Skip to main content

Water Consumption as Source of Arsenic, Chromium, and Mercury in Children Living in Rural Yucatan, Mexico: Blood and Urine Levels

Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology volume 99, pages 452–459 (2017)Cite this article

Abstract

Studies investigating the correlation between metal content in water and metal levels in children are scarce worldwide, but especially in developing nations. Therefore, this study investigates the correlation between arsenic, chromium, and mercury concentrations in drinking and cooking water and in blood and urine samples collected from healthy and supposedly non-exposed children from a rural area in Yucatan, Mexico. Mercury in water shows concentrations above the recommended World Health Organization (WHO) value for drinking and cooking water. Also, 25% of the children show mercury in urine above the WHO recommended value. Multivariate analyses show a significant role for drinking and cooking water as a vector of exposure in children. Also, the factor analysis shows chronic exposure in the case of arsenic, as well as an ongoing detoxification process through urine in the case of mercury. Further studies should be done in order to determine other potential metal exposure pathways among children.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Access options

Buy single article

Instant access to the full article PDF.

USD 39.95

Price includes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Notes

  1. Metal levels below the detection limit were represented as zero (0) for our non-parametric statistical tests. Subject 27 did not participate in the ethnographic study, so his/her values are excluded from analyses based on sex and school.

References

  • Abernathy CO, Thomas DJ, Calderon RL (2003) Health effects and risk assessment of arsenic. J Nutr 133:1536S–1538S

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Adimado AA, Baah DA (2002) Hg in human blood, urine, hair, nail, and fish from the Ankobra and Tano river basins in Southwestern Ghana. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 68:339–346

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arcega-Cabrera F, Fargher L (2016) Education, fish consumption, well water, chicken coops, and cooking fires: using biogeochemistry and ethnography to study exposure of children from Yucatan, Mexico to metals and arsenic. Sci Total Environ 568:75–82

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arcega-Cabrera F, Noreña-Barroso E, Oceguera-Vargas I (2014a) Lead from hunting activities and its potential environmental threat to wildlife in a protected wetland in Yucatan, Mexico. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 100:251–257

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arcega-Cabrera F, Velázquez-Tavera N, Fargher L, Derrien M, Noreña-Barroso E (2014b) Fecal sterols, seasonal variability, and probable sources along the ring of cenotes, Yucatan, Mexico. J Contam Hydrol 168:41–49

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • ATSDR (2007) Toxicological profile for arsenic. Division of Toxicology and Environmental Medicine, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Atlanta, p 15

    Google Scholar 

  • Basu A, Mahata J, Gupta S, Giri AK (2001) Genetic toxicology of a paradoxical human carcinogen, arsenic: a review. Mutat Res 488:171–194

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bose-O’Reilly S, Lettmeier B, Gothe RM, Beinhoff C, Siebert U, Drasch G (2008) Mercury as a serious health hazard for children in gold mining areas. Environ Res 107:89–97

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Caceres D, Pino P, Montesinos N, Atalah E, Amigo H, Loomis D (2005) Exposure to inorganic arsenic in drinking water and total urinary arsenic concentration in a Chilean population. Environ Res 98:151–159

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Calderon RL, Hudgens E, Le XC, Schreinemachers D, Thomas DJ (1999) Excretion of arsenic in urine as a function of exposure to arsenic in drinking water. Environ Health Perspect 107:663–667

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Centeno JA, Mullick FG, Martinez L, Page NP, Gibb H, Longfellow D, Thompson C, Ladich ER (2002) Pathology related to chronic arsenic exposure. Environ Health Perspect 110(Suppl. 5):883–886

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen C, Chiou H, Huang W, Chen S, Hsueh S, Tseng C, Lin L, Shyu M, Lai M (1997) Systemic non-carcinogenic effects and developmental toxicity of inorganic arsenic. In: Abernathy CO, Calderon RL, Chappell WR (eds) Arsenic exposure and health effects. Chapman & Hall, London, p 124

    Google Scholar 

  • Coelho P, Silva S, Roma-Torres J, Costa C, Henriques A, Teixeira J, Gomes M, Mayan O (2007) Health impact of living near an abandoned mine—case study: Jales mines. Int J Hyg Environ Health 210:399–402

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Concha G, Vogler G, Nermell B, Vahter M (2002) Intraindividual variation in the metabolism of inorganic arsenic. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 75:576–580

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Costa M, Klein CB (2006) Toxicity and carcinogenicity of chromium compounds in humans. Crit Rev Toxicol 36:155–163

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Crecelius EA (1977) Changes in the chemical speciation of arsenic following ingestion byman. Environ Health Perspect 19:147–150

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • EPA (1984) Health assessment document for inorganic arsenic. In: Environmental health criteria. EPA, Cincinnati

    Google Scholar 

  • EPA (2002) Child-specific exposure factors handbook. US Environmental Protection Agency, Washington

    Google Scholar 

  • Foa V, Colombi A, Maroni M, Burratti M (1987) Arsenic. In: Biological indicators for the assessment of human exposure to industrial chemical. CEC, Ispra

    Google Scholar 

  • Gebel TW (2001) Genotoxicity of arsenical compounds. Int J Hyg Environ Health 203:249–262

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hakala E, Pyy L (1995) Assessment of exposure to inorganic arsenic by determining the arsenic species excreted in urine. Toxicol Lett 77:249–258

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hall M, Chen Y, Ahsan H, Slavkovich V, van Geen A, Parvez F, Graziano J (2006) Blood arsenic as a biomarker of arsenic exposure: results from a prospective study. Toxicology 225:225–233

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hinwood AL, Sim MR, Jolley D, de Klerk N, Bastone EB, Gerostamoulos J, Drummer OH (2004) Exposure to inorganic arsenic in soil increases urinary inorganic arsenic concentrations of residents living in old mining areas. Environ Geochem Health 26:27–36

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hwang YH, Bornschein RL, Grote J, Menrath W, Roda S (1997) Urinary arsenic excretion as a biomarker of arsenic exposure in children. Arch Environ Health 52:139–147

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • ILO-International Labour Office, Stellman JM (ed) (1998) Encyclopaedia of occupational health and safety, vol 1, 4th edn. International Labour Office, Geneva, ISBN 92-2-109203-8

    Google Scholar 

  • INEGI (2010) Censo general de Población y Vivienda. Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Geografía, Mexico City

    Google Scholar 

  • Jaishankar M, Tseten T, Anbalagan N, Mathew B, Beeregowda K N (2014) Toxicity, mechanism and health effects of some heavy metals. Interdiscip Toxicol 7(2):60–72

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kannan GM, Tripathi N, Dube SN, Gupta M, Flora SJ (2001) Toxic effects of arsenic(III) on some hematopoietic and central nervous system variables in rats and guinea pigs. J Toxicol Clin Toxicol 39:675–682

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Karagas MR, Le CX, Morris S, Blum J, Lu X, Spate V, Carey M, Stannard V, Klaue B, Tosteson TD (2001) Markers of low level arsenic exposure for evaluating human cancer risks in a US population. Int J Occup Med Environ Health 14(2):171–175

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ministry of Environment (ME) (2007) A detailed investigation for the actual condition of soil pollution in abandoned metal mines. Ministry of Environment, Gwacheon

    Google Scholar 

  • Moreno ME, Acosta-Saavedra LC, Meza-Figueroa D, Vera E, Cebrian ME, Ostrosky-Wegman P, Calderon-Aranda ES (2010) Biomonitoring of metal in children living in a mine tailings zone in Southern Mexico: a pilot study. Int J Hyg Environ Health 213:252–258

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mortada WI, Sobh MA, El-Defrawy MM, Farahat SE (2002) Reference intervals of cadmium, lead, and mercury in blood, urine, hair, and nails among residents in Mansoura city, Nile delta Egypt. Environ Res 90:104–110

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nriagu JO (1988) A silent epidemic of environmental metal poisoning? Environ Pollut 50:139–161

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pacheco AJ, Calderón RL, Cabrera SA (2004) Delineación de la zona de protección hidrogeológica para el campo de pozos de la planta Mérida I, en la ciudad de Mérida, Yucatán, México. Ingeniería 8:7–16

    Google Scholar 

  • SAGAR (2006) Pesticides use in Yucatan. Technical report

  • Sahin B, Temiz F, Ozer G, Yuksel B, Kemal A, Onenli N, Mazman M, Murat G (2012) Chromium levels in healthy and newly diagnosed type 1 diabetic children. Pediatr Int 54:780–785

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sakong J (2007) Health risks associated with contamination of environment by abandoned mines. Yeungnam Univ. J Med 24:S212–S220 (Korean)

    Google Scholar 

  • Seigneur C, Vijayaraghavan K, Lohman K, Karamchandani P, Scott C (2004) Global source attribution for mercury deposition in the United States. Environ Sci Technol 38(2):555–569

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang Z, Chai L, Yang Z, Wang Y, Wang H (2010) Identifying sources and assessing potential risk of heavy metals in soils from direct exposure to children in a mine-impacted city, Changsha, China. J Environ Qual 39:1616–1623

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • WHO (1993) World Health Organization, guidelines for drinking-water quality. World Health Organization, Geneva

    Google Scholar 

  • Yonghua L (2013) Environmental contamination and risk assessment of mercury from a historic mercury mine located in southwestern China. Environ Geochem Health 35:27–36

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • YongMin C, SungChul S, Seung-Hyun C, SeungKil L, KyungHee K, Hae-Joon K, Jae-Wook C (2013) Association of arsenic levels in soil and water with urinary arsenic concentration of residents in the vicinity of closed metal mines. Int J Hyg Environ Health 216:255–262

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yousef S, Eapen V, Zoubeidi T, Kosanovic M, Mabrouk A, Adem A (2013) Learning disorder and blood concentration of heavy metals in the United Arab Emirates. Asian J Pshychiatry 6:394–400

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We wish to thank FOSEC Salud–CONACYT (Project 139738) for funding this project. We thank Yucatan’s Secretary of Education as well as principals for information and support. We thank the children and their families for their enthusiastic participation. We thank Fernando Mex Esquivel, and all students involved in this project for their invaluable help during the sampling campaign, as well as Abigail Rosales Flores for her assistance in the ethnographic research. We thank Alejandra Martínez Escamilla for project administration, and reviewers for their insightful remarks that significantly improve the quality of the article.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Unidad de Química Sisal, Facultad de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 97355, Puerto de Abrigo Sisal, Yucatán, Mexico

    F. Arcega-Cabrera, I. Oceguera-Vargas, E. Noreña-Barroso & M. Quesadas-Rojas

  2. Departamento de Ecología Humana, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN-Unidad Mérida, Km 6 antigua carretera a Progreso, 97310, Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico

    L. F. Fargher & S. Pérez-Medina

  3. Laboratorio de Género, Salud y Ambiente, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, 78210, San Luis Potosí, Mexico

    L. Yánez-Estrada

  4. Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatan, Av Itzaes 498, 97100, Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico

    J. Alvarado & L. González

  5. Unidad de Investigación Médica Yucatán, Unidad Médica de Alta Especialidad Hospital de Especialidades Centro Médico Nacional “Ignacio García Téllez” Mérida, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS), Calle 41 No. 439, Col. Industrial, 97150, Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico

    R. Moo-Puc

  6. Unidad Interinstitucional de Investigación Clínica y Epidemiológica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Av. Itzaes No. 498 x 59-A, Colonia Centro, 97000, Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico

    N. Pérez-Herrera

Authors
  1. F. Arcega-Cabrera
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. L. F. Fargher
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. I. Oceguera-Vargas
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. E. Noreña-Barroso
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. L. Yánez-Estrada
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. J. Alvarado
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. L. González
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. R. Moo-Puc
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. N. Pérez-Herrera
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  10. M. Quesadas-Rojas
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  11. S. Pérez-Medina
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to F. Arcega-Cabrera.

Ethics declarations

Ethical Approval

All procedures in this project involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the UNAM’s research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed Consent

We also thank the parents for providing informed consent for all the children included in this study.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Arcega-Cabrera, F., Fargher, L.F., Oceguera-Vargas, I. et al. Water Consumption as Source of Arsenic, Chromium, and Mercury in Children Living in Rural Yucatan, Mexico: Blood and Urine Levels. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 99, 452–459 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-017-2147-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-017-2147-x

Keywords

  • Metals
  • Children
  • Water
  • Blood
  • Urine
  • Cultural patterns