Sadegh Hosseinniaee; Mohammad Jafari; Ali Tavili; Salman Zare
Abstract
Background and Purpose: Public concern over the effects of environmental pollutants on human health has intensified, prompting heightened scrutiny of toxic substances in human and animal diets over recent decades. This study aims to assess the impact of municipal waste compost on diminishing lead (Pb) ...
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Background and Purpose: Public concern over the effects of environmental pollutants on human health has intensified, prompting heightened scrutiny of toxic substances in human and animal diets over recent decades. This study aims to assess the impact of municipal waste compost on diminishing lead (Pb) concentrations in the diets and organs of grazing ruminants. Materials and Methods: In a controlled greenhouse experiment, compost was incorporated into naturally Pb-contaminated soil at four concentrations: 0%, 1%, 3%, and 5% (w/w). Stipa arabica plants were cultivated over six months. Subsequently, the Pb content in soil and plants was measured using Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES). The daily Pb intake by cattle and sheep and its accumulation in their organs were then calculated using food chain models. These findings were evaluated against EU standards for animal product quality, focusing on animal health and human food safety. Results: The study identified the 1% compost addition as the most effective concentration, reducing Pb intake by 65% in cows and 60% in sheep, aligning with permissible health standards. Lead accumulation in the organs followed the pattern of kidneys > liver > muscle tissue, with a 64.77% decrease observed upon compost application. The Pb levels in all tested organs were lowered to safe thresholds concerning animal health. Moreover, Pb concentrations in meat fell below the standard limits, ensuring food safety for human consumption. Conclusion: Municipal waste compost, as an organic amendment, can significantly lower lead concentrations in the diets and tissues of grazing animals, ensuring levels remain within acceptable limits.
Hassan Malvandi; Nasrin Hassanzadeh
Abstract
Background and purpose: Evaluation of concentration and degree of heavy metal contamination in rivers based on sediment contamination indices is one of the important issues in ecotoxicology research. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to measure the heavy metal concentrations in the sediments of ...
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Background and purpose: Evaluation of concentration and degree of heavy metal contamination in rivers based on sediment contamination indices is one of the important issues in ecotoxicology research. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to measure the heavy metal concentrations in the sediments of the Siahrood River and to assess the health risk of these pollutants. Another purpose was to determine the status of the river in terms of contamination and non-contamination for ecotoxicology studies. Materials and Methods: Acid digestion method was used to prepare the samples. Then the concentrations of Cr, Fe, Zn, As, Se, Ni, Co, Al and Mn were measured using ICP-OES. Pollution and ecological risk indices were also calculated. Results: The mean concentrations of chromium, iron, zinc, arsenic, selenium, nickel, cobalt, aluminum and manganese were 33.02, 7309.82, 42.61, 13.15, 13.36, 12.88, 6.58, 159.28 and 384.51 µg/g dw, respectively. Most of the studied elements were in the first category of pollution assessment indices. Conclusion: The results based on contamination indices and comparison with sediment quality guidelines showed that concentrations of Cr, Se and As are of concern and could potentially be a threat to the health of organisms. For ecotoxicology studies, this river is considered to be relatively contaminated in terms of Cr, Se and As and non-contaminated for other studied elements. However, further studies and monitoring of pollutants in this ecosystem are essential for making proper and effective management decisions.
Soheil Sobhanardakani; Lobat Taghavi
Abstract
Background & Objective: Nowadays due to the environmental pollution, health risk of foodstuffs consumption especially citrus species as an integral part of human diet has become a serious challenge. Therefore, this study was carried out for analysis and health risk assessment of As and Zn in some ...
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Background & Objective: Nowadays due to the environmental pollution, health risk of foodstuffs consumption especially citrus species as an integral part of human diet has become a serious challenge. Therefore, this study was carried out for analysis and health risk assessment of As and Zn in some widely used citrus samples marketed in Hamedan city in 2015. Materials and Methods: In this analytical study, 48 samples of citrus species (orange, grapefruit, lemon and tangerine) were randomly collected from four wholesale centers of Hamedan city. After samples preparation using acid digestion method, the concentrations of elements in samples were determined using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP–OES) in three replications. the gained experimental results were analyzed by SPSS 20 software using Shapiro-Wilk Test, One Sample T Test, one-way ANOVA and Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient. Results:The results showed that the maximum mean concentration (mg/kg) of As and Zn were 0.09±0.07, and 0.26±0.09 for grapefruit and lemon samples respectively. Also the computed health risk assessment showed that there is no potential risk for children and adult to consume the studied citrus. Conclusion: Although based on the obtained results, controlled consumption of studied citrus species has not adverse effect on the consumers’ health, due to the increased use of agricultural inputs especially phosphorus fertilizers, sewage sludge and wastewater by farmers and orchardists, regular periodic monitoring of chemical pollutants such as pesticides and other toxic metals (Hg, Pb, Cd and Cr) content are recommended for food safety especially in imported foodstuffs.