Human exposure to elements through consumption of raw and cooked fish in an urban region of the central Brazilian Amazon biome: Health risks.

Fish is an important source of animal protein for local communities in the Amazon basin, whose food safety must be assured. However, certain potential toxicants elements, can bioaccumulate in fish species, which inhabit anthropogenically polluted waters, ultimately posing a risk to human health. In the present study, the concentrations of nine elements (Al, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb and Zn) were determined in raw and cooked samples of eight fish species consumed in Santarém (northern Brazil, Amazon biome).

Spatial Distribution of Pemphigus Occurrence over Five Decades in Southeastern Brazil.

Well-defined locations of pemphigus cases support the hypothesis of environmental factors' involvement in its etiopathogenesis; however, these foci have never been described using specialized geographical tools. This is the first report to geo-reference pemphigus cases in a high-prevalence Brazilian region using geographic information systems. We aimed to report the spatio-temporal behavior of pemphigus foliaceus (PF) and vulgaris (PV) in southeastern Brazil, over the last five decades to describe geographical clusters, as well as to characterize the land use in the city with the highest number of cases.

Health risks of environmental exposure to metals and herbicides in the Pardo River, Brazil.

Mixture of metals and herbicides in rivers may pose relevant risks for the health of surrounding communities. Humans may be exposed to river pollution through intake of contaminated water and fish, as well as irrigated agricultural products. The aim of this study was to assess the human health risks of environmental exposure to metals and herbicides through water and fish intake in the Pardo River.

Concentration profiles of metals in breast milk, drinking water, and soil: relationship between matrices.

The concentrations of Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sn, and Zn were determined in breast milk of women living in Conceição das Alagoas, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The potential relationships between metal levels in samples of breast milk, drinking water, and soils collected in the study area were also established. Metal levels in breast milk, except Cr, were lower in comparison to WHO reference concentrations.