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Shi T, Zhan P, Shen Y, Wang H, Wu C, Li J. Using multi-technology to characterize transboundary Hg pollution in the largest presently active Hg deposit in China. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023:10.1007/s11356-023-28080-0. [PMID: 37322398 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-28080-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Active Hg mines are primary sources of Hg contamination in the environment of mining districts and surrounding areas. Alleviation of Hg pollution requires knowledge of pollution sources, migration, and transform pathways across various environmental media. Accordingly, the Xunyang Hg-Sb mine, the largest active Hg deposit in China, presently was selected as the study area. GIS, TIMA, EPMA, μ-XRF, TEM-EDS, and Hg stable isotopes were adopted to investigate the spatial distribution, mineralogical characteristics, in situ microanalysis, and pollution sources of Hg in the environment medium at the macro- and micro-levels. The total Hg concentration in samples showed a regional distribution, with higher levels in areas close to the mining operations. The in situ distribution of Hg in soil was mainly associated with the mineralogical phases of quartz, and Hg was also correlated with Sb and S. Hg was also found to be rich mainly in quartz minerals in the sediment and showed different distributions of Sb. Hg hotspots had S abundances and contained no Sb and O. The contributions from the anthropogenic sources to soil Hg were estimated to be 55.35%, among which 45.97% from unroasted Hg ore and 9.38% from tailing. Natural input of soil Hg due to pedogenic processes accounted for 44.65%. Hg in corn grain was mainly derived from the atmosphere. This study will provide a scientific basis for assessing the current environmental quality in this area and minimizing further impacts that affect the nearby environmental medium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taoran Shi
- School of Applied Meteorology, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing, 210044, China.
| | - Pei Zhan
- School of Applied Meteorology, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing, 210044, China
| | - Yaqin Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, 100012, China
| | - Hongyan Wang
- Beijing Dabeinong Technology Group Co., Ltd., Beijing, 100000, China
| | - Chunfa Wu
- School of Applied Meteorology, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing, 210044, China
| | - Jining Li
- School of Environment, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210023, China
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Yang S, Li P, Sun K, Wei N, Liu J, Feng X. Mercury isotope compositions in seawater and marine fish revealed the sources and processes of mercury in the food web within differing marine compartments. WATER RESEARCH 2023; 241:120150. [PMID: 37269625 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2023.120150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Revised: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Anthropogenic activities and climate change have significantly increased mercury (Hg) levels in seawater. However, the processes and sources of Hg in differing marine compartments (e.g. estuary, marine continental shelf (MCS) or pelagic area) have not been well studied, which makes it difficult to understand Hg cycling in marine ecosystems. To address this issue, the total Hg (THg) concentration, methylmercury (MeHg) concentration and stable Hg isotopes were determined in seawater and fish samples collected from differing marine compartments of the South China Sea (SCS). The results showed that the estuarine seawater exhibited substantially higher THg and MeHg concentrations than those in the MCS and pelagic seawater. Significantly negative δ202Hg (-1.63‰ ± 0.42‰) in estuarine seawater compared with that in pelagic seawater (-0.58‰ ± 0.08‰) may suggest watershed input and domestic sewage discharge of Hg in the estuarine compartment. The Δ199Hg value in estuarine fish (0.39‰ ± 0.35‰) was obviously lower than that in MCS (1.10‰ ± 0.54‰) and pelagic fish (1.15‰ ± 0.46‰), which showed that relatively little MeHg photodegradation occurred in the estuarine compartment. The Hg isotope binary mixing model based on Δ200Hg revealed that approximately 74% MeHg in pelagic fish is derived from atmospheric Hg(II) deposition, and over 60% MeHg in MCS fish is derived from sediments. MeHg sources for estuarine fish may be highly complex (e.g. sediment or riverine/atmospheric input) and further investigations are warranted to clarify the contribution of each source. Our study showed that Hg stable isotopes in seawater and marine fish can be used to identify the processes and sources of Hg in different marine compartments. This finding is of great relevance to the development of marine Hg food web models and the management of Hg in fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaochen Yang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Critical Zone Evolution, School of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Ping Li
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550081, China
| | - Kaifeng Sun
- South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment of the People's Republic of China, Guangzhou 510655, China
| | - Nan Wei
- South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment of the People's Republic of China, Guangzhou 510655, China
| | - Jinling Liu
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Critical Zone Evolution, School of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China.
| | - Xinbin Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550081, China
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Brandão ALC, Batista de Carvalho LAE, Gonçalves D, Piga G, Cunha E, Marques MPM. Differentiating present-day from ancient bones by vibrational spectroscopy upon acetic acid treatment. Forensic Sci Int 2023; 347:111690. [PMID: 37086578 DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2023.111690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Revised: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 04/24/2023]
Abstract
Acetic acid treatment for an accurate differentiation between ancient and recent human bones was assessed using Raman and FTIR-ATR spectroscopies. Each set of skeletal samples was analysed by these techniques, prior and after chemical washing, in order to determine the variations in bone´s chemical composition and crystallinity. Bone samples were collected from several independent sources: recent bones burned under controlled experimental conditions or cremated, and archaeological (XVII century and Iron Age). The effect of acetic acid, expected to impact mostly on carbonates, was clearly evidenced in the spectra of all samples, particularly in FTIR-ATR, mainly through the bands typical of A- and B-carbonates. Furthermore, as seen for crematoria and archaeological samples, acetic acid was found to remove contaminants such as calcium hydroxide. Overall, acetic acid treatment can be an effective method for removing carbonates (exogenous but possibly also endogenous) and external contaminants from bone. However, these effects are dependent on the skeletal conditions (e.g. post-mortem interval and burning settings). In addition, this chemical washing was shown to be insufficient for an unequivocal discrimination between recent and archaeological skeletal remains. Based on the measured IR indexes, only cremated bones could be clearly distinguished.
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Affiliation(s)
- A L C Brandão
- University of Coimbra, Molecular Physical-Chemistry R&D Unit, Department of Chemistry, 3004-535 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - L A E Batista de Carvalho
- University of Coimbra, Molecular Physical-Chemistry R&D Unit, Department of Chemistry, 3004-535 Coimbra, Portugal.
| | - D Gonçalves
- University of Coimbra, Laboratory of Forensic Anthropology, Centre for Functional Ecology, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal; University of Coimbra, Research Centre for Anthropology and Health (CIAS), 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal; Archaeosciences Laboratory, Directorate General Cultural Heritage (LARC/CIBIO/InBIO), 1349-021 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - G Piga
- University of Coimbra, Laboratory of Forensic Anthropology, Centre for Functional Ecology, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal; University of Sassari, DISSUF - Department of History, Human Sciences and Education, Italy
| | - E Cunha
- University of Coimbra, Laboratory of Forensic Anthropology, Centre for Functional Ecology, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal; University of Coimbra, Department of Life Sciences, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal; Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences, 1169-201 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - M P M Marques
- University of Coimbra, Molecular Physical-Chemistry R&D Unit, Department of Chemistry, 3004-535 Coimbra, Portugal; University of Coimbra, Department of Life Sciences, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal
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Álvarez-Fernández N, Martínez Cortizas A, López-Costas O. Structural equation modelling of mercury intra-skeletal variability on archaeological human remains. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 851:158015. [PMID: 35970463 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Archaeological burial environments are useful archives to investigate the long-term trends and the behaviour of mercury. In order to understand the relationship between mercury, skeletons and soil, we applied Partial Least Squares - Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) to a detailed, multisampling (n = 73 bone samples +37 soil samples) design of two archaeological graves dating to the 6th to 7th centuries CE (A Lanzada site, NW Spain). Mercury content was assessed using a DMA-80, and data about bone structure and the grave soil/sediments were obtained using FTIR-ATR spectroscopy. The theoretical model is supported by proxies of bone structure, grave soil/sediments, and location of the bone within the skeleton. The general model explained 61 % of mercury variance. Additionally, Partial Least Square - Prediction Oriented Segmentation (PLS-POS) was also used to check for segmentation in the dataset. POS revealed two group of samples depending on the bone phase (hydroxyapatite or collagen) controlling the Hg content, and the corresponding models explained 86 % and 76 % of Hg variance, respectively. The results suggest that mercury behaviour in the graves is complex, and that mercury concentrations were influenced by i) the ante-mortem status of the bone matrix, related to the weight of each bone phase; ii) post-mortem evolution of bone crystallinity, where bone loses mercury with increasing alteration; and iii) the proximity of the skeletal pieces to mercury target organs, as decomposition and collapse of the thoracic and abdominal soft tissues causes a secondary mercury enrichment in bones from the body trunk during early post-mortem. Skeletons provide a source of mercury to the soil whereas soil/sediments contribute little to skeletal mercury content.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noemi Álvarez-Fernández
- CRETUS, EcoPast (GI-1553), Facultade de Bioloxía, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 16782, Spain; Boscalia Technologies S.L., Spain.
| | - Antonio Martínez Cortizas
- CRETUS, EcoPast (GI-1553), Facultade de Bioloxía, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 16782, Spain; Bolin Centre for Climate Research, Stockholm University, Stockholm SE-10691, Sweden
| | - Olalla López-Costas
- EcoPast (GI-1553), CRETUS, Area of Archaeology, Department of History, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782, Spain; Archaeological Research Laboratory, Stockholm University, Wallenberglaboratoriet, SE-10691, Sweden; Laboratorio de Antropología Física, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Granada, 18012, Spain
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Virginia Alves Martins M, Cazelli L, Yhasnara M, da CristineSilva L, Barros Saibro M, Bobco FER, Rubio B, Ferreira B, Castelo WFL, Santos JF, Ribeiro S, Frontalini F, Martínez-Colón M, Pereira E, Antonioli L, Geraldes M, Rocha F, Sousa SHME, Manuel Alveirinho Dias J. Factors driving sediment compositional change in the distal area of the Ria de Vigo (NW Spain): oceanographic processes vs. paleopollution. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 29:69652-69679. [PMID: 35576033 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-20607-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
We analyze potential Late Holocene metal contamination along a sediment core collected in the distal zone of Ria de Vigo (North Spain). Statistical treatment of the dataset based on a multiproxy approach enabled us to identify and disentangle factors influencing the depositional processes and the preservation of the records of this activity in the area over the last ≈3000 years BP. Some layers of the analyzed core have significant enrichment in Cu and a moderate enrichment in Ag, Mo, As, Sb, S, Zn, Ni, Sn, Cd, Cr, Co, Pb, and Li. The enrichment of these elements in some layers of this core may be related to mining activities that have taken place since classical times in the region. Successive phases of pollution were identified along the core KSGX24 related to the Late Bronze Age (≈3000-2450 years BP), Iron Age (≈2450-1850 years BP), Roman times (≈1850-1550 years BP), Middle Ages (≈1250-500 years BP), and industrial and modern (≈250-0 years BP) anthropic activities. The protection of the Cies Islands, the erosive and transport capacity of the rivers in the region, oscillations of the oceanographic and climatic regime, atmospheric contamination, and diagenetic sedimentary processes might have contributed to the accumulation and preservation of this record in the distal region of the Ria de Vigo. The studied core shows that the industrial and preindustrial anthropic impacts caused an environmental liability and contributed to the presence of moderate to heavy pollution of various metals in surface and subsurface sediment layers in the distal sector of the Ria de Vigo, which could be a hazard to biota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Virginia Alves Martins
- Faculdade de Geologia, Universidade Do Estado Do Rio de Janeiro, UERJ, Av. São Francisco Xavier, 24, sala 2020A, Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 20550-013, Brazil.
- GeoBioTec, Departamento de Geociências, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal.
| | - Lucas Cazelli
- Faculdade de Geologia, Universidade Do Estado Do Rio de Janeiro, UERJ, Av. São Francisco Xavier, 24, sala 2020A, Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 20550-013, Brazil
| | - Missilene Yhasnara
- Faculdade de Geologia, Universidade Do Estado Do Rio de Janeiro, UERJ, Av. São Francisco Xavier, 24, sala 2020A, Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 20550-013, Brazil
| | - Layla da CristineSilva
- Faculdade de Geologia, Universidade Do Estado Do Rio de Janeiro, UERJ, Av. São Francisco Xavier, 24, sala 2020A, Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 20550-013, Brazil
| | - Murilo Barros Saibro
- Faculdade de Geologia, Universidade Do Estado Do Rio de Janeiro, UERJ, Av. São Francisco Xavier, 24, sala 2020A, Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 20550-013, Brazil
| | - Fabia Emanuela Rafaloski Bobco
- Universidade Federal Do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Instituto de Geociências (Igeo) Av. Athos da Silveira Ramos, Bloco G, Cidade. Universitária, Ilha Do Fundão, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 274, Brazil
| | - Belen Rubio
- Departamento de Xeociencias Mariñas E Ordenación Do Territorio, Universidade de Vigo, Edificio de Ciencias Experimentais Campus de Vigo, 36310, Vigo, Spain
| | - Bruna Ferreira
- GeoBioTec, Departamento de Geociências, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Wellen Fernanda Louzada Castelo
- Faculdade de Geologia, Universidade Do Estado Do Rio de Janeiro, UERJ, Av. São Francisco Xavier, 24, sala 2020A, Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 20550-013, Brazil
| | - José Francisco Santos
- GeoBioTec, Departamento de Geociências, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Sara Ribeiro
- GeoBioTec, Departamento de Geociências, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Fabrizio Frontalini
- Department of Pure and Applied Sciences, Università Degli Studi Di Urbino "Carlo Bo", 61029, Urbino, Italy
| | - Michael Martínez-Colón
- School of the Environment, FSH Science Research Center, Florida A and M University, 1515 South MLK Blvd, Tallahassee, FLFL USA, 32307, USA
| | - Egberto Pereira
- Faculdade de Geologia, Universidade Do Estado Do Rio de Janeiro, UERJ, Av. São Francisco Xavier, 24, sala 2020A, Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 20550-013, Brazil
| | - Luzia Antonioli
- Faculdade de Geologia, Universidade Do Estado Do Rio de Janeiro, UERJ, Av. São Francisco Xavier, 24, sala 2020A, Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 20550-013, Brazil
| | - Mauro Geraldes
- Faculdade de Geologia, Universidade Do Estado Do Rio de Janeiro, UERJ, Av. São Francisco Xavier, 24, sala 2020A, Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 20550-013, Brazil
| | - Fernando Rocha
- GeoBioTec, Departamento de Geociências, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal
| | | | - João Manuel Alveirinho Dias
- Centro de Investigação Marinha E Ambiental (CIMA), Universidade Do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, Faro, Portugal
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Multidisciplinary investigation reveals the earliest textiles and cinnabar-coloured cloth in Iberian Peninsula. Sci Rep 2021; 11:21918. [PMID: 34753994 PMCID: PMC8578544 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-01349-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Textile production is among the most fundamental and more complex technologies in human prehistory, but is under-investigated due to the perishable nature of fibrous materials. Here we report a discovery of five textile fragments from a prehistoric (fourth-third millennium cal BC) burial deposit located in a small cave at Peñacalera in Sierra Morena hills, near Córdoba, Southern Spain. These textiles accompanied a set of human remains as grave goods, together with other organic elements such as fragments of wood and cork, and some pottery vessels. They were characterized and dated using digital microscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy, Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy and Accelerator Mass Spectrometry. Two of the fragments described here are the oldest examples of loom-woven textiles in the Iberian Peninsula, dating from the second half of the fourth millennium cal BC. This correlates chronologically with the first appearance of loom weights in the archaeological record of this region. The more recently dated textile is the earliest preserved cloth intentionally coloured with cinnabar in the western Mediterranean. The Peñacalera finds are a key reference for understanding the development of textile technologies during the Neolithic and Copper Age in western Europe and beyond.
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Álvarez-Fernández N, Martínez Cortizas A, García-López Z, López-Costas O. Approaching mercury distribution in burial environment using PLS-R modelling. Sci Rep 2021; 11:21231. [PMID: 34707177 PMCID: PMC8551184 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-00768-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Mercury environmental cycle and toxicology have been widely researched. Given the long history of mercury pollution, researching mercury trends in the past can help to understand its behaviour in the present. Archaeological skeletons have been found to be useful sources of information regarding mercury loads in the past. In our study we applied a soil multi-sampling approach in two burials dated to the 5th to 6th centuries AD. PLRS modelling was used to elucidate the factors controlling mercury distribution. The model explains 72% of mercury variance and suggests that mercury accumulation in the burial soils is the result of complex interactions. The decomposition of the bodies not only was the primary source of mercury to the soil but also responsible for the pedogenetic transformation of the sediments and the formation of soil components with the ability to retain mercury. The amount of soft tissues and bone mass also resulted in differences between burials, indicating that the skeletons were a primary/secondary source of mercury to the soil (i.e. temporary sink). Within burial variability seems to depend on the proximity of the soil to the thoracic area, where the main mercury target organs were located. We also conclude that, in coarse textured soils, as the ones studied in this investigation, the finer fraction (i.e. silt + clay) should be analysed, as it is the most reactive and the one with the higher potential to provide information on metal cycling and incipient soil processes. Finally, our study stresses the need to characterise the burial soil environment in order to fully understand the role of the interactions between soil and skeleton in mercury cycling in burial contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Zaira García-López
- CRETUS, EcoPast (GI-1553), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782, Santiago, Spain
| | - Olalla López-Costas
- EcoPast (GI-1553), CRETUS, Archaeology Department of History, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782, Santiago, Spain.,Archaeological Research Laboratory, Wallenberglaboratoriet, Stockholm University, 10691, Stockholm, Sweden.,Laboratorio de Antropología Física, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Granada, 18012, Granada, Spain
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Simpson R, Cooper DML, Swanston T, Coulthard I, Varney TL. Historical overview and new directions in bioarchaeological trace element analysis: a review. ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND ANTHROPOLOGICAL SCIENCES 2021; 13:24. [PMID: 33520004 PMCID: PMC7810633 DOI: 10.1007/s12520-020-01262-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Given their strong affinity for the skeleton, trace elements are often stored in bones and teeth long term. Diet, geography, health, disease, social status, activity, and occupation are some factors which may cause differential exposure to, and uptake of, trace elements, theoretically introducing variability in their concentrations and/or ratios in the skeleton. Trace element analysis of bioarchaeological remains has the potential, therefore, to provide rich insights into past human lifeways. This review provides a historical overview of bioarchaeological trace element analysis and comments on the current state of the discipline by highlighting approaches with growing momentum. Popularity for the discipline surged following preliminary studies in the 1960s to 1970s that demonstrated the utility of strontium (Sr) as a dietary indicator. During the 1980s, Sr/Ca ratio and multi-element studies were commonplace in bioarchaeology, linking trace elements with dietary phenomena. Interest in using trace elements for bioarchaeological inferences waned following a period of critiques in the late 1980s to 1990s that argued the discipline failed to account for diagenesis, simplified complex element uptake and regulation processes, and used several unsuitable elements for palaeodietary reconstruction (e.g. those under homeostatic regulation, those without a strong affinity for the skeleton). In the twenty-first century, trace element analyses have been primarily restricted to Sr and lead (Pb) isotope analysis and the study of toxic trace elements, though small pockets of bioarchaeology have continued to analyse multiple elements. Techniques such as micro-sampling, element mapping, and non-traditional stable isotope analysis have provided novel insights which hold the promise of helping to overcome limitations faced by the discipline. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12520-020-01262-4.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Simpson
- Department of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK Canada
- Present Address: Department of Anthropology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB Canada
| | - David M. L. Cooper
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK Canada
| | - Treena Swanston
- Department of Anthropology, Economics and Political Science, MacEwan University, Edmonton, AB Canada
- Department of Biological Sciences, MacEwan University, Edmonton, AB Canada
| | | | - Tamara L. Varney
- Department of Anthropology, Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, ON Canada
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9
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Tsui MTK, Blum JD, Kwon SY. Review of stable mercury isotopes in ecology and biogeochemistry. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 716:135386. [PMID: 31839301 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.135386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2019] [Revised: 10/21/2019] [Accepted: 11/04/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Due to the advent of cold vapor-multicollector-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (CV-MC-ICP-MS) in the past two decades, many research groups studying mercury (Hg) biogeochemistry have integrated stable Hg isotopes into their research. Currently, >200 studies using this technique have been published and this has greatly enhanced our understanding of the Hg biogeochemical cycle beyond what Hg concentration and speciation analyses alone can provide. These studies are largely divided into two groups: (i) controlled experiments investigating fractionation of Hg isotopes and refining tools of isotopic analyses, and (ii) studies of natural variations of Hg isotopes. It is now known that Hg isotopes undergo both mass dependent fractionation (MDF; reported as the ratio of mass 202Hg to 198Hg) and mass independent fractionation (MIF), with MIF occurring at odd masses (199Hg, 201Hg) to a larger magnitude and at even masses (200Hg, 204Hg) to a much smaller magnitude. The two types of MIF are controlled by different photochemical processes. The range of isotopic variations of MDF, odd-MIF, and even-MIF are now well documented in a diverse set of environmental samples, and researchers are continuing to explore how the field of Hg isotope biogeochemistry can be further developed and taken to the next level of understanding. One application that has received considerable attention is the use of Hg isotopes to examine the environmental controls on the production and degradation of methylmercury (MeHg), the most toxic and bioaccumulative form of Hg. Since MeHg is efficiently assimilated and biomagnified along food chains, MeHg has the potential to be a robust ecological tracer. In this review, we give an updated overview of the field of Hg isotopes and focus on how Hg isotopes of MeHg can be used to address fundamental ecological questions, including energy transfer across ecosystem interfaces and as a tracer for animal movements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Tsz-Ki Tsui
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC 27402, USA.
| | - Joel D Blum
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Sae Yun Kwon
- Division of Environmental Science and Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang 37673, South Korea
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López-Costas O, Kylander M, Mattielli N, Álvarez-Fernández N, Pérez-Rodríguez M, Mighall T, Bindler R, Martínez Cortizas A. Human bones tell the story of atmospheric mercury and lead exposure at the edge of Roman World. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 710:136319. [PMID: 31926414 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.136319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2019] [Revised: 12/19/2019] [Accepted: 12/22/2019] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Atmospheric metal pollution is a major health concern whose roots pre-date industrialization. This study pertains the analyses of ancient human skeletons and compares them with natural archives to trace historical environmental exposure at the edge of the Roman Empire in NW Iberia. The novelty of our approach relies on the combination of mercury, lead and lead isotopes. We found over a 700-year period that rural Romans incorporated two times more mercury and lead into their bones than post-Romans inhabiting the same site, independent of sex or age. Atmospheric pollution sources contributed on average 57% (peaking at 85%) of the total lead incorporated into the bones in Roman times, which decreased to 24% after the decline of Rome. These values and accompanying changes in lead isotopic composition mirror changes in atmospheric Pb deposition recorded in local peatlands. Thus, skeletons are a time-transgressive archive reflecting contaminant exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olalla López-Costas
- EcoPast (GI-1553), Facultade de Bioloxía, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782, Spain; Archaeological Research Laboratory, Stockholm University, Wallenberglaboratoriet, SE-10691 Stockholm, Sweden; Laboratorio de Antropología Física, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Granada, Granada 18012, Spain.
| | - Malin Kylander
- Dept. Geological Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden; The Bolin Centre for Climate Research, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Nadine Mattielli
- Laboratoire G-Time, DGES, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), 50 (CP 160/02), Av FD Roosevelt, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Noemi Álvarez-Fernández
- EcoPast (GI-1553), Facultade de Bioloxía, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782, Spain
| | - Marta Pérez-Rodríguez
- Institut für Geoökologie, Abt. Umweltgeochemie, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Langer Kamp, 19C, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Tim Mighall
- School of Geosciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Richard Bindler
- Dept. Ecology and Environmental Science, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden
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Jain A, Sarsaiya S, Wu Q, Shi J, Lu Y. New insights and rethinking of cinnabar for chemical and its pharmacological dynamics. Bioengineered 2020; 10:353-364. [PMID: 31431119 PMCID: PMC6738451 DOI: 10.1080/21655979.2019.1652491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Cinnabar is an attractive mineral with many different uses. It is reported that cinnabar is one of the traditional Chinese’s medicines extensively use. The main objective of this critical review is to identify the current overview, concept and chemistry of cinnabar, which includes the process developments, challenges, and diverse options for pharmacology research. It is used as a medicine through probable toxicity, especially when taking overdoes. This review is the first to describe the toxicological effects of cinnabar and its associated compounds. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) dependent metabolomics could be useful for examination of the pharmaceutical consequence. The analysis indicated that the accurate preparation methods, appropriate doses, disease status, ages with drug combinations are significant factors for impacting the cinnabar toxicity. Toxicologically, synthetic mercury sulfide or cinnabar should be notable for mercuric chloride, mercury vapor and methyl mercury for future protection and need several prominent advancements in cinnabar research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Archana Jain
- Key Laboratory of Basic Pharmacology and Joint International Research Laboratory of Ethnomedicine of Ministry of Education, Zunyi Medical University , Guizhou , China
| | - Surendra Sarsaiya
- Key Laboratory of Basic Pharmacology and Joint International Research Laboratory of Ethnomedicine of Ministry of Education, Zunyi Medical University , Guizhou , China.,Bioresource Institute for Healthy Utilization, Zunyi Medical University , Guizhou , China
| | - Qin Wu
- Key Laboratory of Basic Pharmacology and Joint International Research Laboratory of Ethnomedicine of Ministry of Education, Zunyi Medical University , Guizhou , China
| | - Jingshan Shi
- Key Laboratory of Basic Pharmacology and Joint International Research Laboratory of Ethnomedicine of Ministry of Education, Zunyi Medical University , Guizhou , China
| | - Yuanfu Lu
- Key Laboratory of Basic Pharmacology and Joint International Research Laboratory of Ethnomedicine of Ministry of Education, Zunyi Medical University , Guizhou , China
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Wang Y, Zhou S, Ma H, Shi JS, Lu YF. Investigation of the differential transport mechanism of cinnabar and mercury containing compounds. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND PHARMACOLOGY 2019; 66:83-90. [PMID: 30639899 DOI: 10.1016/j.etap.2018.12.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2018] [Revised: 12/01/2018] [Accepted: 12/24/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cinnabar has a long history of uses in Chinese traditional medicines as an ingredient in various remedies. However, the detailed mechanism of cinnabar in medication remains unclear, and the toxicity of cinnabar has been a debate due to its containing mercury sulfide. This study was designed to investigate the differential transport mechanism of cinnabar and other Hg-containing compounds HgCl2, MeHg and HgS, and to determine if organic anion transporters OAT1 and OAT3 were involved in the differential transport mechanism. MATERIALS AND METHODS The 293T cells were employed to investigate and compare the differential transport mechanism of cinnabar and HgCl2, MeHg and HgS. Cells were incubated with a low dose (5 μM HgCl2 and MeHg, 200 μM HgS and cinnabar), medium dose (10 μM HgCl2 and MeHg, 400 μM HgS and cinnabar), and high dose (20 μM HgCl2 and MeHg, 800 μM HgS and cinnabar) of HgCl2, MeHg, HgS and cinnabar for 24 h. Following treatment, the cells were collected and the cell viability was determined by MTT assay. The intracellular mercury content was measured at 1, 4, and 24 h after treatment with 10 μM of the tested agents by an atomic fluorescence spectrophotometer. The effect of these tested agents on mitochondrial respiration was determined in a high-resolution oxygraphyat 24 h following treatment. Furthermore, the effect of modulation of expression of transporters OAT1 and OAT3 on the transport and cytotoxicity of the tested agents was evaluated. The up and down regulation of OAT1 and OAT3 were achieved by overexpression and siRNA transfection, respectively. RESULTS Compared with HgCl2 and MeHg, the cytotoxicity of cinnabar and HgS was lower, with cell viability at the high dose cinnabar and HgS being about 65%, while MeHg and HgCl2 were 40% and 20%, respectively. The intracellular mercury accumulation was time-dependent. At 24 h the intracellular concentrations of HgCl2 and MeHg were about 7 and 5 times higher, respectively, than that of cinnabar. No significant difference was found in the intracellular mercury content in cells treated with cinnabar compared to HgS. The knockdown and overexpression of the transporter OAT1 resulted in significant reduction and increase, respectively, in mercury accumulation in HgCl2 -treated cells in relative to control cells, while no significant changes were observed in cells treated with cinnabar, MeHg, and HgS. In addition, the knockdown and overexpression of the transporter OAT3 caused significant reduction and increase, respectively, in mercury accumulation in both HgCl2 and MeHg-treated cells in relative to control cells, while no significant changes were observed in cells treated with cinnabar and HgS. Furthermore, it was found that cells transfected with siOAT1 caused significant resistance to the cytotoxicity induced by HgCl2, while no noticeable changes in cell viability were observed in cells treated with other tested agents. Additionally, cells transfected with OAT3 did not change cell sensitivity to cytotoxicity induced by all of the four tested agents. CONCLUSION This study demonstrates that differential transport and accumulation of mercury in 293T cells exists among cinnabar and the three mercury-containing compounds HgCl2, MeHg and HgS, leading to distinct sensitivity to mercury induced cytotoxicity. The kidney organic anion transporters OAT1 and OAT3 are partially involved in the regulation of the transport of HgCl2 and MeHg, but not in the regulation of the transport of cinnabar.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Wang
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Ethnomedicine, Key Laboratory of Basic Pharmacology of Ministry of Education, Zunyi Medical College, Guizhou, China
| | - Shaoyu Zhou
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Ethnomedicine, Key Laboratory of Basic Pharmacology of Ministry of Education, Zunyi Medical College, Guizhou, China; Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Honghong Ma
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Ethnomedicine, Key Laboratory of Basic Pharmacology of Ministry of Education, Zunyi Medical College, Guizhou, China
| | - Jing-Shan Shi
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Ethnomedicine, Key Laboratory of Basic Pharmacology of Ministry of Education, Zunyi Medical College, Guizhou, China
| | - Yuan-Fu Lu
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Ethnomedicine, Key Laboratory of Basic Pharmacology of Ministry of Education, Zunyi Medical College, Guizhou, China.
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Nogara PA, Oliveira CS, Schmitz GL, Piquini PC, Farina M, Aschner M, Rocha JBT. Methylmercury's chemistry: From the environment to the mammalian brain. Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 2019; 1863:129284. [PMID: 30659885 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2019.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2018] [Revised: 12/14/2018] [Accepted: 01/09/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Methylmercury is a neurotoxicant that is found in fish and rice. MeHg's toxicity is mediated by blockage of -SH and -SeH groups of proteins. However, the identification of MeHg's targets is elusive. Here we focus on the chemistry of MeHg in the abiotic and biotic environment. The toxicological chemistry of MeHg is complex in metazoans, but at the atomic level it can be explained by exchange reactions of MeHg bound to -S(e)H with another free -S(e)H group (R1S(e)-HgMe + R2-S(e)H ↔ R1S(e)H + R2-S(e)-HgMe). This reaction was first studied by professor Rabenstein and here it is referred as the "Rabenstein's Reaction". The absorption, distribution, and excretion of MeHg in the environment and in the body of animals will be dictated by Rabenstein's reactions. The affinity of MeHg by thiol and selenol groups and the exchange of MeHg by Rabenstein's Reaction (which is a diffusion controlled reaction) dictates MeHg's neurotoxicity. However, it is important to emphasize that the MeHg exchange reaction velocity with different types of thiol- and selenol-containing proteins will also depend on protein-specific structural and thermodynamical factors. New experimental approaches and detailed studies about the Rabenstein's reaction between MeHg with low molecular mass thiol (LMM-SH) molecules (cysteine, GSH, acetyl-CoA, lipoate, homocysteine) with abundant high molecular mass thiol (HMM-SH) molecules (albumin, hemoglobin) and HMM-SeH (GPxs, Selenoprotein P, TrxR1-3) are needed. The study of MeHg migration from -S(e)-Hg- bonds to free -S(e)H groups (Rabenstein's Reaction) in pure chemical systems and neural cells (with special emphasis to the LMM-SH and HMM-S(e)H molecules cited above) will be critical to developing realistic constants to be used in silico models that will predict the distribution of MeHg in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo A Nogara
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, CCNE, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil
| | - Cláudia S Oliveira
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, CCNE, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil
| | - Gabriela L Schmitz
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, CCNE, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil
| | - Paulo C Piquini
- Departamento de Física, CCNE, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (UFSM), Santa Maria, RS, Brazil
| | - Marcelo Farina
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil
| | - Michael Aschner
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - João B T Rocha
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, CCNE, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil.
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Mineral Pigments in Archaeology: Their Analysis and the Range of Available Materials. MINERALS 2018. [DOI: 10.3390/min8050201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Non-Invasive and Non-Destructive Examination of Artistic Pigments, Paints, and Paintings by Means of X-Ray Methods. Top Curr Chem (Cham) 2016; 374:81. [PMID: 27873287 DOI: 10.1007/s41061-016-0079-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2016] [Accepted: 10/21/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Recent studies are concisely reviewed, in which X-ray beams of (sub)micrometre to millimetre dimensions have been used for non-destructive analysis and characterization of pigments, minute paint samples, and/or entire paintings from the seventeenth to the early twentieth century painters. The overview presented encompasses the use of laboratory and synchrotron radiation-based instrumentation and deals with the use of several variants of X-ray fluorescence (XRF) as a method of elemental analysis and imaging, as well as with the combined use of X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). Microscopic XRF is a variant of the method that is well suited to visualize the elemental distribution of key elements, mostly metals, present in paint multi-layers, on the length scale from 1 to 100 μm inside micro-samples taken from paintings. In the context of the characterization of artists' pigments subjected to natural degradation, the use of methods limited to elemental analysis or imaging usually is not sufficient to elucidate the chemical transformations that have taken place. However, at synchrotron facilities, combinations of μ-XRF with related methods such as μ-XAS and μ-XRD have proven themselves to be very suitable for such studies. Their use is often combined with microscopic Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy and/or Raman microscopy since these methods deliver complementary information of high molecular specificity at more or less the same length scale as the X-ray microprobe techniques. Since microscopic investigation of a relatively limited number of minute paint samples, taken from a given work of art, may not yield representative information about the entire artefact, several methods for macroscopic, non-invasive imaging have recently been developed. Those based on XRF scanning and full-field hyperspectral imaging appear very promising; some recent published results are discussed.
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