Fast and efficient As(III) removal from water by bifunctional nZVI@NBC.

As a notable toxic substance, metalloid arsenic (As) widely exists in water body and drinking As-contaminated water for an extended period of time can result in serious health concerns. Here, the performance of nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) modified N-doped biochar (NBC) composites (nZVI@NBC) activated peroxydisulfate (PDS) for As(III) removal was investigated. The removal efficiencies of As(III) with initial concentration ranging from 50 to 1000 µg/L were above 99% (the residual total arsenic below 10 µg/L, satisfying the contaminant limit for arsenic in drinking water) within 10 min by nZVI@NBC (0.2 g/L)/PDS (100 µM). As(III) removal efficiency influenced by reaction time, PDS dosage, initial concentration, pH, co-existing ions, and natural organic matter in nZVI@NBC/PDS system were investigated. The nZVI@NBC composite is magnetic and could be conveniently collected from aqueous solutions. In practical applications, nZVI@NBC/PDS has more than 99% As(III) removal efficiency in various water bodies (such as deionized water, piped water, river water, and lake water) under optimized operation parameters. Radical quenching and EPR analysis revealed that SO4·- and ·OH play important roles in nZVI@NBC/PDS system, and the possible reaction mechanism was further proposed. These results suggest that nZVI@NBC activated peroxydisulfate may be an efficient and fast approach for the removal of water contaminated with As(III).

Metals, nonmetals and metalloids in cigarette smoke as hazardous compounds for human health.

Cigarette smoke contains many chemicals that are harmful to both smokers and non-smokers. Breathing just a little cigarette smoke can be harmful. There are >7000 chemicals in cigarette smoke, at least 250 are known to be harmful and many of them can cause cancer. Currently, many studies reported the types of harmful organic compounds in cigarette smoke; instead, there are almost no works that describe the presence of inorganic compounds. In this work, a cost-effective self-made passive sampler (SMPS) was tested as a tool to collect different types of particulate matter (PM) from cigarette smoke containing metals as hazardous compounds (HCs). To determine the nature of the metals, nonmetals and metalloids as HCs, a direct qualitative analysis of the particulate matter (PM) was conducted without developing any special sample preparation procedure. For that, non-invasive elemental (Scanning Electron Microscope coupled to Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectrometry) and molecular (Raman microscopy) micro-spectroscopic techniques were used. Thanks to this methodology, it was possible to determine in deposited PM, the presence of metals such as Fe, Cr, Ni, Ti, Co, Sn, Zn, Ba, Al, Cu, Zr, Ce, Bi, etc. most of them as oxides but also embedded in different clusters with sulfates, aluminosilicates, even phosphates.

Oxidative stress and neurotoxicity induced by exposure to settleable atmospheric particulate matter in bullfrog tadpoles, Aquarana catesbeiana, (Shaw, 1802).

Bullfrog tadpoles, Aquarana catesbeiana, were exposed to settleable particulate matter (SePM), (1 g L-1, 96 h) and their organs were collected for analysis of metal/metalloid, oxidative stress and neurotoxicity in liver, muscle, kidney and brain. The SePM water of the exposed groups contained 18 of the 28 metals/metalloids detected in ambient particulate matter (APM). Fe56 and Al were those that presented the highest concentrations, Cr, Mn, Pb and Cu increased from 10 to 20 times and Ti, V, Sr, Rb, Cd, Sn and Ni increased from 1 to 3 times compared to the control. Bioaccumulation of metals/metalloids in the exposure water varied significantly between organs, with the muscle and liver showing the highest concentrations of metals, followed by the brain. Lipoperoxidation and malondialdehyde increased only in muscle, while carbonyl proteins increased only in the liver and brain. Regarding nitric oxide synthase, there was an increase in the liver and brain in the group exposed to SePM. Catalase activity decreased in the liver and muscle, while the activity of glutathione peroxidase, increased in the liver and kidney and decreased in muscle. Glutathione S-transferase, which is mainly responsible for detoxification, increased in the liver and decreased in muscle and the kidney. Cholinesterase activity increased only in the muscle. The results indicate oxidative stress, due to oxidation catalyzed by metals, components of SePM. Thus, the results contribute to the understanding that SePM has a deleterious effect on the aquatic environment, negatively affecting bullfrog tadpoles, in different ways and levels in relation to the analyzed organs.

Reduction in Placental Metal and Metalloid in Preeclampsia: A Case-Control Study.

Preeclampsia is a primary placental disorder, with impaired placental vascularization leading to uteroplacental hypoperfusion. We aimed to investigate differences in metal and metalloid content between the placentas of women with preeclampsia and healthy controls. This was a case-control study in 63 women with preeclampsia and 113 healthy women. Clinical data were obtained from medical records. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was used to measure the placental metals and metalloids content. Compared with healthy control subjects, preeclampsia was associated with a significantly lower concentration of essential elements (magnesium, calcium, iron, copper, zinc, and selenium) in the placental tissue. After multivariable adjustment, an interquartile range (IQR) increase in selenium concentration was associated with a reduced risk of preeclampsia with an OR of 0.50 (95% CI: 0.33-0.77). The joint effects of multiple selected metals and metalloids were associated with a reduced risk of preeclampsia. The lower placental magnesium, chromium, iron, zinc, and selenium concentrations of preeclampsia cases indicate a potential link to its pathogenesis. It also provides an intriguing avenue for future research in revealing the underlying mechanisms and potential intervention strategies for preeclampsia.

Ascertaining sensitive exposure biomarkers of various metal(loid)s to embryo implantation.

Close relationships exist between metal(loid)s exposure and embryo implantation failure (EIF) from animal and epidemiological studies. However, there are still inconsistent results and lacking of sensitive metal(loid) exposure biomarkers associated with EIF risk. We aimed to ascertain sensitive metal(loid) biomarkers to EIF and provide potential biological explanations. Candidate metal(loid) biomarkers were measured in the female hair (FH), female serum (FS), and follicular fluid (FF) with various exposure time periods. An analytical framework was established by integrating epidemiological association results, comprehensive literature searching, and knowledge-based adverse outcome pathway (AOP) networks. The sensitive biomarkers of metal(loid)s along with potential biological pathways to EIF were identified in this framework. Among the concerned 272 candidates, 45 metal(loid)s biomarkers across six time periods and three biomatrix were initially identified by single-metal(loid) analyses. Two biomarkers with counterfactual results according to literature summary results were excluded, and a total of five biomarkers were further determined from 43 remained candidates in mixture models. Finally, four sensitive metal(loid) biomarkers were eventually assessed by overlapping AOP networks information, including Se and Co in FH, and Fe and Zn in FS. AOP networks also identified key GO pathways and proteins involved in regulation of oxygen species biosynthetic, cell proliferation, and inflammatory response. Partial dependence results revealed Fe in FS and Co in FH at their low levels might be potential sensitive exposure levels for EIF. Our study provided a typical framework to screen the crucial metal(loid) biomarkers and ascertain that Se and Co in FH, and Fe and Zn in FS played an important role in embryo implantation.

Identification and quantification of trace metal(loid)s in water-extractable road dust nanoparticles using SP-ICP-MS.

Resuspension of road dust is a major source of airborne particulate matter (PM) in urban environments. Inhalation of ultrafine particles (UFP; < 0.1 µm) represents a health concern due to their ability to reach the alveoli and be translocated into the blood stream. It is therefore important to characterize chemical properties of UFPs associated with vehicle emissions. We investigated the capability of Single-Particle ICP-MS (SP-ICP-MS) to quantify key metal(loid)s in nanoparticles (NPs; < 0.1 µm) isolated from road dust collected in Toronto, Canada. Water extraction was performed to separate the <1-µm fraction from two different road dust samples (local road vs. arterial road) and a multi-element SP-ICP-MS analysis was then conducted on the samples' supernatants. Based on the particle number concentrations obtained for both supernatants, the metal(loid)-containing NPs could be grouped in the following categories: high (Cu and Zn, > 1.3 × 1011 particles/L), medium (V, Cr, Ba, Pb, Sb, Ce, La), low (As, Co, Ni, < 4.6 × 109 particles/L). The limit of detection for particle number concentration was below 5.5 × 106 particles/L for most elements, except for Cu, Co, Ni, Cr, and V (between 0.9 and 7.7 × 107 particles/L). The results demonstrate that road dust contains a wide range of readily mobilizable metal(loid)-bearing NPs and that NP numbers may vary as a function of road type. These findings have important implications for human health risk assessments in urban areas. Further research is needed, however, to comprehensively assess the NP content of road dust as influenced by various factors, including traffic volume and speed, fleet composition, and street sweeping frequency. The described method can quickly characterize multiple isotopes per sample in complex matrices, and offers the advantage of rapid sample scanning for the identification of NPs containing potentially toxic transition metal(loid)s at a low detection limit.

Bioaccessibility of toxic heavy metals/metalloids in edible seaweeds: Exposure and health risk assessment.

This study assesses the health risk due to heavy metals/metalloids (HMs/Ms) in edible seaweeds (Caulerpa racemosa, Kappaphycus alvarezii, and Ulva lactuca) through an in vitro bioaccessibility study. The percentage of bioabsorbed HMs/Ms in unprocessed and processed C. racemosa, U. lactuca, and K. alvarezii ranged from 3 % to 46 %, 3 % to 42 %, and 3 % to 40 %, respectively. The levels of HMs/Ms in seawater, sediment, and seaweeds were below the levels recommended by the European Commission (EC) and World Health Organization/Food and Agriculture Organization (WHO/FAO). The maximum accumulation of HMs/Ms was found during monsoons and post-monsoon seasons, and Cd, Pb, Hg, Cr, As, and Pb were predominant in all the samples. Tukey's post hoc test and t-test confirmed that thermal processing significantly reduced HMs/Ms in seaweeds. On the basis of the bioabsorption of HMs/Ms, the TTHQ values were found to be < 1, and the LCR values were within the acceptable limit (10-06 to 10-04), indicating no carcinogenic risks through seaweeds.

A hybrid thermal-biological recycling route for efficient extraction of metals and metalloids from end-of-life liquid crystal displays (LCDs).

Waste liquid crystal displays (LCDs) are one of the most substantial and rapidly growing e-waste streams that contain a notable amount of critical, precious, and toxic elements. This study presented a novel thermal-biological hybrid method for resource recovery from waste LCDs. Through the design of a multistage thermal treatment process with the addition of optimized 20 wt% B2O3 to waste, the LCD's glass structure was separated into two interconnected phases, resulting in the transfer of metals from the LCD's glass phase to the B2O3 phase that can solubilize in the acid solution. Following the thermal treatment step, the biometabolites of Aspergillus niger were used for bioleaching of In, Sr, Al, and As from the obtained thermally treated product. The optimal bioleaching parameters were a pulp density of 10 g/L, temperature of 70 °C, and leaching time of 2 days, which led to the highest extraction of 82.6% Al, 70.8% As, 64.5% In, and 36.2% Sr from thermally treated LCD waste, representing a multifold increase in Al, As, and Sr extraction levels compared to untreated waste. This study demonstrated that the proposed hybrid method could successfully overcome waste complexities and ensure effective element extraction from discarded LCDs.

Unveiling Innovative Approaches to Mitigate Metals/Metalloids Toxicity for Sustainable Agriculture.

Due to anthropogenic activities, environmental pollution of heavy metals/metalloids (HMs) has increased and received growing attention in recent decades. Plants growing in HM-contaminated soils have slower growth and development, resulting in lower agricultural yield. Exposure to HMs leads to the generation of free radicals (oxidative stress), which alters plant morpho-physiological and biochemical pathways at the cellular and tissue levels. Plants have evolved complex defense mechanisms to avoid or tolerate the toxic effects of HMs, including HMs absorption and accumulation in cell organelles, immobilization by forming complexes with organic chelates, extraction via numerous transporters, ion channels, signaling cascades, and transcription elements, among others. Nonetheless, these internal defensive mechanisms are insufficient to overcome HMs toxicity. Therefore, unveiling HMs adaptation and tolerance mechanisms is necessary for sustainable agriculture. Recent breakthroughs in cutting-edge approaches such as phytohormone and gasotransmitters application, nanotechnology, omics, and genetic engineering tools have identified molecular regulators linked to HMs tolerance, which may be applied to generate HMs-tolerant future plants. This review summarizes numerous systems that plants have adapted to resist HMs toxicity, such as physiological, biochemical, and molecular responses. Diverse adaptation strategies have also been comprehensively presented to advance plant resilience to HMs toxicity that could enable sustainable agricultural production.

Potential Migration and Health Risks of Heavy Metals and Metalloids in Take-Out Food Containers in South Korea.

The consumption of take-out food has increased worldwide; consequently, people are increasingly being exposed to chemicals from food containers. However, research on the migration of metals from containers to food is limited, and therefore, information required to determine the health risks is lacking. Herein, the amount of transfer of nine metals and metalloids (Pb, Sb, Cd, Ge, Co, Mn, Sn, As, and Hg) from food containers to food in South Korea was assessed from take-out food containers classified into paper and plastic container groups. The sample containers were eluted over time by either warming with 4% acetic acid at 70 °C or cooling with 4% acetic acid at 100 °C /deionized water at 25 °C. It was analyzed using an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer and a direct mercury analyzer. The reliability of the quantitative results was verified by calculating the linearity, limit of detection, and limit of quantification. We found that the amount of metals and metalloids (Pb, Sb, Cd, and Co) eluting over time was highly significant in the plastic group. Regardless of the food simulant and elution time, the amount of Sb transferred from the food containers to food was substantially higher in the plastic (average concentration: 0.488-1.194 µg/L) than in the paper group (average concentration: 0.001-0.03 µg/L). Fortunately, all food containers were distributed at levels safe for human health (hazard index: 0.000-64.756%). However, caution is needed when warm food is added to food containers. Overall, our results provide baseline data for the management and use of take-out containers.

Heavy metals/-metalloids (As) phytoremediation with Landoltia punctata and Lemna sp. (duckweeds): coupling with biorefinery prospects for sustainable phytotechnologies.

Heavy metals/-metalloids can result in serious human health hazards. Phytoremediation is green bioresource technology for the remediation of heavy metals and arsenic (As). However, there exists a knowledge gap and systematic information on duckweed-based metal phytoremediation in an eco-sustainable way. Therefore, the present review offers a critical discussion on the effective use of duckweeds (genera Landoltia and Lemna)-based phytoremediation to decontaminate metallic contaminants from wastewater. Phytoextraction and rhizofiltration were the major mechanism in 'duckweed bioreactors' that can be dependent on physico-chemical factors and plant-microbe interactions. The biotechnological advances such as gene manipulations can accelerate the duckweed-based phytoremediation process. High starch and protein contents of the metal-loaded duckweed biomass facilitate their use as feedstock in biorefinery. Biorefinery prospects such as bioenergy production, value-added products, and biofertilizers can augment the circular economy approach. Coupling duckweed-based phytoremediation with biorefinery can help achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and human well-being.

Human health risk assessment associated with the reuse of treated wastewater in arid areas.

Qatar produces more than 850,000 m3/day of highly treated wastewater. The present study aims at characterizing the effluents coming out of three central wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) of chemical pollutants including metals, metalloids and antibiotics commonly used in the country. Additionally, the study is assessing human health risks associated with the exposure to the treated wastewater (TWW) via dermal and ingestion routes. Although the origin of domestic wastewater is desalinated water (the only source of fresh water), the results show that the targeted parameters in TWW were within the international standards. Concentrations of Cl, F, Br, NO3, NO2, SO4 and PO4, were 389, <0.1, 1.2, 25, <0.1, 346, and 2.8 mg/L, respectively. On the other hand, among all cations, metals and metalloids, only boron (B) was 2.1 mg/L which is higher than the Qatari guidelines for TWW reuse in irrigation of 1.5 mg/L. Additionally, strontium (Sr) and thallium (Tl) were detected with relatively high concentrations of 30 mg/L and 12.5 µg/L, respectively, due to their natural and anthropogenic sources. The study found that the low concentrations of all tested metals and metalloids do not pose any risk to human health. However, Tl presents exposure levels above the 10 % of oral reference dose (HQ = 0.4) for accidental oral ingestion of TWW. The results for antibiotics show that exposure for adults and children to TWW are far below the admissible daily intakes set using minimum therapeutic dose and considering uncertainty factors. Treated wastewater of Qatar can be used safely for irrigation. However, further investigations are still needed to assess microbiological quality.

Trace element levels: How Substance Use Disorder (SUD) contributes to the alteration of urinary essential and toxic element levels.

Increasing illicit drug use is one of the main problems in most countries or societies. Monitoring heavy metals and trace elements in this vulnerable group seems to be necessary. Therefore, we assessed the urinary trace element and toxic metals/metalloids concentrations (Zinc (Zn), Iron (Fe), Copper (Cu), Chromium (Cr), Lead (Pb), Cadmium (Cd), Arsenic (As), Nickel (Ni), and Mercury (Hg)) in opium, tramadol, and cannabis users compared to healthy subjects. In this cross-sectional study, patients with substance use disorder (SUD) (n = 74) were divided into four groups: cannabis, tramadol, opium, and mixed (simultaneous use of more than one of the three studied substances), along with a healthy group (n = 60). Urine samples were prepared by dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction method so that heavy metals/metalloids could be measured by ICP-MS. The mean urinary concentration of Cu (48.15 vs. 25.45; 89.2%, p<0.001), Hg (1.3 vs. 0.10; 1200%, p < 0.001), and Zn (301.95 vs. 210; 43.8%, p < 0.001) was markedly lower among patients with SUD. The mean urinary concentration of other elements including As (1.9 vs. 4.1; 115.8%), Cd (0.1 vs. 1.10; 1000%), Cr (6.80 vs. 11.65; 71.3%), Ni (2.95 vs. 4.95; 67.8%), and Pb (1.5 vs. 7.9; 426.6%) were significantly higher among patients with SUD compared to healthy subjects. When sub-groups were compared, no significant differences were observed between their trace element levels (Kruskal-Wallis test, p > 0.05). This can be an indication that regardless of the type of drug, the levels of trace elements are changed with respect to healthy individuals. Our results showed that illicit drug use causes changes in urinary trace element/heavy metal/metalloid levels and highlights the need for monitoring heavy metals and trace elements in individuals with substance use disorder. Assessment of different elements in biological samples of drug dependents may be useful for implementing new prevention and treatment protocols. In case of changes in their levels, complementary recommendations, attention to diet, and periodic assessment of toxic metal levels within treatment programs will be needed.

Concentration of metals and metalloids in livers of birds of various foraging guilds collected during the autumn migration period in Poland.

During migration, birds explore various habitats at stopover sites that differ in food resources and contamination levels. In this study, hepatic concentrations of 21 elements (metals and metalloids) in 11 species of birds, representing various foraging habitats (such as aquatic, aquatic/terrestrial, and terrestrial) and migration modes (migratory and sedentary) representing various foraging guilds (omnivores, piscivores, and molluscivores), were analyzed. The samples (N = 84) were collected during the autumn migration period in Poland. The concentrations of elements determined in this study exhibited high inter-species variability, reflecting the diversity in contamination levels depending on food resources used by specific bird groups. Many of the investigated individuals from different species showed exceeded levels of subclinical toxicity and moderate clinical poisoning due to Cd and Hg. Higher concentrations of As, Hg, and Ba and lower V concentrations were found in migratory birds as compared to sedentary birds. Species foraging in terrestrial habitat had different concentrations of some elements compared to aquatic and aquatic/terrestrial species. Some specific inter-species differences in hepatic elemental concentrations were found. Differences in elemental concentrations among various groups can primarily be attributed to their foraging guilds, with certain elements, particularly As, V, and Hg, playing a significant role in the dissimilarity of elemental concentrations between foraging habitat groups and migratory mode groups. The data collected confirmed the limited ability of As to enter ecosystem pathways. The results of this study contribute to understanding the year-round exposure of migratory birds to environmental contamination, which can have carry-over effects on their performance in wintering and breeding grounds.

Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus) feathers as bioindicators of exposure to metals and metalloids contamination in urban, semi-urban, and rural areas from Campeche state, Mexico.

Landfills are sources of soil, water, and air pollution due to the release of toxic compounds such as metals and metalloids. In both tropical and temperate environments, scavenger birds such as the Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus) that have learned to use these sites as a feeding area are probably exposed to metals, metalloids and other "persistent bioaccumulative toxic substances (PBTs)" released in open dumpsite (OD) and sanitary landfill (SL). The objective of this study is to evaluate the presence and distribution of toxic metals (Al, Sn, Hg, Cu, Pb, Cd, Cr) and As in OD and SL from urban, semi-urban and rural localities in Campeche, México, using molting feathers of C. atratus as bioindicators. A total of 125 Black Vulture primary and secondary wing feathers were collected from OD and SL. Metals were determined by voltammetry through acid digestion. The highest levels of metals occurred in landfills in urban, semi-urban, and rural localities. The elements with the highest concentrations were Al, with an average of 35.67 ± 33.51 µg g-1 from rural environments, and As, with 16.20 ± 30.06 µg g-1 from the urban localities. Mercury was the only element that had a very homogeneous distribution between the three environments we studied. In general, Pb, Hg, Cu and Cd were the elements that presented the lowest concentrations with 0.32 ± 0.35, 0.16 ± 0.22, 0.14 ± 0.31 and 0.06 ± 0.10 µg g-1, respectively regardless of any particular location or environment. Black Vultures from dumpsites are good bioindicators of what humans consume in urban, semi-urban, and rural environments. However, the conservation of vultures is of great importance since these scavenger birds perform ecosystem services by feeding on decomposing organic material.

Baseline metal and metalloid contamination in two marine sponge species, Hymeniacidon heliophila and Desmapsamma anchorata, from southeastern Brazil.

Sponges are not routinely employed as metal bioindicators in Brazil. In this sense, this study reports baseline metal and metalloid concentrations, determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, for two Demospongiae sponge species, Hymeniacidon heliophila and Desmapsamma anchorata, sampled from two Southeastern Brazil areas. Sponges from Ilha Grande Bay, an Environmental Protection Area, exhibited higher Al, As, Cd, Co, Cr, Fe, and Ni levels compared to Vermelha Beach, a metropolitan area in the Rio de Janeiro city. Several strong correlations were noted between elemental pairs, indicating common contamination sources and/or similar metabolic detoxification routes. Comparisons of the means determined herein for each study site to other reports indicate mostly lower Ag, As, Co, Cd, and Cu levels, while Al levels were higher than other studies, and Cr, Ni, and Fe were within reported ranges. These baseline data further knowledge on metal pollution in Desmspongiae members, which are still limited.

Uptake and distribution of metal(loid)s in two rare species of saltmarsh, blackseed samphire, Tecticornia pergranulata, and narrow-leafed wilsonia, Wilsonia backhousei, in New South Wales, Australia.

The uptake and distribution of copper, zinc, arsenic, and lead was examined in two rare Australian saltmarsh species, Tecticornia pergranulata and Wilsonia backhousei. The bioconcentration factors and translocation factors were generally much lower than one, except for the Zn translocation factors for T. pergranulata. When compared to other Australian saltmarsh taxa, these species generally accumulated the lowest levels observed among taxa, especially in terms of their BCFs. Essential metals tended to be regulated, while non-essential metals increased in concentration with dose during transport among compartments, a pattern not previously observed in Australian saltmarsh taxa. The uptake of metals into roots was mainly explained by total sediment metal loads as well as more acidic pH, increased soil organic matter, and decreased salinity. The low uptake and limited translocation observed in these rare taxa may offer a competitive advantage for their establishment and survival in the last urbanised populations, where legacy metal contamination acts as a selective pressure.

Geographical distribution of metals and metalloids along the estuary of the Oka River in the biosphere reserve of Urdaibai, Spain.

Sediments sampled at the estuary of the Oka River in the biosphere reserve of Urdaibai, Spain were analyzed for trace elements. Sediments were collected at 45 points of the estuary and the concentration of 14 elements was measured. The geoaccumulation indexes (Igeo), Normalized Average Weighted Concentrations (NAWC) and mean Effect Range-Median quotients (mERMq) were calculated. The results obtained were complementary and allowed intra- and inter-estuary comparison. According to the present findings, the estuary was classified as healthy, since the anthropogenic contribution of metals and metalloids was generally small. However, shipping and fishing activities at the ports of Bermeo and Mundaka and urban and industrial wastes from Gernika were regarded as the major pollution sources. Nevertheless, only slightly contaminated and toxic sediments, especially related to Ni and Cu, were found in the towns of Gernika and Mundaka.

In vitro chronic phytotoxicity of heavy metals and metalloids to Lepidium sativum (garden cress).

The paper presents the results of studies on the influence of selected concentrations (10-100 mg L-1) of heavy metals (Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Zn) and metalloids (As, Sb, Se) on the germination and root elongation of garden cress (Lepidium sativum L). There are not many studies on phytotoxicity of heavy metals and metalloids with the complex use of single plant species so far. On the basis of the germination index (GI) and inhibition concentration IC50, the following order of phytotoxicity of the tested elements was determined: Se> As> Hg> Sb > Mo > Cd> Co > Zn > Ni. The other metals showed no phytotoxicity or even stimulating effect. In our study the stimulating effect of the majority of Pb concentrations and the lowest concentrations of Cd and Hg has been revealed. These metals do not play any role in living organisms, however some authors confirm their stimulating effect on plants at low concentrations. Toxic concentration of metals and metalloids calculated as IC50 are lower than the concentration calculated as GI (not phytotoxic). It is well known that seeds are more independent and tolerant to toxicants when they contain reserve substances which are used during the germination period. On the basis of conducted research, high tolerance of L. sativum to heavy metals and metalloids was found, which may indicate its usefulness for phytotoxicity assessment of leachate from contaminated soil or waste (e.g. foundry waste) and its application for bioremediation to manage heavy metal pollution of soils or foundry wastes containing heavy metals and metalloids. The understanding of heavy metal and metalloids toxicity will facilitate bioremediation.

The first full study of heavy metal(loid)s in western-European hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus) from Portugal.

The western-European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) is an insectivore with a wide distribution in Portugal and a potential tool for biomonitoring relevant One Health hazards, including heavy metal(loid)s' pollution. The aim of this study was to positively contribute to the current knowledge about the metal(loid) pollution in Portugal. Forty-six hedgehogs (from rescue centres; with known provenance) were necropsied. Sex, age category and weight were determined. Spines, liver and kidney were collected, and metalloid concentrations were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrophotometry (ICP-MS). In general, results did not present alarming metal(loid) concentrations, with the exception of cadmium (Cd) (in the kidneys) and copper (Cu). Hedgehogs from Viana do Castelo and Viseu showed elevated concentrations of arsenic (As) and Castelo Branco presented concerning values of cadmium (Cd). Adult and heavier hedgehogs tended to present higher levels of metal(loid)s. Sex does not seem to significantly affect the metal(loid)s' concentrations. Further analysis would be needed to prioritize areas with detail and allow the application of the necessary mitigation strategies.