Objectives: High levels of transition metals such as iron, nickel, chromium, copper, and lead are closely related to free radical generation, lipid peroxidation, formation of DNA strand breaks, and tumor growth in cellular systems. In order to determine the correlation to malignant growth in humans, we investigated the accumulation of heavy metals in 20 breast cancer biopsies and compared the findings to the levels found in 8 healthy biopsies.
Methods: The concentration of transition metals in breast cancer and control biopsies was assessed by a standardized Atomic Absorption Spectrofotometry technique with acidic hydrolysis for sample preparation. Additionally, heavy metal analysis in control biopsies was also performed with an Inductive Coupled Plasma--Mass Spectroscopy technique. For statistical analysis of the results, the Mann-Whitney U Test was applied.
Results: A highly significant accumulation of iron (p<0.0001), nickel (p<0.00005), chromium (p<0.00005), zinc (p<0.00001), cadmium (p<0.005), mercury (p<0.005), and lead (p< 0.05) was found in the cancer samples when compared to the control group. Copper and silver showed no significant differences to the control group, whereas tin, gold, and palladium were not detectable in any biopsies.
Conclusions: The data suggest that pathological accumulation of transition metals in breast tissue may be closely related to the malignant growth process.
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J Phys Chem Lett
January 2025
School of Physics, State Key Laboratory of Crystal Materials, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, China.
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College of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, China.
The superposition of heavy metals (HMs) from multiple anthropogenic sources in geochemical anomaly areas makes it difficult to discriminate prime sources in atmospheric HMs. This study utilized a combination of microscopic features, positive matrix factorisation, and Pb isotope fingerprints to trace the main sources of HMs bound to total suspended particulates (TSP) at a pollution site (Msoshui: MS) and control site (Lushan: LS) in northwestern Guizhou. The results reveal that the concentrations of Cd, Pb, Cr, As, Cu, Ni, and Zn in the TSP of LS are 3.
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School of Public Health, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
Cumulative risk assessment is significant for evaluating the combined exposure to multiple substances, but its widespread acceptance and application have been limited due to the complexity of clarifying and assessing actual exposure. In this study, we conducted a cumulative risk assessment based on hazard-driven criteria to evaluate the co-exposure to elemental contaminants in the diet of the population in Chongqing Municipality. The cumulative risk was calculated and evaluated using Monte Carlo modeling and the modified Reference Point Index (mRPI) method.
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