Human Health Risk Assessment from Mercury-Contaminated Soil and Water in Abu Hamad Mining Market, Sudan.

Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) poses a significant global threat due to mercury emissions and resulting health hazards. This study focuses on assessing these risks in the Abu Hamad ASGM community in Sudan. Utilizing the Mercury Analyzer 3000 (NIC), analyses of twelve soil samples (including one tailings sample) and seven water samples revealed the highest concentrations near amalgam burning locations: 34.8 mg/kg in soil (S06) and 3.26 µg/L in water (W03). Concentrations decrease with distance, with soil near burning exceeding tailings (S05 = 19.0 mg/kg). Hazard quotients indicate mercury vapor inhalation as the primary exposure route from soil, with the Hazard Index reaching 5.34 for adults and 33.4 for children close to amalgam burning sites. Water samples generally pose little risk except for W03, where children face potential danger via ingestion (HI = 1.74). These findings emphasize the urgent need for adopting retorts and eco-friendly practices to reduce mercury emissions and protect ASGM communities.

Developmental toxicity and transcriptome analysis of equine estrogens in developing medaka (Oryzias latipes) using nanosecond pulsed electric field incorporation.

Equine estrogens (EQs) are steroidal hormones isolated from the urine of pregnant mares and are used in the formulation of human medications. This study initially investigated the embryonic developmental toxicity of equilin (Eq) and equilenin (Eqn) in medaka (Oryzias latipes). Malformations were observed in embryos exposed to nominal concentrations of 1 and 10 mg/L of Eq and Eqn. Delayed hatching was observed at 1 mg/L of Eq. To further investigate the molecular mechanism of developmental toxicity caused by Eq and Eqn, transcriptome and bioinformatics analyses were performed. Among 2016 and 3855 total differentially expressed genes (DEGs), 1117 DEGs overlapped between Eq. (55.4 % of total DEGs) and Eq. (29.0 % of total DEGs). Gene ontology indicated effects in terms related to blood circulation and cell junctions. Pathway analyses using DEGs revealed that both Eq and Eqn treatments at 10 mg/L affected various KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) pathways, such as neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling, retinol metabolism, and cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction. These results suggest that the disruption of these KEGG pathways is involved in the developmental toxicity of EQs in medaka embryos.

Mercury waste from artisanal and small-scale gold mining facilities: a risk to farm ecosystems-a case study of Obuasi, Ghana.

Frequent discharge of mercury waste from artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) facilities into nearby farms may contaminate foodstuffs and the entire farms. High contamination levels may result in ecological risks to the soil, plants, animals, humans, and the entire farm ecosystem. This original research is the first study within the catchment areas that describes the effects of mercury waste on the entire farm ecosystem. In this study, the contamination levels and the associated ecological risks of farmland soils, plantains, and cassavas from farms sited near ASGM facilities in four communities around Obuasi, Ghana, were evaluated using the Hakanson (1980) model. Results showed that all samples except for the edible parts of plantains from Tweapease, Nyamebekyere, and Ahansonyewodea and plantain peels from Nyamebekyere and Ahansonyewodea were contaminated and may pose moderate to very high ecological risks. All farms were also contaminated and may pose considerable to very high ecological risks. The farms at Odumase were the highest contaminated with degree of contamination (Cdeg) above 20, while those at Ahansonyewodea were the least contaminated with Cdeg = 8.1. This meant that farms at Odumase may pose the highest potential ecological risk (Per) to plants, animals, humans, and the entire farm ecosystem since Per > 600, while the farms at Ahansonyewodea may pose the least ecological risks with Per = 324. There is, therefore, the need for strict control of ASGM activities in these study areas to preserve the integrity of the ecosystem.

Recovering nutrients and rejecting trace organic compounds in human urine by a forward osmosis-membrane distillation (FO-MD) hybrid system.

Urine is a major source of reclaimed water and fertilizer. Urine treatment involves two key processes: the recovery of nutrients and the rejection of trace organic compounds (TOrCs). In this study, we investigated the rejection of TOrCs and the recovery of nutrients in human urine using a seawater-driven forward osmosis and membrane distillation (FO-MD) hybrid system. Three 24 h experiments were conducted at draw solution temperatures of 30, 40, and 50 °C. The average rejection rates of cations, anions, and dissolved organic carbon were more than 93.7% and 79.5% in the FO-MD system and FO side, respectively. Ten types of TOrCs were detected in the feed solution, whereas none were detected in the product water, indicating that the TOrCs were completely rejected. The precipitates, i.e., the recovered nutrients in the FO side, were extremely close to magnesium ammonium phosphate (struvite, MgNH4PO4·6H2O), according to their electron microscopic images, elemental composition, and X-ray diffraction spectra, and it was estimated that approximately 85% of the nutrients in the feed solution were recovered. The rejection and recovery efficiencies were unaffected by the draw solution temperature. These results indicate the potential for the sustainable use of FO-MD-based treatments for human urine.

Mercury Pollution from Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining in Myanmar and Other Southeast Asian Countries.

Mercury (Hg) is one of the most harmful metals and has been a public health concern according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) is the world's fastest-growing source of Hg and can release Hg into the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and geosphere. Hg has been widely used in ASGM industries throughout Southeast Asia countries, including Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, and Thailand. Here, 16 relevant studies were systematically searched by performing the PRISMA flow, combining the keywords of "Hg", "ASGM", and relevant study areas. Mercury concentrations exceeding the WHO and United States Environmental Protection Agency guideline values were reported in environmental (i.e., air, water, and soil) and biomonitoring samples (i.e., plants, fish, and human hair). ASGM-related health risks to miners and nonminers, specifically in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Myanmar, were also assessed. The findings indicated severe Hg contamination around the ASGM process, specifically the gold-amalgamation stage, was significantly high. To one point, Hg atmospheric concentrations from all observed studies was shown to be extremely high in the vicinity of gold operating areas. Attentions should be given regarding the public health concern, specifically for the vulnerable groups such as adults, pregnant women, and children who live near the ASGM activity. This review summarizes the effects of Hg in Myanmar and other Southeast Asian countries. In the future, more research and assessment will be required to investigate the current and evolving situation in ASGM communities.

Combination of Vortex Agitation and Ultrasonic Irradiation for Mercury Removal from Sediment by Acid Extraction.

The removal of Hg from solid waste plays a key role in environmental protection. In this study, a fast, simple, and effective method for the removal of Hg by acid extraction, using a combination of vortex agitation and ultrasonic irradiation along with hydrobromic acid (HBr), was established using Hg-containing solid wastes. The optimal durations of vortex agitation and ultrasonic irradiation with 48% v/v of HBr were 5 and 6 min, respectively, and total Hg (T-Hg) extraction was achieved within 21 min. The proposed method was validated using the Certified Reference Material (CRM) ERM CC580 (estuarine sediment) and CRM NMIJ 7302-a (marine sediment). Under the optimized conditions, the efficiency rates of T-Hg extraction in both CRMs were 99.5% and 94.2%, with repeatabilities of 3.21% RSD and 2.31% RSD, respectively. The proposed extraction method can also be used for the remediation of Hg in other environmental matrices.

Human health risk of mercury in street dust: A case study of children in the vicinity of compact fluorescence lamp factory, Hanoi, Vietnam.

Urban dust has been contaminated with toxic heavy metals from various diffused sources. On August 28, 2019, the compact fluorescence lamp (CFL) factory that generates light for Rang Dong Light Source and Vacuum Flask in Hanoi City in Vietnam was accidentally fired. The assessment for Hg contamination and its human health impact 2 months after the incident was conducted in autumn 2019. The heavy Hg pollution is still found near CFL. Additionally, localized Hg pollution by air and wind direction was identified at sites in the northeast direction from CFL. Namely, in the area located downstream of the southwest monsoon wind, Hg had a trend higher than other directions. The hazard quotient (HQ) and the hazard index (HI) were evaluated by four routes of Hg exposure pathways. The HI values for children and adults in the most polluted site (Site 15) were 0.968 and 0.468, respectively. This meant that children who lived around this site and commuted to schools were the most at risk regarding the potential adverse health effects of Hg in street dust around the polluted areas. This study also showed that Hg levels were affected by wind direction and that the higher Hg levels in the most polluted sites resulted from the wind flow to the sites. This study revealed that street dust may be a useful tool for the assessment of human and environmental health.

The human health risks assessment of mercury in soils and plantains from farms in selected artisanal and small-scale gold mining communities around Obuasi, Ghana.

Food consumption remains the commonest pathway through which humans ingest higher levels of mercury (Hg). Long-term exposure to Hg through Hg-contaminated food may result in acute or chronic Hg toxicity. Incessant discharge of Hg waste from ASGM facilities into nearby farms contaminates food crops. Ingestion of such food crops by residents may lead to detrimental human health effects. The human health risks upon exposure to total mercury (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) in farmland soils and plantains from farms sited near ASGM facilities were studied in four communities around Obuasi, Ghana. The human health risk assessment was evaluated using hazard quotient (HQ), estimated average daily intake (e AvDI), hazard index (HI) and Hg elimination and retention kinetics. Tweapease, Nyamebekyere and Ahansonyewodea had HQ, e AvDI and HI for THg of plantains for both adults and children below the recommended USEPA limit of 1, 3 × 10-4 mg/kg/day and 1, respectively. Odumase had HQ, e AvDI and HI for THg of plantains for both adults and children, higher than the guideline values. This meant that only Odumase may cause non-carcinogenic human health effects upon repeated exposure. The HQ, e AvDI and HI values of MeHg for all the study areas were far below guideline values, hence may not pose any non-carcinogenic human health risks to residents even upon repeated exposure. Retention and elimination kinetics of Hg also showed that only plantains from Odumase may pose significant non-carcinogenic human health risks to residents because the final amount of inorganic mercury exceeded the extrapolated USEPA guideline value of 0.393 µg/kg/year.

Mercury, cadmium, and lead in cigarettes from international markets: concentrations, distributions and absorption ability of filters.

Mercury (Hg), cadmium (Cd), and lead (Pb) concentrations in marketed cigarettes from South Korea, Vietnam, Japan, Indonesia, Taiwan, Thailand, the United Kingdom (UK), Belgium, Italy, Finland, and France were investigated. The cigarettes from Vietnam and Thailand had the highest trend of Hg. Meanwhile, Cd was found higher in cigarettes from Thailand, the UK, and Belgium. Pb concentrations in cigarettes from Belgium, the UK, and Korea were higher than others. The average of these heavy metals concentrated in cigarettes was in the order of Pb > Cd > Hg. Furthermore, the contents of these heavy metals in cigarette leaves were much higher than in filter and rolling paper. There was a significant positive correlation between Hg and Cd, but no correlation between Cd and Pb and between Hg and Pb. Significant positive correlations of nicotine with Hg and Cd but not Pb in the cigarette were observed. Activated carbon filters (Ce-C) absorb Cd and Pb from cigarette leaves and rolling paper indicated a higher trapping trend than cellulose acetate filter without activated carbon (Ce). The trapping ratios of Ce-C (Cd: 5.53%, Pb:5.41%) were higher than Ce (Cd:3.09%, Pb:5.49%). On the other hand, Hg had lower absorption by both types of filters (Ce:0.15%, Ce-C:0.02%). This revealed that Hg, Cd and Pb absorption ability by both filters was relatively lower to the total concentration of these metals in tobacco leaves and rolling paper. The concern was that the higher concentrations of metals such as Hg, Cd and Pb in cigarettes might exist in mainstream smoke.

Low educational level increases functional disability risk subsequent to heart failure in Japan: On behalf of the Iwate KENCO study group.

OBJECTIVES: The risk factors that contribute to future functional disability after heart failure (HF) are poorly understood. The aim of this study was to determine potential risk factors to future functional disability after HF in the general older adult population in Japan. METHODS: The subjects who were community-dwelling older adults aged 65 or older without a history of cardiovascular diseases and functional disability were followed in this prospective study for 11 years. Two case groups were determined from the 4,644 subjects: no long-term care insurance (LTCI) after HF (n = 52) and LTCI after HF (n = 44). We selected the controls by randomly matching each case of HF with three of the remaining 4,548 subjects who were event-free during the period: those with no LTCI and no HF with age +/-1 years and of the same sex, control for the no LTCI after HF group (n = 156), and control for the LTCI after HF group (n = 132). HF was diagnosed according to the Framingham diagnostic criteria. Individuals with a functional disability were those who had been newly certified by the LTCI during the observation period. Objective data including blood samples and several socioeconomic items in the baseline survey were assessed using a self-reported questionnaire. RESULTS: Significantly associated risk factors were lower educational levels (odds ratio (OR) [95% confidence interval (CI)]: 3.72 [1.63-8.48]) in the LTCI after HF group and hypertension (2.20 [1.10-4.43]) in no LTCI after HF group. Regular alcohol consumption and unmarried status were marginally significantly associated with LTCI after HF (OR [95% CI]; drinker = 2.69 [0.95-7.66]; P = 0.063; unmarried status = 2.54 [0.91-7.15]; P = 0.076). CONCLUSION: Preventive measures must be taken to protect older adults with unfavorable social factors from disability after HF via a multidisciplinary approach.

In vivo and in silico analyses of estrogenic potential of equine estrogens in medaka (Oryzias latipes).

Equine estrogens (EEs) are widely used in hormone replacement therapy pharmaceuticals for postmenopausal women. Previous studies have shown that EEs occur in the aquatic environment; however, the potential estrogenicity and risk of EEs in aquatic organisms, including fish, have yet to be studied in detail. Therefore, we evaluated the estrogenic potential of major EEs, namely equilin (Eq), 17α-dihydroequilin (17α-Eq), 17ß-dihydroequilin (17ß-Eq), equilenin (Eqn), 17α-dihydroequilenin (17α-Eqn), and 17ß-dihydroequilenin (17ß-Eqn), on medaka (Oryzias latipes) using in vivo and in silico assays. Quantitative real-time RT-PCR analyses revealed that expression levels of choriogenin L (ChgL) and choriogenin H (ChgH) in medaka embryos responded to various types and concentrations of EEs in a concentration-dependent manner, whereas transcription levels of vitellogenin 1 were not significantly affected by any of the EEs in the concentration range tested. The order of the in vivo estrogenic potencies of EEs was as follows: 17ß-Eq > Eq > 17ß-Eqn > Eqn > 17α-Eqn > 17α-Eq. Additionally, the 50% effective concentrations (EC50) of 17ß-Eq was lower than that of 17ß-estradiol. We also investigated the interaction potential of EEs with medaka estrogen receptor (ER) subtypes in silico using a three-dimensional model of the ligand-binding domain (LBD) for each ER and docking simulations. All six EEs were found to interact with the LBDs of ERα, ERß1, and ERß2. The order of the in silico interaction potentials of EEs with each ER LBD was as follows: 17ß-Eq > 17α-Eq > Eq > 17ß-Eqn > 17α-Eqn > Eqn. Furthermore, we identified the key amino acids that interact with EEs in each ER LBD; our findings suggest that amino acids and/or their hydrogen bonding may be responsible for the ligand-specific interactions with each ER. This study is the first to comprehensively analyze the estrogenic potential of EEs in medaka both in vivo and in silico.

Occurrence of Cerebrovascular Diseases Decreased after the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami of 2011.

BACKGROUND: A temporary increase in the occurrence of cerebrovascular diseases (CVDs) after the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami of 2011 was reported; however, no studies have been conducted to investigate long-term effects. We assessed the long-term impact of the disaster on the incidence of CVDs. METHODS: Incidence data for CVDs from 2008 to 2017 were acquired from the population-based Stroke Registry with an inventory survey of Iwate Prefecture, Japan. Part of the coastal area in Iwate Prefecture was mildly flooded and the other part was severely flooded. Age-adjusted incidence rates of CVDs (according to the Japanese standard population) were calculated for each area. The relative risk (RR) of incidence based on the years before the disaster (2008-2010), adjusted by stratified age groups, was calculated for the year of the disaster (2011), and the years after the disaster (2012-2017) in each area. RESULTS: The age-adjusted incidence rates gradually decreased in all areas, with the exception of a temporary increase among men who lived on the coast the year the disaster occurred. The adjusted RR in the disaster year were not significant in any area and those of the postdisaster years were 0.91 (95% CI 0.87-0.96) for all inland men, 0.93 (0.89-0.97) for all inland women, 0.85 (0.78-0.93) for all coastal men, 0.87 (0.81-0.94) for all coastal women, 0.88 (0.80-0.98) for men at mildly flooded coast, 0.82 (0.75-0.89) for women at mildly flooded coast, 0.79 (0.68-0.91) for men at severely flooded coast, and 0.98 (0.86-1.11) for women at severely flooded coast. CONCLUSIONS: The occurrence of CVDs in the flooded coastal areas did not increase in the year of the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami; furthermore, it decreased for men according to the severity of flood damage in the subsequent years; this can be attributed to supportive activities for the tsunami victims and the migration of the population.

Poor self-rated health predicts the incidence of functional disability in elderly community dwellers in Japan: a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Although previous large population studies showed elderly with poor self-rated health (SRH) to be at a high risk of functional disability in Western countries, there have been few studies in which the association between SRH and functional disability was investigated in Japanese community dwellers. The association between SRH and functional disability, defined as certification of the long-term care insurance (LTCI) system, in Japanese elderly community dwellers was examined in this study. METHODS: A total of 10,690 individuals (39.5% men, mean age of 71.4 years) who were 65 years of age or more who did not have a history of cardiovascular disease or LTCI certification were followed in this prospective study for 10.5 years. SRH was classified into four categories: good, rather good, neither good nor poor, and poor. A Cox proportional-hazards model was used to determine the hazard ratios (HRs) for the incidence of functional disability among the SRH groups for each sex. RESULTS: The number of individuals with functional disability was 3377. Men who rated poor for SRH scored significantly higher for functional disability (HR [95% confidence interval]: poor = 1.74 [1.42, 2.14]) while women who rated rather good, neither good nor poor, and poor scored significantly higher for functional disability (rather good =1.12 [1.00, 1.25], neither good nor poor = 1.29 [1.13, 1.48], poor = 1.92 [1.65, 2.24]: p for trend < 0.001 in both sexes). CONCLUSION: Self-rated health, therefore, might be a useful predictor of functional disability in elderly people.

Additional prognostic value of electrocardiographic left ventricular hypertrophy in traditional cardiovascular risk assessments in chronic kidney disease.

BACKGROUND: Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is a common predictor of the cardiovascular prognosis in chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, whether or not electrocardiography-derived LVH (ECG-LVH) has prognostic value in patients with various degrees of CKD and improves the cardiovascular risk stratification based on traditional risk factors remains unclear. METHODS: A total of 7206 participants at least 40 years of age who were free from cardiovascular events in a general population were followed for the incidence of cardiovascular events. CKD was confirmed by either the presence of a reduced estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) (<60 ml/min per 1.73 m) or albuminuria, defined as a urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) of at least 30 mg/g Cr. RESULTS: A total of 1886 (26.2%) had CKD, of which 1471 (78.0%) had a preserved eGFR (CKD stage 1-2). After an average 11.3 years of follow-up, the adjusted hazard ratio for the incidence of cardiovascular events significantly increased for ECG-LVH according to the Sokolow--Lyon voltage, Cornell voltage, or Cornell voltage product among participants with CKD (hazard ratio 1.47, P = 0.002), in contrast to those without CKD (hazard ratio 1.15, P = 0.210). The inclusion of any ECG-LVH parameters improved the accuracy of reclassification in any risk prediction model based on the eGFR, UACR, or Framingham 10-year risk score in the CKD participants (net reclassification improvement = 0.13-0.32, all P values <0.040). CONCLUSION: In patients with CKD stage 1-5, ECG-LVH is useful for predicting the risk of future cardiovascular events and adds prognostic information to traditional cardiovascular risk assessments.

Ten-Year Cerebrovascular Disease Trend Occurrence by Population-based Stroke Registry in an Aging Japan Local Prefecture.

BACKGROUND: Cerebrovascular diseases are a major cause of death for Japanese people, but up-to-date national or prefectural incidences are unknown. We calculated the last 10-year cerebrovascular diseases incidence in an aging local prefecture in Japan with 1.2 million inhabitants and used the data to predict the future incidence. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed inventory surveys from the Iwate Stroke Registry (data from the whole Iwate Prefecture) from 2008 to 2017. We compared age-adjusted and age-specific incidence rates between the first half period from 2008 to 2012 and the last half period from 2013 to 2017. We used the incidence change rate and the forecasted population number to predict the future incidence. RESULTS: In a decade, the age-adjusted cerebrovascular diseases incidence rate per 100,000 person-years in the Japan standard population decreased from 212.1 to 176.8 in men and from 123.1 to 97.0 in women. The age-specific incidence rates and the number of incidences of those younger than 55 years decreased only slightly, but those of people 55 years or older decreased. The total number of incidence in 2040 will decrease to two-thirds of the value in 2015, but the number of incidence of those 85 years and older will increase by 2040. CONCLUSIONS: The cerebrovascular diseases rate and number of incidence decreased during the last decade and will decrease in the future, but the incidence in the oldest-old will increase. Specific nursing care and social measures to treat cerebrovascular diseases in the oldest-old will be needed.

Comparison of mercury and methylmercury bioaccumulation in earthworms (Bimastus parvus) native to landfill-leachate-contaminated forest soil.

Total mercury (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) bioaccumulation was explored in the Bimastus parvus species of earthworm (B. parvus) native to the leachate-contaminated forest soils around a Hg-polluted traditional landfill in Japan. General soil properties and concentrations of THg and MeHg in forest soils and in B. parvus were determined. The results indicated that the average THg concentrations in B. parvus and in forest soils in the leachate-contaminated sites were 10.21 and 14.90 times higher than those in the reference sites, respectively, whereas similar average MeHg concentrations were observed in forest soils (< 0.01 mg kg-1) and in B. parvus (0.100-0.114 mg kg-1) across all sampled sites. The average bioaccumulation factors of THg in B. parvus (BAFTHg) in forest soil were similar between the leachate-contaminated sites and the reference sites. Cluster and regression analyses demonstrated that the B. parvus Hg (THg and MeHg) and soil THg were positively correlated with each other and with soil organic matter (SOM) and clays, but were negatively correlated with sand and hardly correlated with silts and pH in leachate-contaminated forest soils. From these results, it was proposed that Hg exposure to food chains is possible through B. parvus, because B. parvus showed a high ability to accumulate THg and MeHg in both leachate-contaminated and reference forest soils. Together, these findings indicated that the role of B. parvus in MeHg production is not clear, and it is possible that the MeHg in B. parvus was firstly formed within forest soils and then accumulated in their tissues.

Spatial distribution characteristics of mercury in the soils and native earthworms (Bimastos parvus) of the leachate-contaminated zone around a traditional landfill.

The contents and spatial distribution of mercury (Hg), including soil-Hg fractionation and Hg-containing native earthworm Bimastos parvus (B. parvus) species, were investigated in the leachate-contaminated zone of a large traditional landfill, Japan. Soil-Hg was fractionated into 5 categories: F1/water soluble Hg (Hg-w), F2/human stomach acid soluble Hg (Hg-h), F3/organic-chelated (Hg-o), F4/elemental Hg (Hg-e), and F5/mercuric sulfide (Hg-s). The total mercury (T-Hg) and methylmercury (MeHg) of native B. parvus, and the geochemical properties of soils were examined in this study. Soil T-Hg concentration ranged between 0.227 and 2.919 mg kg-1 dry weight (dw). The T-Hg and MeHg concentrations of B. parvus species ranged from 1.242 to 6.775 mg kg-1 dw and from 0.031 to 0.218 mg kg-1 dw, respectively. Percentages of soil-Hg fractions were in the order of F3/Hg-o > F4/ Hg-e > F5/Hg-s > F1/Hg-w > F2/Hg-h, and the fractions of Hg-o and Hg-e were 55.50% and 35.31%, respectively. Similar distributions and close correlations between the levels of B. parvus Hg and soil Hg-o, Hg-e, and Hg-s were observed in this study. The distribution of Hg in B. parvus was associated with soil organic matter (SOM) content and particle size (sand, clay); however, it was not correlated with Hg-w or Hg-h. The results indicated that easily bioavailable and soluble Hg fractions (Hg-w, Hg-h) of the soil were not appropriate to illustrate the distribution of Hg in native B. parvus. Instead, the stable soil-Hg fractions (Hg-o, Hg-e, and Hg-s) demonstrated good relationships of spatial distribution with B. parvus Hg in leachate-contaminated soil. It is advisable to preclude the evaluation of Hg biological distribution using soluble Hg fractions only. Stable Hg fractions in leachate-contaminated soil should also be included for assessing the biological distribution of Hg in leachate-contaminated soils.

Burden of high blood pressure as a contributing factor to stroke in the Japanese community-based diabetic population.

Diabetes mellitus is characterized by alterations in blood glucose (BG) metabolism, and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) has been widely used as a marker of the BG concentration. Diabetes often coexists with high blood pressure (BP). High BP and hyperglycemia are well-known risk factors of stroke. We examined the extent to which the increased risk of stroke in diabetic individuals is attributable to BP and BG using prospectively collected data from the Japanese general population. During an average 8.3 ± 2.2 years of follow-up, out 1606 diabetic individuals aged ≥40 years who were free of cardiovascular disease, 119 participants (7.4%) developed stroke. In multivariable analysis, a significant difference in the risk of incident stroke was noted among the BP categories, including normotension (BP1), prehypertension (BP2), and hypertension (BP3; P for trend = 0.001). By contrast, no difference was noted among the BG categories, including HbA1c levels <7.0% (HB1), 7.0-7.9% (HB2), and ≥8.0% (HB3; P for trend = 0.430). Compared with the category that included both BP1 and HB1, the population-attributable fraction (PAF) for stroke incidence was 52.0% from the BP2 and BP3 categories and 24.1% from the HB2 and HB3 categories, and the increased incidence from the HB2 and HB3 categories was mostly caused from coexistent BP2 and BP3 categories. In conclusion, in the Japanese community-based diabetic population, concomitant BP elevation largely contributes to the increased incidence of stroke and links BG elevation, as indicated by HbA1c, to the increased risk of stroke.

Occurrence and seasonal variation of equine estrogens, equilin and equilenin, in the river water of Japan: Implication with endocrine-disrupting potentials to Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes).

In this study, we determined the concentration of equine estrogens, such as equilin (Eq) and equilenin (Eqn), in the river water collected from nine research stations in Hokkaido, Japan. The LC-MS/MS analysis revealed that Eq concentrations were 2.7 ±â€¯6.7, 0.22 ±â€¯0.12, and 1.2 ±â€¯0.64 ng/L in Sep 2015, Feb 2016, and Jul 2016, respectively. Eqn had concentration levels similar to those of Eq. Comparison of the concentrations at nine research stations showed that seasonal variation was observed in the detected Eq and Eqn concentration levels. This study was the first to show the occurrences and seasonal variation of Eq and Eqn in the river water of Japan. We further investigated the reproductive and transgenerational effects of Eq in Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes) exposed to 10, 100, and 1000 ng/L for 21 days and assessed the transcriptional profiles of the estrogen-responsive genes in the livers of both sexes. The reproduction assay demonstrated that 1000 ng/L of Eq adversely affected the reproduction (i.e. fecundity) in the F0 generation and that the hatching of F1 generation fertilized eggs was reduced in the 100 and 1000 ng/L treatment groups. Our qRT-PCR assay revealed that the mRNA expression levels of hepatic vitellogenin 1 and 2, choriogenin L and H, and estrogen receptor α were significantly up-regulated in males exposed to 100 and/or 1000 ng/L of Eq. In contrast, the transcriptional levels of several genes, such as pregnane X receptor and cytochrome P450 3A, were down-regulated in the livers of males after the 21-d exposure. These results suggest that Eq has endocrine-disrupting potential such as reproductive and transgenerational effects by the modulation of hepatic estrogen-responsive genes expression on medaka.

Prognostic Value of Electrocardiographic Left Ventricular Hypertrophy on Cardiovascular Risk in a Non-Hypertensive Community-Based Population.

BACKGROUND: The appearance of left ventricular hypertrophy on 12-lead electrocardiography (ECG-LVH) has been clarified to be associated with the risk of incidence of cardiovascular events (CVEs) in hypertensive individuals and the general population, but not enough in non-hypertensive individuals. METHODS: A total of 4,927 non-hypertensive individuals ≥40 years of age who were free of CVE in the general population were followed for the incidence of CVE. ECG-LVH was defined according to criteria of the Sokolow-Lyon (SL) voltage, Cornell voltage (CV), or Cornell voltage product (CP). RESULTS: During the average 9.8 ± 2.0 years of follow-up, 267 individuals (5.4%) had their first CVE. The hazard ratio (HR) for the incidence of CVE after full adjustment by potential confounders significantly increased in the individuals with ECG-LVH by any criteria of the SL voltage, CV, and CP (HR = 1.77, P < 0.001) compared to those with no ECG-LVH. This association was also significant in individuals without any of obesity, dyslipidemia, and diabetes mellitus or those with systolic blood pressure (BP) <120 mm Hg and diastolic BP <80 mm Hg. Furthermore, ECG-LVH by each criteria provided the reclassification improvement for the CVE risk prediction model by the Framingham 10-year risk score (the net reclassification improvement = 0.17-0.22, each P value < 0.010). CONCLUSIONS: In the absence of hypertension, ECG-LVH parameters are associated with the increased risk of developed CVEs independent of the established risk factors and provide the additional prognostic value in an assessment of the CVE risk using the traditional risk factors.