Toxic Metals in Food

Historic variation of trace elements in pinnipeds with spatially segregated trophic habits reveals differences in exposure to pollution

“…In Uruguay, there is still recycling and smelting of batteries that are responsible for human exposure to Pb (Burger and Pose Roman, 2010). Lead has toxic effects in humans, causing central nervous system problems, hypertension and kidney failure (Fowler et al, 2015). The concentration of Pb in Montevideo Bay sediments is higher than in the adjacent Southwest Atlantic (Muniz et al, 2004b).…”

Letter to the editor

“…As, Cd, and Pb (along with many other elements) are naturally present in plant and animal tissues, including human bodies and food, particularly in naturally mineralized zones such as the area in and around MYSRL near Cajamarca. As a result, exposure to these metals is ubiquitous, and food is a major source of exposure for the general population (Fowler et al, 2015). It should also be recognized that the Cajamarca regional ecosystem had been influenced by human activities (e.g., growing crops, livestock grazing, and mining) before modern mining began, with several introduced species of flora and fauna and high indexes of erosion of the soils on the steep slopes characteristic of the area.…”

“…As, Cd, and other metals are well known to accumulate to particularly high levels in rice (Adomako et al, 2011;Fowler et al, 2015;Meharg et al, 2013;Meharg and Zhao, 2012;Norton et al, 2013;Norton et al, 2014;Williams et al, 2007;Williams et al, 2009), one of the main dietary items in Cajamarca. As indicated in Figure 3 of the publication, rice is a dominant source of dietary As and Cd exposure in Cajamarca, significantly contributing to the "elevated" intakes of these metals reported in Tables 4 and 5 of the publication.…”

Perspectives and safety of horsemeat consumption

“…In densely populated industrialised regions, cadmium concentrations in horsemeat are generally higher. The mean concentration of cadmium in horsemeat, calculated based on data from 20 European countries, is 0.172 mg kg −1 (Fowler et al , ). Cadmium concentrations reported in horse kidney are as follows: up to 47.4 mg kg −1 in Croatia (Bilandzic et al , ), up to 84 mg kg −1 in Argentine (Beldoménico et al , ), up to 128 mg kg −1 in contaminated regions of Kazakhstan (Farmer & Farmer, ; Maikanov et al , ) and up to 27 mg kg −1 in Gansu province, China (Liu, 2003).…”