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EnvironmentAsia, 16, 2, 149-161

The paper reports a study of chromosome abnormalities (CA/s) in the Monopterus albus near a gold mine area compared to a non-affected area. The arsenic (As) concentrations were determined in the wa...

The increase in municipal solid waste generation, along with high concentrations of heavy metals in environments near municipal landfill, has led to human health hazards. This study investi...

This study aimed to determine the particulate matter concentrations (PM10) in workplace air and personal dust, and their effects on the respiratory health of exposed workers. The lung function of 449 exposed workers was examined. The concentration of PM10 in workplace air and personal dust exposure was measured. Spirometry was used to evaluate the lung function capacity included forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), forced expiratory volume ratio (FEV%) and peak expiratory flow rate (PEF). The forced expiratory flow at 25% to 75% of the FVC (FEF 25-75%) was determined. The PM10 concentration in workplace air (6 study sites) and personal dust (4 study sites) exceeded the standard (REL) of 0.12 mg/m3. The results of this study showed a decrease in the mean values and percent predicted value of FVC, FEV1, FEV1%, PEF and FEF 25-75%. The lung capacity of participants revealed that 24.50%, 4.45% and 7.13% had mildly, moderately restrictive and small airway disease. Th...

This study aimed to investigate contamination by heavy metals including arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), lead (Pb), and manganese (Mn) and to conduct a cytotoxic assessment of Esomus metallicus from a gold mine area compared with that from the non-affected area. The E. metallicus samples were collected downstream of a gold mine area. The heavy metal concentrations were analysed by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). The average amounts of As, Cd, Cr, Pb and Mn in water and E. metallicus samples from the gold mine area were 0.368 ± 0.009, 0.008 ± 0.006, 0.009 ± 0.001, 0.006 ± 0.002, 1.438 ± 0.058 mg/L, 0.65 ± 0.25, 0.03 ± 0.03, 2.12 ± 0.05, 0.25 ± 0.07 and 18.28 ± 6.82 mg/kg, respectively. The difference of As, Cr and Mn concentrations in E. metallicus samples between gold mine and non-affected areas was statistically significant (p

This research was conducted to assess heavy metal contamination in the environment and within Oryza sativa. The translocation factors (TFs) and bioaccumulation factors (BAFs) for heavy metals in O. sativa and estimated daily intake (EDI) and health risk index (HRI) were measured. The samples were analyzed for heavy metals using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). Pb and Cr concentrations in water samples within and near the electronic-waste dumping area exceeded water quality standards for surface water sources from the Pollution Control Department in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Thailand (PCD). The Pb concentration in soil samples within the area also exceeded soil quality standards for habitat and agriculture from PCD. Most of the metals were highly concentrated in roots, except for Mn which has the highest concentration in leaves. Pb concentrations in rice grains exceeded the FAO/WHO standard (0.2 mg/kg). The average TF values for heavy me...

This study aimed to investigate arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), and lead (Pb), contamination in water, sediment, and Rasbora tornieri samples and chromosomal aberration in R. tornieri near gold mine area compared to unaffected area. The heavy metal concentrations in the samples were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). The difference of As, Cr, and Pb concentrations in R. tornieri samples between the gold mine and unaffected areas was statistically significant (p < 0.05), but the difference was not significant for Cd. The diploid chromosome number of R. tornieri from both areas was 2n = 50, and the chromosomal aberrations of R. tornieri were higher in the gold mine area than those in the unaffected area. There are six types of chromosomal aberrations, including centric fragmentation (CF), centric gap, single chromatid gap, fragmentation, deletion, and polyploidy. The most common chromosomal aberration in the samples from the gold mine area was C...

EnvironmentAsia, 13, 3, 36-49

This study was conducted to assess the water quality and arsenic (As) concentrations in water, sediment, aquatic plants and animals near a municipal landfill. The As concentration in the samples was analysed using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. Thirty-six aquatic plants of four species were collected. The highest As concentration was found in Limnocharis flava (0.78 ± 0.31 mg/kg). The aquatic animals included 31 fish of four species and 27 freshwater snails of three species. The highest As concentrations in the fish and freshwater snails were found in Oreochromis niloticus (0.16 ± 0.16 mg/kg) and Filopaludina sumatrensis (0.18 ± 0.06 mg/kg), respectively. The highest bioaccumulation factor of As in the aquatic plants, fish and freshwater snails were found in L. flava (131.30 ± 15.35), O. niloticus (228.21 ± 26.99) and F. sumatrensis (33.04 ± 10.58), respectively. Since the accumulation of As was higher in the sediment than in the water, aquatic plants and animals took up...

This research was conducted to assess the contamination of heavy metals in the water, sediment, aquatic plants and animals around a municipal landfill. The heavy metals were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). The concentrations of cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), and lead (Pb) in water and sediment were Not detected (ND), 0.05 ± 0.98, and 0.02 ± 0.01 mg/L; and 0.47 ± 0.23, 18.65 ± 11.39, and 5.36 ± 2.08 mg/kg, respectively. A total of 24 aquatic plants from 4 species were collected from the municipal landfill. Cd concentrations in all plant species were within the standard, while Cr and Pb exceeded the standard. Forty-four fish from 4 species, 29 freshwater snails from 3 species, 10 freshwater prawns from 1 species, and 9 freshwater crabs from 1 species were collected. Cd and Cr concentrations in 2 species of fish samples exceeded the standard and Pb concentration in all fish species exceeded the standard. Cd and Pb concentrations in all freshwater snails w...

This cross-sectional analytical study aimed to determine the blood levels of zinc (B-Zn), chromium (B-Cr), and lead (B-Pb) and to identify the factors influencing these levels in the blood of residents of the Nam Pong River. Quantitative data collection was utilized, and systematic random sampling was conducted to obtain 420 samples for measuring serum heavy metals, including B-Zn, B-Cr, and B-Pb. Multiple regression analysis was used to identify factors influencing the accumulation of heavy metals in the population, reported mean differences, 95% confidence intervals, and p values. The average levels of heavy metals were 74.38 ± 14.00 µg/dL (95% confidence interval [CI]: 73.03–75.72) for zinc, 0.28 ± 0.23 µg/L (95% CI: 0.26–0.30) for chromium, and 2.80 ± 1.60 µg/dL (95% CI: 2.64–2.95) for lead, which all were within normal limits. Factors influencing zinc levels included occupational exposure (batteries) (mean diff = 11.56; 95% CI: 1.81–21.32, p value = 0.02) and consumption of fish from the rive...

The objectives of this study were to investigate chromosomal aberrations in rice field frogs (Fejervarya limnocharis) from gold mine area compared to those from non-affected area. Three frogs were collected from each site, and chromosomal aberrations were studied in their bone marrow. Arsenic (As) was also measured in water and sediment from both areas. The average As concentrations in samples from the gold mine and the non-affected areas were 0.03 ± 0.003 mg/L and not detected in water and 351.59 ± 5.73 and 1.37 ± 1.07 mg/kg in sediment, respectively. The values in the gold mine were still higher than that allowed by the water and soil quality standards; however, the As concentrations in the samples from the non-affected area were acceptable. The average concentrations of As in the frog samples from the gold mine and the non-affected areas were 0.35 ± 0.33 and 0.07 ± 0.01 mg/kg, respectively, which were both lower than the standard of As contamination in food. The diploid chromosome number of frogs in both areas was 2n = 26, and the percentage of chromosomal aberrations in rice field frogs in the gold mine area was higher than in the non-affected area. There were seven types of chromosomal aberrations observed: single chromatid gap, isochromatid gap, single chromatid breaks, deletion, fragmentation, centric fragmentation and polyploidy. The most common chromosomal aberration in the samples from the affected area was the single chromatid gap. The difference in the percentages of chromosomal aberrations in rice field frogs from each area was statistically significant (p

This research was conducted to assess the water quality and the contamination of heavy metals in water, sediment, fish, and frogs, as well as bioaccumulation factors (BAFs) in fish and frogs around the gold mine area. The water samples were analyzed for water quality (temperature, pH, and dissolved oxygen). The samples were analyzed for heavy metals by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. The water quality was within the standard. The concentrations of heavy metals, including As, Cr, Cd, Pb, Ni, Zn, Fe, Mn, and Cu, in water and sediment samples were measured. Three species of fish were collected: Rasbora tornieri, Brachydanio albolineata, and Systomus rubripinnis. The mean heavy metal concentrations of fish were as follows: Fe>Zn>Mn>Cr>Ni>Cu>As>Pb>Cd. The As, Cr, and Pb concentrations in all the fish species exceeded the standard levels. Five species of frogs were collected: Kaloula pulchra, Microhyla heymonsi, Fejervarya limnocharis, Hoplobatrachus rugulosus, and Microhyla pu...