Trace elements in the environment and in human organs. I. Methods and results.

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health
• Toxicology
• Human Physiology

Background:

• Heavy metal accumulation in human organs is a significant public health concern.
• Understanding the distribution and factors influencing trace element levels is crucial for assessing exposure and risk.
• Previous research has indicated variations in metal content based on diet, environment, and demographics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the concentrations of copper, zinc, lead, and cadmium in human kidney, liver, lung, and adrenal tissues.
• To assess the relationship between dietary intake of these metals and their organ concentrations.
• To investigate sex-based differences in metal distribution within these organs.

Main Methods:

• Spectrophotometry was employed to quantify metal content in tissues from 1072 autopsies.
• Dietary intake was estimated through food and drink analysis and consumption measurements.
• Statistical analysis was performed to compare metal levels between sexes and correlate element pairs.

Main Results:

• Hungarian dietary intake of copper, zinc, lead, and cadmium was found to be low, correlating with organ concentrations.
• Cadmium predominantly accumulates in the kidney cortex (75%), while lead concentrates in the medulla and zinc in the cortex.
• Women exhibited significantly lower lead (liver, kidney) and cadmium (kidney, lung) levels than men, but higher adrenal zinc and cadmium.

Conclusions:

• Dietary intake significantly influences organ metal burden, with low intake observed in the Hungarian population.
• Sex is a significant factor in the distribution of lead and cadmium in human organs.
• Cadmium distribution in the kidney resembles that of essential elements, and strong correlations exist between zinc and copper in kidney and lung tissues.