (HHRA) method and positive definite matrix factor (PMF) model to quantify the risks among ecological communities in a special environment around mining area in northwest Yunnan, calculated the risk to human health caused by HMs in soil, and analyzed the pollution sources of HMs. The integrated risks for soil microorganisms, vegetations, herbivores, and carnivores were 2.336, 0.876, 0.114, and 0.082, respectively, indicating that soil microorganisms were the largest risk receptors. The total hazard indexes (HI T ) for males, females, and children were 0.542, 0.591, and 1.970, respectively, revealing a relatively high and non-negligible non-carcinogenic risks (NCR) for children. The total cancer risks (TCR) for both females and children exceeded 1.00E-04, indicating that soil HMs posed carcinogenic risks (CR) to them. Comparatively, Pb was the high-risk metal, accounting for 53.76%, 57.90%, and 68.09% of HI T in males, females, and children, respectively. PMF analysis yielded five sources of pollution, F1 (industry), F2 (agriculture), F3 (domesticity), F4 (nature), and F5 (traffic)., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Aiming to ascertain the groundwater pollution status in a southern city of China, shallow groundwater samples were collected, and 9 heavy metals Zn, Mn, Cr, Cd, Pb, Ni, Ba, Be and Hg were tested to determine the contents and environmental controlling factors, and U. S. EPA assessment method was used to evaluate the human health risk through different exposure pathways. The results indicated that the contents of heavy metals in the groundwater of the study area were relatively low, Zn, Mn, Be, Cd and Pb were frequently detected in local groundwater and the rates of exceeding the groundwater quality standard of Mn and Be were larger than 5%, and most of the heavy metals showed negative correlation with groundwater pH. The average values of non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risk of heavy metals were lower than the threshold values, and ingestion was the major pathway that the residents were exposed to the risk. Mn, Pb and Cd were the most important heavy metals in local groundwater that should be well concerned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the occurrences of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in suburban vegetable soils of Changchun area, Northeast China, 106 urban vegetable soil samples were collected from Changchun City, Nongan County, Dehui City, Yushu City, Jiutai City, Shuangyang District. We analyzed the concentrations, compositions and sources of 7 PCBs in top soils of Changchun area, and evaluated the non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risk of PCBs pollution to exposed population. The total concentrations of 7 PCBs ranged from 1.31 to 148 ng/g dry weight (dw) with a mean value of 42.0 ng/g and dominated by Hepta-CBs and Penta-CBs. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that PCB pollution in soils of Changchun area mainly related to transportation, vehicle emissions, paints and other industries. Human health risk assessment showed that the cumulative non-carcinogenic and the cumulative carcinogenic risk in children and adults in the industrial land and residential land were acceptable, considering only 7 PCBs homologues were analyzed in this study, the actual risk could be higher. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. To identify the somatic mutated genes for optimal targets of non-small-cell lung cancer after resistance to osimertinib treatment. Patients and Methods. Study patients all had advanced lung adenocarcinoma and acquired resistance to osimertinib as a second- or third-line treatment. These patients had harboring EGFR T790M mutation before osimertinib treatment, which was confirmed by Amplification Refractory Mutation System (ARMS) PCR or Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS). After resistance to osimertinib treatment, tumor tissue was collected by core needle biopsy. DNA was extracted from 15 × 5 um sliced section of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) material and NGS was done. The genetic changes were analyzed. Results. A total of 9 Chinese patients were studied, 5 females and 4 males, age 51–89 years. After progression with osimertinib treatment, core needle biopsy was performed and next-generation sequencing was performed. Nine patients had harboring 62 point mutations, 2 altered gene copies, 2 amplifications, and 1 EML4-ALK gene fusion. No MET or HER2 amplification was found in this cohort study. Nine patients still maintained initial EGFR 19 del or L858R activating mutations, while 7 of them kept EGFR T790M mutations. Among the 7 patients, 5 had secondary EGFR C797S and/or C797G mutations, which all happened in the same allele with T790M mutation. All patients were treated with targets therapies, chemotherapy, or best supportive care (BSC) in accordance with NGS genetic results and patients’ performance status; 7 of them are still alive and 2 of them died of disease progression at last follow-up. Conclusions. EGFR C797S/G mutation and the same one presented on the same allele with EGFR T790M mutation were the most common mutation feature and played a key role in resistance to osimertinib in Chinese patients with NSCLC. Tumor cells losing T790M mutation and maintaining EGFR activating mutation might benefit from first-generation EGFR-TKI treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Day-night PM10-bound PAHs were studied at an urban site of Xi'an from 20 December 2006 to 28 October 2007. The annual mean concentration of nighttime PAHs (285.0 ng m-3) was higher than that in daytime (239.4 ng m-3). A significant difference of PAH concentrations between daytime and nighttime was found in autumn with a coefficient of divergence (CD) of 0.23 (significant level 0.2). However, no distinct difference was observed in other seasons (with CD values < 0.2), although the difference of PAHs partition capacity in PM10 between daytime and nighttime was significant in the four seasons. Remarkable seasonal variations were observed in the total PAH levels, with a highest mean concentration of 344.6 ng m-3 in winter and a lowest mean concentration of 177 ng m-3 in summer. Positive matrix factorization results revealed that residential emission for heating is the major contributor of the elevated PAH levels in winter, accounting for 49% of the total PAH levels. The coal combustion including industrial and residential usage, contributed over 40% of the PAH emissions in PM10 of Xi'an during the one-year sampling period. These results can provide guidance for taking measures in reducing PAHs levels in the air. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study Question: Does melatonin restore the benzo(a)pyrene (BaP)-induced meiotic failure in porcine oocytes?Summary Answer: Melatonin effectively inhibits the increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) level and apoptotic rate in BaP-exposed porcine oocytes to recover the meiotic failure.What Is Known Already: BaP, a widespread environmental carcinogen found in particulate matter, 2.5 µm or less (PM2.5), has been shown to have toxicity at the level of the reproductive systems. BaP exposure disrupts the steroid balance, alters the expression of ovarian estrogen receptor and causes premature ovarian failure through the rapid depletion of the primordial follicle pool. In addition, acute exposure to BaP has transient adverse effects on the follicle growth, ovulation and formation of corpora lutea, which results in transient infertility.Study Design, Size, Duration: Porcine oocytes were randomly assigned to control, BaP-exposed and melatonin-supplemented groups. BaP was dissolved in dimethylsulphoxide and diluted to a final concentration of 50, 100 or 250 μM with maturation medium, respectively. Melatonin was dissolved in the absolute ethanol and diluted with maturation medium to a final concentration of 1 nM, 100 nM, 10 μM and 1 mM, respectively. The in vitro cultured oocytes from each group after treatment were applied to the subsequent analysis.Participants/materials, Setting, Methods: Acquisition of oocyte meiotic competence was assessed using immunostaining, fluorescent intensity quantification and/or immunoblotting to analyse the cytoskeleton assembly, mitochondrial integrity, cortical granule dynamics, ovastacin distribution, ROS level and apoptotic rate. Fertilization ability of oocytes was examined by sperm binding assay and IVF.Main Results and the Role Of Chance: BaP exposure resulted in the oocyte meiotic failure (P = 0.001) via impairing the meiotic apparatus, showing a prominently defective spindle assembly (P = 0.003), actin dynamics (P < 0.001) and mitochondrion integrity (P < 0.001). In addition, BaP exposure caused the abnormal distribution of cortical granules (P < 0.001) and ovastacin (P = 0.003), which were consistent with the observation that fewer sperm bound to the zona pellucida surrounding the unfertilized BaP-exposed eggs (P < 0.001), contributing to the fertilization failure (P < 0.001). Conversely, melatonin supplementation recovered, at least partially, all the meiotic defects caused by BaP exposure through inhibiting the rise in ROS level (P = 0.015) and apoptotic rate (P = 0.001).Limitations, Reasons For Caution: We investigated the negative impact of BaP on the oocyte meiotic maturation in vitro, but not in vivo.Wider Implications Of the Findings: Our findings not only deeply clarify the potential mechanisms of BaP-induced oocyte meiotic failure, but also extend the understanding about how environmental pollutants influence the reproductive systems in humans.Study Funding/competing Interests: This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31571545) and the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province (BK20150677). The authors have no conflict of interest to disclose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arsenic speciation and heavy metal distributions have been investigated in locally grown rice grains from Guangdong Province, Southern China. A total of 41 polished rice grain samples were collected throughout Guangdong Province. Arsenite (As(III)), as the predominant form found in the rice, was positively correlated ( p < 0.01) with total As (tAs) concentration. However, the percentage of As(III) reduced while tAs concentration increased (r = −0.361, p < 0.05), due to restricted accumulation and translocation of As(III) in rice grains at high level of tAs. Statistical and geostatistical analyses were applied to investigate potential origins of heavy metals in rice. Only Cd, Cu and Ni were identified as influenced by anthropogenic sources such as industrial and commercial activities. As and Pb were primarily controlled by natural occurrence. The results of health risk assessment implied that continuous intake of rice grown in Guangdong Province could cause considerably non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risk to local inhabitants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The unprecedented rate at which economy, urbanization and industrialization have occurred in China in the last few decades has resulted in environmental pollution in China. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are of great concern because of their persistence, long-range transport properties, and health risk as potential carcinogens and mutagens. Plateau lakes are special ecosystem and located in remote western China. To our knowledge, studies on PAHs in sediments of plateau deep lakes in China are scarce. Therefore, PAHs in surface sediments from Fuxian Lake, the largest deep plateau lake in China, were investigated. The total PAH concentrations ranged from 83.2 to 261.7, with a mean concentration of 143.3 ng/g. Four-ring PAHs (39.1–73.9%) were most abundant in all samples. The composition of PAHs was characterized by high molecular weight PAHs, and FA and PHE were the dominant constituents. A correlation analysis revealed that TOC was positively significantly correlated with total PAHs, while percentages of grain size fraction were poorly correlated with total PAHs. PAH diagnostic ratios demonstrated that PAHs mainly originated from biomass, coal, and petroleum combustion. Taking as a whole, surface sediments of Fuxian Lake had a 9% incidence of adverse biological effects based on the mean effects range-median quotient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Green tea may have a beneficial role of inhibiting leukemia. Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) are known to detoxify certain carcinogens. We investigated the roles of green tea consumption and polymorphisms of GSTM1, GSTT1 and GSTP1 on the risk of adult leukemia, and to determine whether the associations varied within GSTs genotypes. Methods: A multicenter case-control study was conducted in China, 2008-2013. It comprised 442 incident, hematologically confirmed adult leukemia cases and 442 outpatient controls, individually matched to cases by gender, birth quinquennium and study site. Data were collected by face-to-face interview using a validated questionnaire. Genetic polymorphisms were assayed by PCR. Results: An inverse association between green tea consumption and adult leukemia risk was observed. Compared with non-tea drinkers, the adjusted odds ratios (95 % confidence intervals) were 0.50 (0.27-0.93), 0.31 (0.17-0.55) and 0.53 (0.29-0.99) for those who, respectively, consumed green tea >20 years, ≥2 cups daily and dried tea leaves >1000 g annually. In assessing the associations by GSTs genotypes, risk reduction associated with green tea consumption was stronger in individuals with the GSTT1-null genotype (OR 0.24; 95 % CI 0.11-0.53) than GSTT1-normal carriers (OR 0.67; 95 % CI 0.42-1.05; P interaction = 0.02). GSTM1 and GSTP1 did not significantly modify the inverse association of leukemia with green tea. Conclusions: The results suggest that regular daily green tea consumption may reduce leukemia risk in Chinese adults regardless of GSTM1 and GSTP1 polymorphic status. The association between green tea and adult leukemia risk varied with GSTT1 genotype and highlights further study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]