Discussion and conclusions

Morgan, Hilary; Dl, Simms

doi:10.1016/0048-9697(88)90162-3

Cited by 18 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…The root crops are lowest in Ca, P and Rb and highest in Cr. The high Cd concentrations may be of concern since root crops are a major feature in the Jamaican diet, but as was found in Shipham (McKenzie-Parnell & Eynon 1987;Morgan & Simms 1998) there is no direct evidence of health problems. (Okoye 2001).…”

Section: Elements Present Mainly Above Detection Limitsmentioning

confidence: 97%

Elemental composition of Jamaican foods 1: A survey of five food crop categories

Howe

Fung

Lalor

et al. 2005

Environ Geochem Health

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The concentrations of 27 elements in Jamaican food categories consisting of fruit, legumes, leafy and root vegetables and other root crops are reported. The main analytical techniques used were neutron activation analysis and flame and graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The results are compared, where possible, with values from Denmark, the United Kingdom, the United States and Nigeria, and with some regulatory limits. Over 75% of the results for antimony, arsenic, barium, cerium, thorium and uranium were below the respective sample detection limits but even among these, some of the maximum values observed indicate that further examination may be useful for those foods grown in the regions of highest uptake and consumed in large amounts. The other elements reported are bromine, cadmium, calcium, caesium, cerium, chromium, copper, europium, hafnium, iron, lanthanum, lead, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, rubidium, scandium, samarium, sodium, strontium, thorium, uranium, and zinc. Many of these elements occur at concentration levels above those reported from the other countries but it seems unlikely that most of these will contribute significantly to public health risk. However, at this stage cadmium clearly appears to be the element of greatest concern in the Jamaican food chain. The observed range of cadmium concentrations suggests that factors such as land selection, coupled perhaps where necessary, with suitably modified agricultural practices, is a feasible way to reduce the cadmium content of certain local foods.

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Section: Elements Present Mainly Above Detection Limitsmentioning

confidence: 97%

Elemental composition of Jamaican foods 1: A survey of five food crop categories

Howe

Fung

Lalor

et al. 2005

Environ Geochem Health

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“…Although in Shipham no adverse health effects were attributed to cadmium, the mean /32-microglobulin excretion in its residents was larger than in a non-exposed control population (77 versus 55pg/24h) [61] but lower than in the CadmiBel participants (92 pg/24 h). T h e Shipham study population, however, consisted of volunteers who may not have been representative of the exposed village as a whole because the response rate fell with age and with the length of residence in the contaminated area [61].…”

Section: Renal Effects At the Tubular Levelmentioning

confidence: 68%

“…T h e mean urinary cadmium excretion in the CadmiBel Study [58] was similar (0.84 versus 0.83pg/24h) to that of the adult residents of Shipham where the soil was contaminated by cadmium from old mining slag heaps [61]. Although in Shipham no adverse health effects were attributed to cadmium, the mean /32-microglobulin excretion in its residents was larger than in a non-exposed control population (77 versus 55pg/24h) [61] but lower than in the CadmiBel participants (92 pg/24 h).…”

Section: Renal Effects At the Tubular Levelmentioning

confidence: 72%

Public Health Implications of Environmental Exposure to Cadmium and Lead: An Overview of Epidemiological Studies in Belgium

Staessen

Buchet²,

Ginucchio

et al. 1996

European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention & Rehabilitat

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on behalf of the Working Groupst Review in DepthThe CadmiBel Study was a cross-sectional population study that investigated the health effects of environmental exposure to cadmium and lead. The 2327 participants constituted a random sample of the population of four Belgian districts, chosen in order to provide a wide range of environmental exposure to cadmium. After adjustment for confounding factors, such as smoking and occupational exposure, the urinary cadmium excretion, a measure of lifetime exposure, was nearly 30% higher in the polluted areas. The CadmiBel Study produced evidence inconsistent with the hypothesis that environmental exposure to cadmium and lead would lead to an increase in blood pressure and to a higher prevalence of hypertension and other cardiovascular diseases. On the other hand, the serum alkaline phosphatase activity and the urinary excretion of calcium were significantly and positively correlated with urinary cadmium in both sexes. These findings suggested that the homeostasis of calcium was gradually affected as cadmium accumulated in the body. Furthermore, several markers of renal tubular dysfunction (urinary excretion of retinol-binding-protein, N-acetyl-,f3-glucosaminidase, ,f3z-microglobulin and amino acids) were significantly and positively associated with urinary cadmium. Across 10 small areas of which six were polluted with cadmium, an inverse association existed between the creatinine clearance and several indexes of environmental exposure to cadmium (cadmium concentration in the soil, cadmium content of locally grown vegetables, the inhabitants' 24 h urinary cadmium excretion). In the CadmiBel Study, the creatinine clearance was also inversely correlated with the concentrations of lead and zinc protoporphyrin in the blood. Thus, environmental exposure to cadmium and lead was associated with alterations in renal function. The significance in terms of morbidity and mortality of the functional disturbances observed in the CadmiBel Study, and the possible strategies to prevent the transfer of cadmium from the environment to man are under investigation in the prospective PheeCad Study in which half of the CadmiBel participants have been enrolled (participation rate 80%).

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“…However, even prior to Chernobyl, radionuclides in the soil and how they may affect human health were receiving attention (e.g., Comar, 1960;Franca et al, 1965;Cohen and Jow, 1978;Adriano, 1979). Investigations into the effects of heavy metals in soils became a common theme (e.g., Walsh et al, 1977;Morgan and Simms, 1988;Strehlow and Barltrop, 1988;Fergusson, 1990;Alloway, 1995;Albering et al, 1999), as did organic chemicals in soils (e.g., Pettry et al, 1973;Calvet, 1989;Sedman, 1989;Chaudhry and Chapalamadugu, 1991;Pohl et al, 1995;Simcox et al, 1995). Geophagy, the practice of eating soil, has attracted the interest of anthropologists and geographers for many years (e.g., Laufer, 1930;Dickins and Ford, 1942;Hertz, 1947;Cooper, 1957;Anell and Lagercrantz, 1958;Halsted, 1968) and remained a subject of study (e.g., Vermeer and Frate, 1979;Danford, 1982;Frate, 1984;Abrahams and Parsons, 1996;Calabrese et al, 1997).…”

Section: Soils and Human Health Prior To The 21st Centurymentioning

confidence: 99%

The past, present, and future of soils and human health studies

Brevik

Sauer

2015

SOIL

151

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Abstract. The idea that human health is tied to the soil is not a new one. As far back as circa 1400 BC the Bible depicts Moses as understanding that fertile soil was essential to the well-being of his people. In 400 BC the Greek philosopher Hippocrates provided a list of things that should be considered in a proper medical evaluation, including the properties of the local ground. By the late 1700s and early 1800s, American farmers had recognized that soil properties had some connection to human health. In the modern world, we recognize that soils have a distinct influence on human health. We recognize that soils influence (1) food availability and quality (food security), (2) human contact with various chemicals, and (3) human contact with various pathogens. Soils and human health studies include investigations into nutrient supply through the food chain and routes of exposure to chemicals and pathogens. However, making strong, scientific connections between soils and human health can be difficult. There are multiple variables to consider in the soil environment, meaning traditional scientific studies that seek to isolate and manipulate a single variable often do not provide meaningful data. The complete study of soils and human health also involves many different specialties such as soil scientists, toxicologists, medical professionals, anthropologists, etc. These groups do not traditionally work together on research projects, and do not always effectively communicate with one another. Climate change and how it will affect the soil environment/ecosystem going into the future is another variable affecting the relationship between soils and health. Future successes in soils and human health research will require effectively addressing difficult issues such as these.

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Discussion and conclusions

Cited by 18 publications

References 5 publications

Elemental composition of Jamaican foods 1: A survey of five food crop categories

Elemental composition of Jamaican foods 1: A survey of five food crop categories

Public Health Implications of Environmental Exposure to Cadmium and Lead: An Overview of Epidemiological Studies in Belgium

The past, present, and future of soils and human health studies

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