An intensive investigation was conducted to study the distribution of trace metals in surface soils of Hong Kong and to assess the soil environmental quality. From results of cluster analysis, and comparisons among soil types and areas, it is clearly shown that increases in trace metal concentrations in the soils were generally extensive and obvious in urban and orchard soils, less so in vegeta...

Cadmium (Cd) is a heavy metal that poses a hazard to animal health due to its toxicity. Selenium (Se) is an important nutritional trace element. However, the potential protective effects of Se against Cd-induced toxicity remain to be elucidated. To investigate the cytotoxicity of Cd on bird immunocytes in vitro and the protective effects of Se against exposure to Cd, chicken splenic lymphocytes...

Control of trace metal contamination is of known importance in studies on the nutritional requirements of bact.eria, molds, and Protozoa. The metallic content of the medium can also be a limiting factor in microbiological assays and in determinations of enzyme activity. During studies on the nutrition of animal cells cultivated in vitro (l-3), it was observed that low concentrations of certain ...

Specimens of the mussel Bathymodiolus azoricus were collected from Menez Gwen, a relatively shallow (850 m) hydrothermal vent field on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Each bivalve shell (n = 21) was individually cleaned by selective chemical. The residual crystal matrix of each shell was individually analysed for the concentrations of the minor elements magnesium and strontium and the trace elements ir...

Sediments from the Atlantic coast of Spain have been studied to evaluate environmental quality by using an integrated approach including chemical and toxicological data. Sediment samples were collected in four littoral ecosystems located in Spain, Bay of Cádiz, Guadalquivir River estuary, Ría of Huelva, and Ría of Coruña. To characterize the sediments, organic carbon, granulometric content, tot...

Due to rapid industrial progress and urbanization, environmental pollution with toxic heavy metals has become one of the major concerns in today’s world (Kinare and Shingadia 2014). Environmental pollution due to chemicals and heavy metals is spreading throughout the world and is a problem that may have negative consequences on the hydrosphere. Metal contaminated aquifers pose serious threat to...

Manganese (Mn) is an essential element that is required in trace amount for normal growth, development as well maintenance of proper function and regulation of numerous cellular and biochemical reactions. Yet, excessive Mn brain accumulation upon chronic exposure to occupational or environmental sources of this metal may lead to a neurodegenerative disorder known as manganism, which shares simi...

The distribution of non-essential trace elements in some vital organs of 11 fish species from Aiba Reservoir, Iwo, Nigeria was assessed between November 2010 and June 2011. The fish species belong to seven families; family Mormyridae, family Cyprinidae, family Hepsetidae and family Channidae each with one species; family Bagridae and family Clariidae each with two species; and family Cichlidae ...

Children's exposure to metals can result in adverse effects such as cognitive function impairments. This study aimed to evaluate some toxic metals and levels of essential trace elements in blood, hair, and drinking water in children from a rural area of Southern Brazil. Cognitive ability and δ-aminolevulinate dehydratase (ALA-D) activity were evaluated. Oxidative stress was evaluated as a main ...

Hexagonal turbostratic birnessite, with the characteristics of high contents of vacancies, varying amounts of structural and adsorbed Mn3+, and small particle size, undergoes strong adsorption reactions with trace metal (TM) contaminants. While the interactions of TM, i.e., Zn2+, with birnessite are well understood, the effect of birnessite structural characteristics on the coordination and sta...