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Baselines for major and trace elements were determined from surface sediment samples from sites located along the Central Pacific Mexican Shelf (CPMS; 16.7–20.45° N). This study area is next to the biggest harbours in Mexico, for example touristic (Puerto Vallarta and Acapulco), touristic and industrial (Manzanillo), and industrial harbours (Lázaro Cárdenas). The industrial harbours have been expanding, transporting tonnes of materials to Asia and North and South America. Oceanographic campaigns were conducted to obtain sediment from depths ranging from 56 to 159 m. The grain size was predominately fine fraction (<63 μm; mean 56 μm ± 30%). More than 50 elements were analysed, and methods were validated with certified reference materials. The results extracted the iron ore signal; enrichment and the association between Fe and Co, Cr, Cu, Mg, Mn, Mo, Ni, V, and Zn were determined for the sediments. Arsenic is enriched in the CPMS; the Normalized Enrichment Factor average (NEF AV ) for As is NEF AV = 8 ± 7. However the ratio between As and Cs indicates a natural origin in the most of the sites. Cadmium, Mo, and Ag were significantly correlated with C org enhanced precipitation of sulfide-reactive metals. Moreover, an anthropogenic influence was detected for Hg (NEF AV = 4.3 ± 1.5) and Ag (NEF AV = 8.5 ± 2.6) in the shelf near the heavily industrialized harbour of Lázaro Cárdenas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main rivers (Aude, Orb, Herault) that discharge into the Gulf of Lions and the west bank tributaries of the Rhone River including the Gardon have former non-ferrous metal mines in their upper drainage basin. Using unpublished data and data from the literature, this study provides an integrated overview of the contamination of water and sediment along the continent-sea continuum and of its impacts on the biota and on human health. In the upper part of these basins, water and stream sediments are enriched in metal(-loids) compared to median European concentrations. Arsenic is the main contaminant in the rivers Aude and Gardon d'Anduze, Sb in the Orb and Gardon d'Alès, and Tl in the Herault river. A rapid reduction in dissolved and particulate concentrations was systematically observed along the river due to dilution and precipitation. The high concentrations of metal(-loid)s observed suggest that the former mining activity still represents a potential threat for the environment, but the lack of high temporal resolution monitoring, especially during Mediterranean floods, prevents accurate assessment of metal fluxes from these rivers to the Mediterranean Sea. Studies dedicated to the impacts on human health are too rare, given that studies have shown a higher rate of arsenic-specific cancer near Salsigne mine in the Aude River basin and cases of saturnism in children in the upper Herault River basin. These studies underline the need to take environmental health issues into consideration not only in these watersheds but around the entire Mediterranean basin, which harbors numerous metalliferous ores that have been mined for millennia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Epidemiologic data in volcanic areas suggest that environmental factors might be involved in the increase of thyroid cancer (TC) incidence. Recent reports indicate that several heavy metals and metalloids are increased in volcanic areas. This study aims to evaluate the combined effect of three of these elements Boron (B), Cadmium (Cd), and Molybdenum (Mo) - all increased in the volcanic area of Mt. Etna, in Italy - on thyroid tumorigenesis in the rat. Methods: Female Wistar rats prone to develop thyroid tumors by low-iodine diet and methimazole treatment received ad libitum drinking water supplemented with B, Cd, and Mo at concentrations in the range found in the urine samples of residents of the volcanic area. At 5 and 10 months animals were euthanized, and their thyroid analysed. Statistical analysis was performed with a 2-way unpaired t-test. Results: No toxic effect of the three elements on the growth of the animals was observed. A significant increase of histological features of transformation was observed in thyroid follicular cells of rats treated with B, Cd, and Mo compared with those of control group. These abnormalities were associated with decreased iodine content in the thyroid. Conclusions: This study provides the evidence that slightly increased environmental concentrations of B, Cd, and Mo can accelerate the appearance of transformation marks in the thyroid gland of hypothyroid rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sinter deposits are formed by precipitation of silica from hydrothermal fluids that have reached the surface environment. They are commonly found around hot springs and represent surface expressions of underlying geothermal systems and/or low sulfidation epithermal gold-silver hydrothermal deposits. Several studies have reported ppm to weight percent concentrations of metals (e.g., Au, Ag, Cu) and metalloids (e.g., As, Sb, B) in sinters capping geothermal systems and epithermal gold-silver deposits. However, the relation between the maturity of the siliceous sinter and its metal enrichment remains unknown. Here we use geochemical and mineralogical data that link the silica crystallinity degree with trace metal and metalloid contents in sinter. In this paper, we provide in situ trace element data in metal-rich silica sinter samples from the Puchuldiza geothermal field in the Altiplano of northern Chile that record the complete diagenetic sequence from non-crystalline opal A to microcrystalline quartz. Combined SEM, XRD and LA-ICP-MS data show that the concentration of metals and metalloids in sinters from Puchuldiza display a strong correspondence with silica crystallinity. While arsenic and boron are predominantly enriched in the more amorphous silica phases (opal A/CT), gold and silver show higher concentrations in the more crystalline phases (opal C/quartz). Silica structural, morphological and geochemical transformations from its initial precipitation to its final maturation after diagenesis are responsible for this differential enrichment. During the initial stages, gold and silver are incorporated into silica microspheres as cationic species and/or metal nanoparticles or colloids, while arsenic and boron incorporation is controlled by As-bearing accessory minerals and Fe-oxyhydroxides. As diagenesis progresses and the crystallinity of silica increases, diffusion-driven processes such as Ostwald ripening may progressively enrich gold and silver in the sinter, while metalloids are depleted owing to the low retention of arsenic by silica. These findings indicate that the diagenetic transitions of silica, defined by significant structural changes that involve generation of surface defects and the creation of reactive sites, may play an important role in elemental uptake by silica in near surface environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploration of metabolons as viable drug target is rare in kinetoplastid biology. Here we present a novel protein-protein interaction among Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase ( Ld G6PDH) and Trypanothione reductase ( Ld TryR) of Leishmania donovani displaying interconnection between central glucose metabolism and thiol metabolism of this parasite. Digitonin fractionation patterns observed through immunoblotting indicated localisation of both Ld G6PDH and Ld TryR in cytosol. In-silico and in-vitro interaction observed by size exclusion chromatography, co-purification, pull-down assay and spectrofluorimetric analysis revealed Ld G6PDH and Ld TryR physically interact with each other in a NADPH dependent manner. Coupled enzymatic assay displayed that NADPH generation was severely impaired by addition of Sb III , As III and Te IV extraneously, which hint towards metalloid driven structural changes of the interacting proteins. Co-purification patterns and pull-down assays also depicted that metalloids (Sb III , As III and Te IV ) hinder the in-vitro interaction of these two enzymes. Surprisingly, metalloids at sub-lethal concentrations induced the in-vivo interaction of Ld G6PDH and Ld TryR, as analyzed by pull-down assays and fluorescence microscopy signifying protection against metalloid mediated ROS. Inhibition of Ld TryR by thioridazine in Ld G6PDH -/- parasites resulted in metalloid induced apoptotic death of the parasites due to abrupt fall in reduced thiol content, disrupted NADPH/NADP + homeostasis and lethal oxidative stress. Interestingly, clinical isolates of L . donovani resistant to SAG exhibited enhanced interaction between Ld G6PDH and Ld TryR and showed cross resistivity towards As III and Te IV . Thus, our findings propose the metabolon of Ld G6PDH and Ld TryR as an alternate therapeutic target and provide mechanistic insight about metalloid resistance in Visceral Leishmaniasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is the first study, 10 years after the war activities, to report about the content of heavy metals and metalloids, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) found in samples of soils from selected playgrounds in Sarajevo. Due to the fact that children are in direct contact with surface soils, it has been recommended that children's playgrounds should be given special consideration in this respect. Basic properties (pH in HO, pH in 1 mol dm KCl, humus, and CaCO) of the examined soils were determined. Samples for the determination of heavy metals and metalloids were prepared by microwave-assisted acid digestion and determined by using an inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer. Fluorine was determined potentiometrically. Gas chromatography with mass spectrometry was used for determination of PAHs and PCBs. Determined contents (mg kg) for Cd, Pb, Hg, Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Co, Mo, Fe, Se, As, B, and F were in the ranges from: 0.031 ± 0.03 to 0.52 ± 0.05; 26.1 ± 2.5 to 47.7 ± 4.5; 0.07 ± 0.01 to 0.50 ± 0.08; 26.2 to 50; 19.5 ± 1.6 to 33.3 ± 2.7; 12.8 ± 1.8 to 31.9 ± 4.5; 56.0 ± 4.0 to 89.0 ± 6.5; 6.7 ± 0.6 to10.6 ± 1.0; <0.8; 3.05 to 7.35; 1.98 to 2.60; 6.5 ± 0.8 to 17.2 ± 2.0; 0.4 to 3.6, and 286 to 575, respectively. The total PAHs ranged between 0.184 ± 0.32 mg kg and 7.983 ± 1.389 mg kg. The total PCBs was <0.002 mg kg. Our preliminary results may contribute to more accurate health risk assessments of the soils, and may be included in projects planning children's health risk assessments and adopting environmental legislation which has not been sufficiently regulated in Bosnia and Herzegovina so far. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Gulf of California (GC) is an unique large ecosystem characterized by its rich biodiversity, high biological productivity and endemism of marine life. However, as many other large ecosystems worldwide, it is subject to diverse anthropogenic pressures (overfishing, climate change, losses of biodiversity and habitats, and pollution). We reviewed over 150 studies dealing with contaminants in water, sediments and representative organisms from the GC, and here we discuss the main issues associated to the presence of metals, metalloids, persistent organic pollutants (POPs, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), brominated diphenyl ethers (deca tri-a) (PBDEs), and several other pesticides), plastics, nutrients and algal blooms. The GC ecosystems have been subject to a wide range of pollution sources. Nevertheless, the pollution levels remain relatively low to moderate depending on the location and contaminant type. Contamination hotspots are found i) for metals and metalloids, in sites where mining spills have occurred and ii) for nutrients and pesticides, in wetlands that receive discharges from intensive agricultural and shrimp farming. We also identified sites where harmful algal blooms (HABs) have been observed. However, numerous coastal environments in GC, affected by pollution sources and events have yet been poorly studied. More detailed, extensive and comprehensive studies on the pollution levels and trends, transfer and toxic effects are still needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The work shows the ability of cultured Basidiomycetes of different taxonomic groups- Lentinus edodes, Pleurotus ostreatus, Ganoderma lucidum, and Grifola frondosa-to recover gold, silver, selenium, and silicon, to elemental state with nanoparticles formation. It examines the effect of these metal and metalloid compounds on the parameters of growth and accumulation of biomass; the optimal cultivation conditions and concentrations of the studied ion-containing compounds for recovery of nanoparticles have been identified. Using the techniques of transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, X-ray fluorescence and X-ray phase analysis, the degrees of oxidation of the bioreduced elements, the ζ-potential of colloidal solutions uniformity, size, shape, and location of the nanoparticles in the culture fluid, as well as on the surface and the inside of filamentous hyphae have been determined. The study has found the part played by homogeneous chromatographically pure fungal phenol-oxidizing enzymes (laccases, tyrosinases, and Mn-peroxidases) in the recovery mechanism with formation of electrostatically stabilized colloidal solutions. A hypothetical mechanism of gold(III) reduction from HAuCl to gold(0) by phenol oxidases with gold nanoparticles formation of different shapes and sizes has been introduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Northern Finland Birth Cohort program (NFBC) is the epidemiological and longitudinal prospective general population research program, which was established to promote health and wellbeing of the population in northern Finland. The aim of present study, as a part of the NFBC program, was to analyze the blood levels of arsenic (B-As), cadmium (B-Cd), lead (B-Pb), total mercury (B-Hg) and selenium (B-Se); to compare these levels with threshold limits; to study sociodemographic factors; and to correlate these levels with calcium and haemoglobin. The study was comprised of 249 NFBC subjects, of which 123 were female and 126 were male (ages 31.1 ± 0.3 and 31.1 ± 0.4, respectively). All participants were asked to complete a questionnaire regarding diet and living habits. The geometric means (± SD) of B-As were 0.49 ± 2.80 μg/l and 0.44 ± 2.72 μg/l; B-Cd were 0.18 ± 4.02 μg/l and 0.12 ± 3.21 μg/l; B-Pb were 17.0 ± 1.8 μg/l and 9.06 ± 2.20 μg/l; B-Hg were 2.18 ± 2.02 μg/l and 1.85 ± 1.78 μg/l; and B-Se were 106.0 ± 1.3 and 94.3 ± 1.3 μg/l in males and females, respectively. Among the subjects in the present analysis, 23 % of males and 17.1 % of females had B-As levels above the ATSDR normal human levels of B-As in unexposed individuals (1.0 μg/l). The B-Pb geometric mean (12.44 μg/l) was approximately one eighth the CDC toxicological cut-off point of 100 μg/l. Twenty-one individuals (8.4 %) exceeded a B-Hg level of 5.8 μg/l. Fifty-eight females (47 %) had a B-Hg higher than 2.0 μg/l, the German Federal Environmental Agency cut-off point for women (18-69 years) who consume fish at least three times/month; therefore, their babies could be at risk of adverse effects during development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An orthogonal field experiment of giant reed ( Arundo donax ) modified with organic complex fertiliser (OCF), and OCF and fly ash (O&F), at different planting densities was carried out in metal-contaminated soil. The available percentage of arsenic (As) and lead (Pb) in soil decreased from 8.45% to 2.19% and from 29.6% to 13.5% by OCF, respectively, and that of cadmium (Cd) was reduced from 25.3% to 6.49% by O&F. The total biomass of giant reed was 631 g per individual following application of O&F in contaminated soil. The accumulation of As, Cd, and Pb in giant reed was 1.57, 4.06, and 11.25 mg per individual. Urease and sucrase activity were 87.4 NH 4 -N μg/g d and 63.1 glucose mg/g d in response to the treatments modified using OCF, while the highest dehydrogenase activity was 101 TPF (triphenyltetrazolium formazan) μg/g d in the treatments modified using O&F. Dominant bacteria (frequency > 50%) were enriched with increasing planting density of giant reed. These results indicate that the phytostabilisation of metal-contaminated soil by giant reed could be improved by the application of O&F or OCF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We explored acquired immunity resulting from vaccination in 3 to 7-year-old children, chronically exposed to multiple heavy metals and metalloids, in an e-waste recycling area (Guiyu, China). Child blood levels of ten heavy metals and metalloids, including lead (Pb), arsenic (As), mercury (Hg), chromium (Cr), cadmium (Cd), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn) and selenium (Se), and seven vaccine antibodies (diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, hepatitis B, Japanese encephalitis, polio, measles) were measured. The exposed group had higher levels of blood Pb, Mn, Cu, Zn and Cr compared to the reference group ( P < 0.05). Levels of all vaccine antibodies in the exposed group were significantly lower than in the reference group ( P < 0.01). All vaccine antibodies negatively correlated with blood concentrations of Cu, Zn and Pb, based on spearman rank correlation analysis. Multiple logistic regression and univariate analyses identified the location of residence (Guiyu), high blood Pb (>10 μg/dL) and high blood Cu and Zn (upper median value of each group) to be inversely associated with seven antibody titers. Antibody titers increased with age, BMI, high blood Mn (>15 μg/L), and high blood Cd and Ni (upper median value of each group). Results suggest multiple heavy metal and metalloid exposure, especially to Pb, Zn and Cu, may be a risk factor inhibiting the development of child immunity, resulting in decreased child antibody levels against vaccines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inorganic arsenic is a potent carcinogen and toxicant associated with numerous adverse health outcomes. The contribution of drinking water from private wells and regulated community water systems (CWSs) to total inorganic arsenic exposure is not clear. To determine the association between drinking water arsenic estimates and urinary arsenic concentrations in the 2003–2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). We evaluated 11,088 participants from the 2003–2014 NHANES cycles. For each participant, we assigned private well and CWS arsenic levels according to county of residence using estimates previously derived by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Geological Survey. We used recalibrated urinary dimethylarsinate (rDMA) to reflect the internal dose of estimated water arsenic by applying a previously validated, residual-based method that removes the contribution of dietary arsenic sources. We compared the adjusted geometric mean ratios and corresponding percent change of urinary rDMA across tertiles of private well and CWS arsenic levels, with the lowest tertile as the reference. Comparisons were made overall and stratified by census region and race/ethnicity. Overall, the geometric mean of urinary rDMA was 2.52 (2.30, 2.77) μg/L among private well users and 2.64 (2.57, 2.72) μg/L among CWS users. Urinary rDMA was highest among participants in the West and South, and among Mexican American, Other Hispanic, and Non-Hispanic Other participants. Urinary rDMA levels were 25% (95% confidence interval (CI): 17–34%) and 20% (95% CI: 12–29%) higher comparing the highest to the lowest tertile of CWS and private well arsenic, respectively. The strongest associations between water arsenic and urinary rDMA were observed among participants in the South, West, and among Mexican American and Non-Hispanic White and Black participants. Both private wells and regulated CWSs are associated with inorganic arsenic internal dose as reflected in urine in the general U.S. population. • Chronic inorganic arsenic (As) exposure increases risk of cancer, chronic disease. • Association of drinking water As and total inorganic As exposure is unclear in US. • Higher private well and public water As was associated with higher urine As across US. • Heterogeneity in the effect estimate was observed by US region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urbanisation and associated anthropogenic activities release large quantities of toxic metals and metalloids into the environment, where they may bioaccumulate and threaten both wildlife and human health. In highly transformed landscapes, terrestrial carnivores may be at increased risk of exposure through biomagnification. We quantified metallic element and metalloid exposure in blood of caracals (Caracal caracal), an adaptable felid inhabiting the rapidly urbanising, coastal metropole of Cape Town, South Africa. Using redundancy analysis and mixed-effect models, we explored the influence of demography, landscape use, and diet on the concentration of 11 metals and metalloids. Although species-specific toxic thresholds are lacking, arsenic (As) and chromium (Cr) were present at potentially sublethal levels in several individuals. Increased use of human-transformed landscapes, particularly urban areas, roads, and vineyards, was significantly associated with increased exposure to aluminium (Al), cobalt (Co) and lead (Pb). Foraging closer to the coast and within aquatic food webs was associated with increased levels of mercury (Hg), selenium (Se) and arsenic, where regular predation on seabirds and waterbirds likely facilitates transfer of metals from aquatic to terrestrial food webs. Further, several elements were linked to lower haemoglobin levels (chromium, mercury, manganese, and zinc) and elevated levels of infection-fighting cells (mercury and selenium). Our results highlight the importance of anthropogenic activities as major environmental sources of metal contamination in terrestrial wildlife, including exposure across the land-ocean continuum. These findings contribute towards the growing evidence suggesting cities are particularly toxic areas for wildlife. Co-exposure to a suite of metal pollutants may threaten the long-term health and persistence of Cape Town's caracal population in unexpected ways, particularly when interacting with additional known pollutant and pathogen exposure. The caracal is a valuable sentinel for assessing metal exposure and can be used in pollution monitoring programmes to mitigate exposure and promote biodiversity conservation in human-dominated landscapes. [Display omitted] • Widespread metal and metalloid exposure in Cape Town's caracals. • Higher metal burden with increased use of human-associated landscapes. • Dietary exposure to metals facilitated by seabird and waterbird prey. • Metal contamination linked to potential anaemia and elevated immune response. • Metal exposure takes place across the land-ocean continuum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are numerous publications describing the mineral content of row rice and its impact on human health. However, there are scarce studies about the bioaccessibility and health risk assessment of metallic and metalloid elements from cooked and digested rice. Thus, the aims of the present study were i) to determine the concentration of toxic metals (Al, As, Cd, Pb) and trace and essential elements (Ni, Se, Cr, Cu, Mn and Zn) in cooked and digested rice; ii) to evaluate the adult daily intake and iii) to estimate the non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic human risk related to cooked and digested rice consumption. The bioavailability of the elements studied and their contribution to human health risk was obtained by an in vitro digestion method simulating the human digestion. The results obtained evidenced that Pb had the lowest bioavailability, in contrast with As, which had the highest. Concerning the non-carcinogenic risk test, all values obtained in cooked and digested rice were below the toxic threshold. Furthermore, Pb was the smallest contributor to carcinogenic risk, while Cr-values are the closest to the limit (10-4). Thus, it could be stated that human metallic exposure through rice consumption is overestimated when metals are measured in row rice. • A realistic physiological scenario was simulated through an in vitro rice digestion. • Arsenic was the metalloid with the highest bioavailability. • Lead presented the lowest bioavailability in all the analysed rice varieties. • All the THQ obtained in cooked and digested rice are below the toxic threshold. • Pb was the smallest metal contributor to carcinogenic risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heavy metals are among the most common and dangerous contaminants; their action on plants, as well as the possibility for plants to effectively absorb and translocate them, have been studied for several years, mainly for exploitation in phytoremediation, an environmentally friendly and potentially effective technology proposed and studied for the recovery of contaminated soils and waters. In this work, the analysis has focused on the studies developed using in vitro techniques on the possibilities of mitigating, in plants, the stress due to the presence of heavy metals and/or improving their absorption. These objectives can be pursued with the use of different substances and organisms, which have been examined in detail. The following are therefore presented in this review: an analysis of the role of metals and metalloids; the use of several plant growth regulators, with their mechanisms of action in different physiological phases of the plant; the activity of bacteria and fungi; and the role of other effective compounds, such as ascorbic acid and glutathione.

The chemical composition of COVID test swabs has not been examined beyond the manufacturer's datasheets. The unprecedented demand for swabs to conduct rapid lateral flow tests and nucleic acid amplification tests led to mass production, including 3D printing platforms. Manufacturing impurities could be present in the swabs and, if so, could pose a risk to human health. We used scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy to examine the ultrastructure of seven assorted brands of COVID test swabs and to identify and quantify their chemical elements. We detected eight unexpected elements, including transition metals, such as titanium and zirconium, the metalloid silicon, as well as post-transition metals aluminium and gallium, and the non-metal elements sulphur and fluorine. Some of the elements were detected as trace amounts, but for others, the amount was close to reported toxicological thresholds for inhalation routes. Experimental studies have shown that the detrimental effects of unexpected chemical elements include moderate to severe inflammatory states in the exposed epithelium as well as proliferative changes. Given the massive testing still being used in the context of the COVID pandemic, we urge caution in continuing to recommend repeated and frequent testing, particularly of healthy, non-symptomatic, individuals.

Humans, especially infants, are exposed to harmful substances through various means, including non-nutritive sucking behaviors. Here, we compared the "one-compartment model" and the "three-compartment model" within the "suck model" to assess the oral bioaccessibility of heavy metals in various products and evaluated whether these models can be employed to assess 12 heavy metals present in consumer products. Several certified reference materials, including plastic, paint, glass, and metals, were employed to ensure sample homogeneity. By comparing the two models, we validated that a considerable amount of complexes were formed between saliva components and the extracted heavy metals and that some of these complexes dissociated during reactions with the gastric/intestinal fluids. Furthermore, we observed that in the cases of Cu and Pb, additional complexes were formed as a result of reactions with gastric/intestinal fluids. We measured the total concentrations of the extracted heavy metals using artificial saliva through acid digestion and found that up to 99.7% of the heavy metals participated in the formation of complexes, depending on the characteristics of the sample (e.g., composition) and the target element. This result indicates that the current suck model may notably underestimate the oral bioaccessibility of heavy metals in products associated with sucking behaviors. Therefore, we propose a more conservative and simpler test method for assessing oral bioaccessibility of heavy metals that involves measuring the total concentrations of heavy metals extracted from consumer products using artificial saliva. By doing so, we can account for potential variations in the digestive milieu (e.g., due to ingested food) and the inconsistency in complex formation-dissociation characteristics., 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.)

The relation between exposure to single metal/metalloid and the risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD) remains unclear. We aimed to determine the single and mixed associations of 21 heavy metals/metalloids exposure and the risk of CKD. We performed a cross-sectional study that recruited 4055 participants. Multivariate logistic regression, linear regression and weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression were conducted to explore the possible effects of single and mixed metals/metalloids exposure on the risk of CKD, the risk of albuminuria and changes in the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). In single-metal models, Cu, Fe, and Zn were positively associated with increased risks of CKD (P-trend < 0.05). Compared to the lowest level, the highest quartiles of Cu (OR = 2.94; 95% CI: 1.70, 5.11; P-trend < 0.05), Fe (OR = 2.39; 95% CI: 1.42, 4.02; P-trend < 0.05), and Zn (OR = 2.35; 95% CI: 1.31, 4.24; P-trend < 0.05) were associated with an increased risk of CKD. After multi-metal adjustment, the association with the risk of CKD remained robust for Cu (P < 0.05). Weighted quantile sum regression revealed a positive association between mixed metals/metalloids and the risk of CKD, and the association was largely driven by Cu (43.7%). Specifically, the mixture of urinary metals/metalloids was positively associated with the risk of albuminuria and negatively associated with eGFR., (© 2023. Springer Nature Limited.)

The aim of the study was to evaluate the presence of metal(loid)s in lubricating eye drops used in the treatment of dry eye disease. The concentrations of Al, As, Ba, Cd, Co, Cu, Cr, Pb, Fe, Mg, Mn, Mo, Ni, Se, V, and Zn were determined in 19 eye drop samples using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP OES). The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) values for the quantified elements ranged from 0.0002-0.0363 (mg/L) and 0.0007-0.1211 (mg/L), respectively. High values of concentrations of Al (2.382 µg/g), As (0.204 µg/g), Ba (0.056 µg/g), Cd (0.051 µg/g), Co (1.085 µg/g), Cr (0.020 µg/g), Cu (0.023 µg/g), Fe (0.453 µg/g), Mg (24.284 µg/g), Mn (0.014 µg/g), Mo (0.046 µg/g), Ni (0.071 µg/g), Pb (0.049 µg/g), Se (0.365 µg/g), V (0.083 µg/g), and Zn (0.552 µg/g) were quantified in samples of eye drops with and without preservatives. The concentrations of As (5 samples) and Cd (3 samples) were higher than those allowed by the Brazilian Pharmacopoeia for impurities (parenteral use). The value of Co content (µg/g) in a sample was higher than the value established by the International Council for Harmonization of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH Q3D (R2)) in the parenteral route. The daily eye drop instillation exposure (µg/day) was below the values from the parenteral-permitted daily exposure (PDE) set by the ICH Q3D guideline (R2). The presence of heavy metals in eye drops is an alert to regulatory agencies in several countries so that control and inspections can be carried out.

Heavy metals (HMs) and metalloids (Ms) such as arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), and lead (Pb) represent serious environmental threats due to their wide abundance and high toxicity. Contamination of water and soils by HMs and Ms from natural or anthropogenic sources is of great concern in agricultural production due to their toxic effects on plants, adversely affecting food safety and plant growth. The uptake of HMs and Ms by Phaseolus vulgaris L. plants depends on several factors including soil properties such as pH, phosphate, and organic matter. High concentrations of HMs and Ms could be toxic to plants due to the increased generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as (O 2 •- ), ( • OH), (H 2 O 2 ), and ( 1 O 2 ), and oxidative stress due to an imbalance between ROS generation and antioxidant enzyme activity. To minimize the effects of ROS, plants have developed a complex defense mechanism based on the activity of antioxidant enzymes such as SOD, CAT, GPX, and phytohormones, especially salicylic acid (SA) that can reduce the toxicity of HMs and Ms. This review focuses on evaluating the accumulation and translocation of As, Cd, Hg, and Pb in Phaseolus vulgaris L. plants and on their possible effects on the growth of Phaseolus vulgaris L. in soil contaminated with these elements. The factors that affect the uptake of HMs and Ms by bean plants, and the defense mechanisms under oxidative stress caused by the presence of As, Cd, Hg, and Pb are also discussed. Furthermore, future research on mitigating HMs and Ms toxicity in Phaseolus vulgaris L. plants is highlighted., 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.)

This study measured 22 metal and metalloid concentrations in Hypnea musciformis from the Bakkhali River estuary and Saint Martin's Island, Bangladesh and determined their potential impact on consumption. Student t-tests showed a significant variation in metal concentrations between the two sampling sites (p < 0.05). Mean concentrations of Co (2.49 ± 0.05 mg/kg), Fe (793.29 ± 11.76 mg/kg), Mn (368.72 ± 4.87 mg/kg), Pb (3.82 ± 0.02 mg/kg), V (11.23 ± 0.20 mg/kg) and Zn (16.60 ± 0.28 mg/kg) were higher in samples collected from the Bakkhali River estuary compared to Saint Martin's Island, while mean concentrations of Ca (484.18 ± 4.68 mg/kg), Cd (2.44 ± 0.03 mg/kg), Mg (2112.70 ± 17.80 mg/kg), Mo (1.57 ± 0.06 mg/kg), Sr (2377.57 ± 29.98 mg/kg), and Ti (258.27 ± 4.62 mg/kg) were higher in samples collected from Saint Martin's Island. Eight heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Zn, Cu, Ni, Mn, Cr, Fe) were used to assess potential health risks for adults, but no potential health risk was detected (HQ value>1). This study reveals positive Se-HBV for H. musciformis collected from both sampling sites, indicating no potential risks involved with Hg toxicity., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have influenced the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Understanding plant uptake and translocation of nanomaterials is crucial for ensuring the successful and sustainable applications of seed nanotreatment. Here, we collect a dataset with 280 instances from experiments for predicting the relative metal/metalloid concentration (RMC) in maize seedlings after seed priming by various metal and metalloid oxide nanoparticles. To obtain unbiased predictions and explanations on small datasets, we present an averaging strategy and add a dimension for interpretable machine learning. The findings in post-hoc interpretations of sophisticated LightGBM models demonstrate that solubility is highly correlated with model performance. Surface area, concentration, zeta potential, and hydrodynamic diameter of nanoparticles and seedling part and relative weight of plants are dominant factors affecting RMC, and their effects and interactions are explained. Furthermore, self-interpretable models using the RuleFit algorithm are established to successfully predict RMC only based on six important features identified by post-hoc explanations. We then develop a visualization tool called RuleGrid to depict feature effects and interactions in numerous generated rules. Consistent parameter-RMC relationships are obtained by different methods. This study offers a promising interpretable data-driven approach to expand the knowledge of nanoparticle fate in plants and may profoundly contribute to the safety-by-design of nanomaterials in agricultural and environmental applications.

The decade-long effort to control e-waste in China has made significant progress from haphazard disposal to organized recycling, but environmental research suggests that exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and metals/metalloids (MeTs) still poses plausible health risks. To investigate the exposure risk faced by children and identify corresponding priority control chemicals, we evaluated the carcinogenic risk (CR), non-CR, and oxidative DNA damage risks of VOCs and MeTs exposure in 673 children from an e-waste recycling area (ER) by measuring urinary exposure biomarker levels. The ER children were generally exposed to high levels of VOCs and MeTs. We observed distinctive VOCs exposure profiles in ER children. In particular, the 1,2-dichloroethane/ethylbenzene ratio and 1,2-dichloroethane were promising diagnostic indexes for identifying e-waste pollution due to their high accuracy (91.4%) in predicting e-waste exposure. Exposure to acrolein, benzene, 1,3-butadiene, 1,2-dichloroethane, acrylamide, acrylonitrile, arsenic, vanadium, copper, and lead posed considerable CR or/and non-CR and oxidative DNA damage risks to children, while changing personal lifestyles, especially enhancing daily physical exercise, may facilitate mitigating these chemical exposure risks. These findings highlight that the exposure risk of some VOCs and MeTs is still non-negligible in regulated ER, and these hazardous chemicals should be controlled as priorities., 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.)

The release of contaminants of environmental concern including heavy metals and metalloids, and contaminants of emerging concern including organic micropollutants from processing industries, pharmaceuticals, personal care, and anthropogenic sources, is a growing threat worldwide. Mitigating inorganic and organic contaminants, which can be coined as contaminants of environmental and emerging concern (CEECs), is a big challenge as traditional physicochemical processes are not economically viable for managing mixed contaminants of low concentrations. As a result, low-cost materials must be designed to provide high CEEC removal efficiency. One of the environmentally viable and energy-efficient approaches is biosorption, which involves using biomass or biopolymers isolated from plants or animals to decontaminate heavy metals in contaminated environments using inherent biological mechanisms. Among chemical constituents in plant biomass, cellulose, lignin, hemicellulose, proteins, polysaccharides, phenolic compounds, and animal biomass include polysaccharides and other compounds to bind heavy metals covalently and non-covalently. These functional groups include carboxyl, hydroxyl, carbonyl, amide, amine, and sulfhydryl. Cation-exchange capacities of these bioadsorbents can be improved by applying chemical modifications. The relevance of chemical constituents and bioactives in biosorbents derived from agricultural production such as food and fodder crops, bioenergy and cash crops, fruit and vegetable crops, medicinal and aromatic plants, plantation trees, aquatic and terrestrial weeds, and animal production such as dairy, goatery, poultry, duckery, and fisheries is highlighted in this comprehensive review for sequestering and bioremediation of CEECs, including as many as ten different heavy metals and metalloids co-contaminated with other organic micropollutants in circular bioresource utilization and one-health concepts., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd) and copper (Cu) are hazardous for kidney function, while the effects of selenium (Se) and zinc (Zn) were unexplored for the narrow safe range of intake. Interactions exists between these multiple metal/metalloid exposures, but few studies have investigated the effects., Methods: A cross-sectional survey was performed among 2210 adults across twelve provinces in China between 2020 and 2021. Urinary As, Cd, Cu, Se and Zn were measured using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Serum creatinine (Scr) and N-acetyl-beta-D glucosaminidases (urine NAG) were quantified in serum and urine, respectively. Kidney function was evaluated by the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). We employed logistic regression and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) models to explore the individual and joint effects of urinary metals/metalloids on the risk of impaired renal function (IRF) or chronic kidney disease (CKD), respectively., Results: Association was found between As (OR = 1.24, 95 % CI: 1.03, 1.48), Cd (OR = 1.65, 95 % CI: 1.35, 2.02), Cu (OR = 1.90, 95 % CI: 1.59, 2.29), Se (OR = 1.51, 95 % CI: 1.24, 1.85) and Zn (OR = 1.33, 95 % CI: 1.09, 1.64) and the risk of CKD. Moreover, we observed association between As (OR = 1.18, 95 % CI: 1.07, 1.29), Cu (OR = 1.14, 95 % CI: 1.04, 1.25), Se (OR = 1.15, 95 % CI: 1.06, 1.26) and Zn (OR = 1.12, 95 % CI: 1.02, 1.22) and the risk of IRF. Additionally, it was found that Se exposure may strength the association of urinary As, Cd and Cu with IRF. Furthermore, it is worth noting that Se and Cu contributed greatest to the inverse association in IRF and CKD, respectively., Conclusion: Our findings suggested that metal/metalloid mixtures were associated with kidney dysfunction, Se and Cu were inverse factors. Additionally, interactions between them may affect the association. Further studies are needed to assess the potential risks for metal/metalloid exposures., 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. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Some atmospheric pollutants may affect aquatic ecosystems after settling, generating contamination, bioaccumulation, and threats to aquatic species. Metallurgical processes result in the emission of settleable atmospheric particulate matter (SePM), including metals and metalloids, along with rare earth elements (REE) that are considered emerging contaminants. We report the 30-day exposure of brown mussels (Perna perna) to SePM collected in a metallurgical area of southeast Brazil close to estuarine ecosystems, followed by a 30-day clearance period, to evaluate the toxic potential of SePM to this model mollusk. The bioaccumulation of 28 elements identified in SePM and the sublethal effects were evaluated. REEs were found in SePM (Ce, Y, and La). Significant bioaccumulation of eight metals (Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Rb, Sr, Cd, and Ba) was found in the bivalves and correlates with the cytotoxicity and genotoxicity, showing a dose-dependent mode and suggesting a pre-pathological condition that could lead to ecological disturbances over time. Conversely, the unchanged lipid-peroxidation level after SePM exposure could indicate the effectiveness of the antioxidant system in protecting gills and digestive glands. The clearance period was not enough to successfully reverse the negative effects observed. So far, the current results enhance the comprehension of the negative role of SePM on metal bioaccumulation and metal-induced toxicity to aquatic biota. Thus, this report adds innovative findings on the role of SePM in aquatic pollution in coastal areas affected by atmospheric pollution, which should be relevant for future public policies to verify and control the environmental pollution., 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.)

The fumes created from welding activities present a unique occupational hazard. Due to the complex processes which govern fume formation, the characterization of welding fumes is difficult. Emission factors (EFs) are one method to characterize fume formation from different processes and scenarios. This paper reviews the development of EFs and similar metrics both historic research which contributed to the US EPAs AP-42 summary of welding emission factors released in 1995, and more recent research initiatives. Through a critical analysis of what research has been done in this area and the strength of the emission factors developed, this paper proposes a set of recommendations for future research. Research on emission factors for gas metal arc welding (GMAW) is the most complete amongst the different types of electric arc welding. Despite it being generally known that flux core arc welding (FCAW) creates significant fume emissions compared to some of the other processes few studies have looked at FCAW since the AP-42. Shielded metal arc welding is also under-researched particularly in terms of metal-specific emission factors. The influence of different welding activity parameters such as welding location, speed or current is well defined for GMAW but requires more attention for other welding processes. Further effort towards compiling and comparing available emission factor data of quality, evaluating the available data statistically and organizing this data in a practically useful way is required. The availability of reliable emission factors will allow the development or improvement of exposure modelling tools that would be very useful for exposure assessment when monitoring is not practical.s., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Occupational Hygiene Society.)

Background: Previous epidemiology studies reported that heavy metal/metalloid exposure is associated with the impairment of semen quality. However, it is still not clear whether the in vitro fertilization (IVF)/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) treatment outcome will be affected after the heavy metal/metalloid exposure of the male partners., Methods: A prospective cohort study with a 2-year followed-up was conducted in a tertiary IVF center. A total of 111 couples undergoing IVF/ICSI treatment were initially recruited from November 2015 to November 2016. Male blood concentrations of heavy metal/metalloid including Ca, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Mo, Cd, Hg, and Pb were measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, and the lab and pregnancy outcome data were followed up. The associations between male blood heavy metal/metalloid concentration and the clinical outcomes were analyzed by Poisson regression analysis., Results: Our results showed that none of the heavy metal/metalloid of male partners we investigated are significantly associated with the oocyte fertilization and good embryo (P ≥ 0.05); however, antral follicle count (AFC) was a protective factor for the oocyte fertilization (RR: 1.07, 95 % CI: 1.04-1.10). The blood Fe concentration of the male partner was positively associated (P < 0.05) with pregnancy in the first fresh cycle (RR:170.93, 95 % CI: 4.13-7082.04), cumulative pregnancy (RR: 23.61, 95 % CI: 3.25-171.64) and cumulative live birth (RR: 36.42, 95 % CI: 1.21-1092.54). In the first frozen embryo cycles, pregnancy was significantly associated (P < 0.05) with the blood Mn (RR: 0.01, 95 % CI:0.00-0.11) and Se concentration (RR: 0.01, 95 % CI:8.25 E-5-0.47) and female age (RR: 0.86, 95 % CI:0.75-0.99); live birth was significantly associated (P < 0.05) with the blood Mn concentration (RR: 0.00, 95 % CI: 1.14E-7-0.51)., Conclusions: Our results suggested that the higher male blood Fe concentration was positively associated with pregnancy in the fresh embryo transfer cycle, cumulative pregnancy, and cumulative live birth, whereas the higher male blood Mn and Se concentration were associated with lower chance of pregnancy and live birth in the frozen embryo transfer cycle. However, the underline mechanism of this finding still needs further investigation., 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 GmbH. All rights reserved.)

The operation stability of halide perovskite devices is the critical issue that impedes their commercialization. The main reasons are that the ambient H 2 O molecules can easily deteriorate the perovskites, while the metal electrodes react in different degrees with the perovskites. Herein, one kind of new electrode, the metalloids, is reported, which are much more stable than the conventional noble metals as electrical contacts for halide perovskites. The degradation mechanism of halide perovskites with noble metal electrodes is carefully studied and compared with the metalloid electrodes. It is found that the iodide ions can easily halogenate Cu and Ag in halide perovskites. Although Au is almost not halogenated, it can also decompose the perovskite film. On the contrary, after long-term storage, the metalloid electrodes remain intact on the perovskite film without any degradation. In addition, the long-time operation stability of the perovskite devices with metalloid electrodes is much higher than that of noble metals. First-principles calculations confirm the exceptional stability of the metalloid electrodes.This work explores the ultra-stable electrodes for halide perovskites, paving the way to the large-scale deployment of perovskite-based electronic devices., (© 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

A polyphasic taxonomic study was carried out on a Gram-stain-negative and rod-shaped strain, ER-Te-42B-Light T , isolated from the tissue of a tube worm, Riftia pachyptila , collected near a deep-sea hydrothermal vent of the Juan de Fuca Ridge in the Pacific Ocean. This bacterium was capable of performing anaerobic respiration using tellurite, tellurate, selenite and orthovanadate as terminal electron acceptors. While facultatively anaerobic, it could aerobically resist tellurite, selenite and orthovanadate up to 2000, 7000 and 10000 µg ml -1 , respectively, reducing each oxide to elemental forms. Nearly complete 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity related the strain to Shewanella , with 98.8 and 98.7 % similarity to Shewanella basaltis and Shewanella algicola , respectively. The dominant fatty acids were C 16 : 0 and C 16 : 1 . The major polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylglycerol and MK-7 was the predominant quinone. DNA G+C content was 42.5 mol%. Computation of average nucleotide identity and digital DNA-DNA hybridization values with the closest phylogenetic neighbours of ER-Te-42B-Light T revealed genetic divergence at the species level, which was further substantiated by differences in several physiological characteristics. Based on the obtained results, this bacterium was assigned to the genus Shewanella as a new species with the name Shewanella metallivivens sp. nov., type strain ER-Te-42B-Light T (=VKM B-3580 T =DSM 113370 T ).

Metallic smoke released by steel industries is constitute by a mixture of fine and gross particles containing metals, including the emerging ones, which sedimentation contaminates soil and aquatic ecosystems and put in risk the resident biota. This study determined the metal/metalloids in the atmospheric settleable particulate matter (SePM, particles >10 μm) from a metallurgical industrial area and evaluated metal bioconcentration, antioxidant responses, oxidative stress, and the histopathology in the gills, hepatopancreas and kidneys of fat snook fish (Centropomus parallelus) exposed to different concentrations of SePM (0.0, 0.01, 0.1 and 1.0 g L -1 ), for 96 h. From the 27 metals (Al, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Rb, Sr, Y, Zr, Nb, Mo, Ag, Cd, Sn, Ba, La, Ce, W, Hg, Pb, Bi) analyzed, 18 were quantified in SePM and dissolved in seawater. Metal bioconcentrations differed among organs; Fe and Zn were the metals most bioconcentrated in all organs, Fe was higher in hepatopancreas and Zn > Fe > Sr > Al was higher in kidneys. The activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) decreased in the gills; SOD, catalase (CAT) decreased, and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) increased in hepatopancreas and, CAT, glutathione-S-transferase (GST) and the level of glutathione (GSH) increased in kidneys. The unchanged levels of lipid peroxidation and oxidized protein in any organ indicate that the antioxidant responses were efficient to avoid oxidative stress. Organ lesion indices were higher in the gills > kidneys > hepatopancreas, being higher in fish exposed to 0.01 g L -1 SePM. All changes indicate a tissue-specific metal/metalloids bioconcentration, antioxidant and morphological responses that all together compromise fish health. Regulatory normative are needed to control the emission of these metalliferous PM to preserve the environment and biota., 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.)

Background: In recent months, the current COVID-19 pandemic has generated thousands of studies directly or indirectly related with this disease and/or the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 causing the infection. On August 22, 2022, the database PUBMED included 287,639 publications containing the term COVID-19. However, in spite of the importance of trace elements in human health, including the immune system, data on the levels of metals/metalloids in COVID-19 patients is very limited., Methods: The concentrations of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Fe, Mg, Mn, Pb, Se, V and Zn were determined by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) in 126 serum samples of individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2, as well as in 88 samples of non-infected individuals. Participants were divided into four groups: i) individuals COVID-19 positive (COVID-19 +) with an asymptomatic infection course; ii) individuals suffering mild COVID-19; iii) individuals suffering severe COVID-19, and iv) individuals COVID-19 negative (COVID-19-) (control group). The occurrence of the analyzed metals/metalloids was evaluated along with the biochemical profile, including blood cell counts, lipids, proteins and crucial enzymes., Results: Serum levels of Mg, V, Cr, Cu, Cd, and Pb were higher in COVID-19 positive patients than those in the control group. Although no significant differences were observed between the different groups of patients, the concentrations of Cd, Pb, V and Zn showed a tendency to be higher in individuals with severe COVID-19 than in those showing mild symptoms or being asymptomatic. Arsenic and Hg were rarely detected, regardless if the subjects were infected by SARS-CoV-2, or not. The current results did not show significant differences in the levels of the rest of analyzed elements according to the severity of the disease (asymptomatic, mild and severe)., Conclusions: In spite of the results here obtained, we highlight the need to reduce the exposure to Cd, Pb and V to minimize the potential adverse health outcomes after COVID-19 infection. On the other hand, although a protective role of essential elements was not found, Mg and Cu concentrations were higher in severe COVID-19 patients than in non-infected individuals., 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 GmbH.. All rights reserved.)

Toxic elements represent a serious threat to the environment and cause harmful effects on different environmental components, even at trace levels. These toxic elements are often difficult to detect through the typical instrumentation of an analytical laboratory because they are found at very low concentrations in matrices such as food and water. Therefore, preconcentration plays a fundamental role since it allows the effects of the matrix to be minimized, thus reaching lower detection limits and greater sensitivity of detection techniques. In recent years, solid-phase extraction has been successfully used for the preconcentration of metals as an environmentally friendly technique due to the fact that it eliminates or minimizes the use of reagents and solvents and offers reduced analysis times and low generation of waste in the laboratory. Hybrid biomaterials are low-cost, eco-friendly, and useful as efficient solid phases for the preconcentration of elements. In this review, recent investigations based on the use of hybrid biomaterials for the preconcentration and determination of toxic metals are presented and discussed, given special attention to bionanomaterials. A brief description of hybrid biomaterials often used for analytical purposes, as well as analytical techniques mostly used to characterize the hybrid biomaterials, is explained. Finally, the future prospects that encourage the search for new hybrid biomaterials are commented upon., (© 2023. Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Trypanosoma brucei is a primitive parasitic protozoan that thrives in diverse environments such as the midgut of the tsetse fly and the blood of a mammalian host. For an adequate adaptation to these environments, the parasite´s aquaglyceroporins play an important role. Methods and Results: In order to test their ability to transport trivalent arsenic and antimony, we expressed the three known Trypanosoma brucei aquaglyceroporins (TbAQPs) in the heterologous systems of yeast null aquaporin mutant and Xenopus laevis oocytes. For both expression systems, we found a pH dependent intracellular accumulation of As(III) or Sb(III) mediated by all of the three TbAQPs, with the exception of TbAQP1-As(III) uptake. Additionally, we observed that Trypanosoma brucei aquaglyceroporins allow the passage of As(III) in both directions. Conclusion: Taken together, these results demonstrated that T. brucei aquaglyceroporins can serve as entry routes for As(III) and Sb(III) into the parasitic cell, and that this uptake is pH sensitive. Therefore, aquaporins of protozoan parasites may be considered useful as a vehicle for drug delivery.

Highlights from the article: Elements with s, d, and f valence electrons are metals; in contrast elements with p valence electrons can be non-metals/insulators (right side), metals (left side), semimetals or semiconductors. It is, thus, tempting to characterize metalloids as either being semiconductors or semimetals, and referring to all elements as being metals, semimetals, semiconductors, and insulators. Semiconductors, metalloids, insulators, Periodic Table, semimetals, non-metals.