The etiology of sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the most common form of this degenerative disease of the motor neurons, is still unknown, despite extensive investigation of several genetic and environmental potential risk factors. We have reviewed laboratory and epidemiological studies assessing the role of exposure to neurotoxic chemicals (metalloid selenium; heavy metals mercury, cadmium, and lead; pesticides) in ALS etiology by summarizing the results of these investigations and examining their strengths and limitations. Despite limitations in the exposure assessment methodologies typically used in human studies, we found suggestive epidemiological evidence and biologic plausibility for an association between ALS and antecedent overexposure to environmental selenium and pesticides. The relation with mercury, cadmium, and lead appears weaker.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/reveh-2012-0002 | DOI Listing |
Molecules
January 2025
College of Land Resources and Environment, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, China.
To address cadmium pollution in China's cultivated land, chitosan, inorganic and organic selenium were used to modify rice husk charcoal for cadmium inhibition. Basic physicochemical properties of rice husk carbons were characterized (BET, FTIR, XRD, Zeta potential). Kinetic and isothermal adsorption experiments studied the adsorption of Cd by modified biochar under different pH and dosages.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnviron Sci Pollut Res Int
January 2025
Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Zagazig University, Zagazig, 44519, Egypt.
The residual concentration of pesticides and heavy metals (arsenic, mercury, selenium, lead, cadmium, and aluminum) was measured in the soil and the cattle egret (Bubulcus ibis) liver from two localities at Sharkia Governorate, Egypt. The pesticide residues have taken the following pattern: chlorpyrifos > metalaxyl > piperonyl butoxide > thiophanate-methyl, in the soil. The residual concentration of pesticides was greater in the soil at Kafr El-Ashraf village (agricultural site) than at El-Qanayat city (garbage site) during the summer season of 2021 compared with the winter season of 2022.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBMC Plant Biol
January 2025
Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, 518120, China.
Background: Toxic heavy metal elements in soils are major global environmental issues and easily migrate to crop grains to cause severe problems in human health, whereas moderately essential elements such as selenium are beneficial for human health. The accumulation of heavy metals and essential elements in rice grains and their genetic mechanisms are still poorly understood.
Results: We conducted genetic dissection of four toxic heavy metal elements (lead, cadmium, mercury, and chromium), one quasi metallic element (arsenic), and one essential element (selenium) in grains of 290 Xian and 308 Geng rice accessions through a genome-wide association study (GWAS) based on three statistical models and assays of element concentrations from three environments.
J Trace Elem Med Biol
November 2024
Department of Toxicology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran. Electronic address:
Cadmium (Cd) is a highly toxic heavy metal contaminant found in soil and water due to human activities such as mining and industrial discharge. Cd can accumulate in the body, leading to various health risks such as organ injuries, osteoporosis, renal dysfunction, Type 2 diabetes (T2DM), reproductive diseases, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, and cancers. The gut is particularly sensitive to Cd toxicity as it acts as the primary barrier against orally ingested Cd.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSci Total Environ
January 2025
Department of Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology, King's College London, 3-4th Floor South Wing Block D, St Thomas' Hospital, Westminster Bridge Road, London SE1 7EH, UK. Electronic address:
Heavy metals in our direct environment have profound effects on human health and while some are essential for life, others can be toxic. In vivo studies often focus on clinical features caused by overexposure to, or by deprivation of a heavy metal. However, to understand the cellular impact of heavy metals on health, studies in healthy volunteers before symptom onset are needed.
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