This study examined the effects of supplementing the Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) diet with purslane (Portulaca oleracea L.) leaf powder (PLNP, 10 g/kg) on neurobehavioral performance, brain oxidative status, tight junction mRNA expression, and brain histology in fish exposed to waterborne cadmium (Cd, 50 μg /L) for 60 days. Adding PLNP to the diet ameliorated the Cd-induced decline in ingestive behavior and swimming behavior, and reversed the Cd-induced increase in aggressive behavior. The significant decrease in the non-enzymatic (reduced glutathione) and enzymatic (catalase and superoxide dismutase) brain antioxidants detected in Cd-exposed fish was eliminated by dietary PLNP. PLNP supplementation also led to a decrease in brain malondialdehyde content, which was elevated by Cd exposure. In addition, dietary PLNP increased brain acetylcholinesterase content, upregulated mRNA expression of tight junction (zo-2, claudin-4, and zo-1) and oxidative stress genes (sod-2, gpx, and nrf-2), and downregulated apoptotic genes (p53, caspase-9, caspase-8, and caspase-3) in the brain, relative to the alterations in these parameters caused by Cd exposure. Furthermore, the Cd-induced histological changes in the Nile tilapia brain were ameliorated by PLNP dietary supplementation. In light of these findings, PLNP may be a useful dietary supplement for reducing the harmful effects of Cd on the brain and behavior of Nile tilapia.

High cadmium (Cd) concentrations pose a threat to aquatic life globally. This study examined the efficiency of adding purslane (Portulaca oleracea L.) leaf powder (PLP) to Oreochromis niloticus diets on Cd's negative effects. PLP was analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography, and its main constituents were gallic acid, chlorogenic acid, and pyrocatechol. Nile tilapia (180 fish, 34.5 ± 0.5 g) were divided into four groups in triplicate. A basal diet was given to the control group. The PLP group received a basal diet containing 10 g PLP/kg diet. The Cd group was exposed to 50 µg/L water. The Cd + PLP group was exposed to Cd and fed diets containing PLP. Results showed that PLP significantly rescued Cd-induced effects. PLP improved fish survival, feed conversion ratio, and growth retardation caused by Cd. PLP also restored decreased activities of lipase, trypsin, and amylase in the intestine. Furthermore, PLP corrected disturbances in leptin and growth hormone levels induced by Cd. PLP mitigated pathological alterations, replenished antioxidants (SOD, CAT, and GSH), and reduced lipid peroxidation in the intestinal tissues. PLP supplementation depleted significant Cd accumulation in the intestine and muscles. Additionally, PLP corrected altered expressions of tight junction proteins (zo-1, zo-2, and claudin-4) and nutrient transporters (glut-1, slc15a2, slc26a6, and slc4a4) in Cd-exposed fish. Conclusively, PLP shows promise as a dietary supplement to mitigate Cd's harmful impacts on fish growth. Its antioxidant activity and regulation of intestinal tight junction proteins and nutrient transporters contribute to its effectiveness. PLP supplementation holds the potential for reducing the detrimental effects of Cd in aquaculture.

The concerns over potential health risk from the consumption of Marcia opima (M. optima) and lingulata (Lingula anatina) contaminated by heavy metals (Cd, Pb and Zn) and microplastics in the eastern part of Phuket, Southern Thailand has been assessed. The abundance of microplastics in Marcia opima and Lingulata were 1.86 and 1.24 items/individual, respectively and followed the order: polyethylene terephthalate > polyester > polyvinyl alcohol and polyvinyl chloride. Integrated risk indices using the daily intake (EDIs) for heavy metals consumption (from 0.00001 to 0.00712 mg kg^-1 per day) are not exceeded the standards set by the ministry of public health Thailand to pose potential carcinogenic health risk individually. The bioaccumulations and hazard quotient values (<1) showed no risk exists concerning the levels of exposure, however, monitoring heavy metals concentration and microplastic contaminations on a regular basis are necessary to prioritize the local people health from pollutants exposure.

Cadmium (Cd) is an environmental pollutant that can cause endocrine organ damage. To explore the effect of subacute CdCl₂ exposure on piglet adrenal gland tissue and its mechanism based on the establishment of this model, bioinformatics, TUNEL assay, western blot (WB), and qRT-PCR methods were used to detect related indicators. The results showed that after Cd exposure, antioxidant enzymes decreased, heat shock protein increased, and miR-9-5p-gene of phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) upregulates the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K/AKT) pathway. After this pathway was activated, the expression of the apoptosis-related factors cysteinyl aspartate-specific proteinase 3 and 9 (caspase 3 and 9), B-cell lymphoma-2-associated X (BAX) was increased sharply, and the expression of B-cell lymphoma-2 (BCL2) was significantly decreased. The changes in these indicators indicate that Cd exposure induces apoptosis and causes tissue damage in the adrenal gland of piglets. This study aims to reveal the toxic effects of CdCl₂ in animals and will provide new ideas for the toxicology of Cd.

The purposes of this study were to measure the concentrations of arsenic speciation in shellfish from South China Sea and evaluate the health risk by local residents through shellfish consumption. The median concentrations (in wet weight) of arsenic speciation in shellfish samples were in the following order: AsB (16.0 mg·kg^-1) > DMA (1.30 mg·kg^-1) > AsV (0.23 mg·kg^-1) > AsC (0.08 mg·kg^-1) > AsIII (0.05 mg·kg^-1) > MMA (0.01 mg·kg^-1). Among shellfish species, Mactra mera and Babylonia areolata were found to accumulate iAs and AsB, respectively. The target hazard quotient values of iAs (THQ_iAs) in all shellfish samples were lower than 1. However, the carcinogenic risk values of iAs (CR_iAs) in the Mactra mera, Mytilus galloprovincialis and Pinctada margaritifera were beyond the acceptable range, implying that continuous exposure to iAs pollution via the consumption of these shellfish would pose a potential cancer risk to local consumers.

Spirulina (Arthrospira maxima) has been recognized as a superfood and nutraceutical by its high nutritional value and the benefits of its consumption; it is an important source of lipids, proteins, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. It is known that spirulina has positive effects on the toxicity induced by pharmaceuticals and metals. Heavy metals such as cadmium, frequently used in industrial activities, are continuously detected in water bodies and can generate adverse effects on aquatic organisms even at low concentrations. This study aimed to evaluate the protective effect of spirulina (Arthrospira maxima) against the toxic effects induced by cadmium in the early life stages of Xenopus laevis. Twenty Xenopus laevis embryos were exposed to five different treatments on triplicate, control, cadmium (CdCl₂ 24.5 μg L^-1) and three spirulina mixtures Cd + S 1 (24.5 μg L^-1 CdCl₂ + 2 mg L^-1 spirulina), Cd + S 2 (24.5 μg L^-1 CdCl₂ + 2 mg L^-1 spirulina), Cd + S 3 (24.5 μg L^-1 CdCl₂ + 10 mg L^-1 spirulina); after 96 h of exposure: Malformations, mortality and length were evaluated; also, after 192 h, lipid peroxidation (LPX), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) were determined. All spirulina treatments decreased mortality from 34 to 50% and reduced malformations on incidence from 36 to 68%. Treatment Cd + S 3 decreased growth inhibition significantly. Spirulina treatment Cd + S 2 decreased lipidic peroxidation and antioxidant activity; these results suggest that spirulina (Arthrospira maxima) can decrease the mortality, frequency of malformations, the severity of malformations, growth inhibition, and oxidative damage induced by cadmium in Xenopus laevis embryos.

Shellfishes can easily accumulate metals via water and sediment and which may pose a human health risk by consumption. This study assessed the distribution of metals, including Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Ni, Zn, and Hg, in soft tissues of hard clam (Meretrix lusoria), surrounding water body, and sediment in the southwest coast of Taiwan. Hard clams contained the relatively higher concentration of the essential element, such as Zn, Cu, and Ni, and the metal concentration from high to low was Zn > Cu > Ni > Cd > Cr > Pb > Hg. However, the metal concentrations found in hard clam all were lower than the Sanitation Standard for Aquatic Animal of Taiwan. Results of bioaccumulation factors indicated that hard clam shows the ability of metal accumulation from water was higher than that from sediment. Moreover, the metal concentrations in hard clam were negatively correlated with body size except for Hg, which could be presented by the significant power function. Generally, hard clams from the aquaculture pond located on the southwest coast of Taiwan would not be harmful to adult consumers, except for people that consume shellfish more than 100 g. Besides strengthening the management of seafood safety and aquaculture, adjusting the eating and purchasing habits of the consumer could be a practical and feasible way for decreasing health risks. These results can assist the government in determining seafood safety and its implementation in Taiwan.

An understanding of the enrichment mechanisms of cadmium (Cd) and arsenic (As) in the process of rock weathering and soil formation is essential to develop agriculture according to local conditions. However, the enrichments of soil Cd and As under natural background conditions in karst areas are still uncertain. The enrichment factor, geo-accumulation index, redundancy analysis, and other methods were used to analyze the enrichment degree and the influencing factors of Cd and As on 5 rock-soil profiles and 15 topsoil samples, which were collected from a karst forest area in Libo County, Guizhou Province. The results showed that the enrichment process was divided into three stages. In the first stage, Cd and As were enriched in carbonate rocks, and their mean concentrations were 1.65 and 3.9 times those of the corresponding abundance of the crust. In the second stage, the enrichment of the parent rock into the soil, the enrichment factors of Cd and As in the parent material horizon relative to the bedrock horizon were 9.2 and 2.82, respectively. The third stage refers to the enrichments of Cd and As in the topsoil, where Cd enrichment was more obvious than that of As. Soil organic matter (SOM) and phosphorus (P) are important factors that influenced the enrichments of Cd and As in the topsoil. The functional groups of SOM were complexed with Cd and As; P easily formed precipitates with Cd, and the tree litter was fed back to the topsoil, which may be the reason for the surface enrichment of Cd and As. This study will help the scientific community understand the enrichment mechanisms of soil Cd and As in karst areas.

Cadmium (Cd) is a toxic heavy metal that accumulates in living systems. Exposure can occur occupationally or environmentally. Workers within the electroplating, battery production, and pigment industries are at the highest risk for exposure and have been reported to have increased levels of Cd in their blood and urine. Environmental exposure can be the result of anthropogenic activities or smoking. Cd has a long half-life and bio accumulates in plants, invertebrates, and vertebrates. The toxic effects following exposure include growth retardation and organ system toxicity, with kidney and liver toxicity most reported with in higher organisms. At the molecular level, Cd leads to the production of reactive oxygen species, DNA damage, and inhibition of DNA repair. This article gives a brief overview of the correlations between exposure to cadmium occupationally and environmentally and levels measured in blood and urine. It also examines the bioaccumulation of cadmium in aquatic invertebrates and vertebrates indicating that accumulation varies not only by location but also within and between various species.

This study evaluated associations between the bioreactivity of PM_2.5in vitro and emission sources in the vicinity of a petrochemical complex in Taiwan. The average PM_2.5 was 30.2 μg/m³ from 9 February to 23 March 2016, and the PM_2.5 was clustered in long-range transport (with major local source) (12.8 μg/m³), and major (17.3 μg/m³) and minor industrial emissions (4.7 μg/m³) using a k-means clustering model. A reduction in cell viability and increases in the cytotoxicity-related lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), oxidative stress-related 8-isoprostane, and inflammation-related interleukin (IL)-6 occurred due to PM_2.5 in a dose-dependent manner. The PM_2.5 from major industrial emissions was significantly correlated with increased 8-isoprostane and IL-6, but this was not observed for long-range transport or minor industrial emissions. The bulk metal concentration was 9.52 ng/m³ in PM_2.5. We further observed that As, Ba, Cd, and Se were correlated with LDH in the long-range transport group. Pb in PM_2.5 from the major industrial emissions was correlated with LDH, whereas Pb and Se were correlated with 8-isoprostane. Sr was correlated with cell viability in the minor industrial emissions group. We demonstrated a new approach to investigate particle bioreactivity, which suggested that petrochemical-emitted PM_2.5 should be a concern for surrounding residents' health.

Several trace elements discharged by the petrochemical industry are toxic to humans and the ecosystem. In this study, we assessed airborne trace elements in the vicinity of the Map Ta Phut petrochemical industrial complex in Thailand by transplanting the lichen Parmotrema tinctorum to eight industrial, two rural, and one clean air sites between October 2013 and June 2014. After 242 days, the concentrations of As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, Ti, V, and Zn in lichens at most industrial sites were higher than those at the rural and the control sites; in particular, As, Cu, Mo, Sb, V, and Zn were significantly higher than at the control site (p < 0.05). Contamination factors (CFs) indicated that Cd, Cu, Mo, and Sb, which have severe health impacts, heavily contaminated at most industrial sites. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that most elements were associated with industry, with lesser contributions from traffic and agriculture. Based on the pollution load indexes (PLIs), two industrial sites were highly polluted, five were moderately polluted, and one had a low pollution level, whereas the pollution load at the rural sites was comparable to background levels. This study reinforces the utility of lichens as cost-effective biomonitors of airborne elements, suitable for use in developing countries, where adequate numbers of air monitoring instruments are unavailable due to financial, technical, and policy constraints.

This study reports the levels of total arsenic and arsenic species in marine biota such as clams (Meretrix meretrix; N=21) and pearl oyster (Pinctada radiata; N=5) collected from nine costal sites in Jan 2014, and cuttlefish (Sepia pharaonis; N=8), shrimp (Penaeus semisulcatus; N=1), and seven commercially important finfish species (N=23) collected during Apr-May 2013 from seven offshore sites in the western Arabian Gulf. Total As and As species such as dimethylarsinic acid (DMA), arsenobetaine (AB), trimethylarsine oxide (TMAO), arsenocholine (AC), tetramethylarsonium ion (Tetra), arsenosugar-glycerol (As-Gly) and inorganic As (iAs) were determined by using ICPMS and HPLC/ICPMS. In bivalves, the total As concentrations ranged from 16 to 118mg/kg dry mass; the toxic iAs fraction contributed on average less than 0.8% of the total As, while the nontoxic AB fraction formed around 58%. Total As concentrations for the remaining seafood (cuttlefish, shrimp and finfish) ranged from 11 to 134mg/kg dry mass and the iAs and AB fractions contributed on average 0.03% and 81% respectively of the total As. There was no significant relationship between the tissue concentrations of total As and iAs in the samples. There was also no significant relationship between As levels in seafood and geographical location or salinity of the waters from which samples were collected. Based on our results, we recommend introducing a maximum permissible level of arsenic in seafood from the Gulf based on iAs content rather than based on total As. Our analyses of cancer risks and non-cancer hazards identified non-negligible risks and the potential for hazards; the greatest risks were identified for expatriate consumers of bivalves and high-end consumers of seafood. Despite this, many uncertainties remain that would be best addressed by further analyses.