Toxic and essential elements in drinking water, blood, hair and intestinal tissues of ulcerative colitis patients: probabilistic health risk assessment for drinking water consumers

Abstract

Environmental exposure to heavy metals is a well-known risk factor for cancers. In this study, the content of toxic and essential elements (Pb, Ni, As, Cu, Zn, Fe, and Se) in drinking water, blood, hair, and intestinal tissues of ulcerative colitis (UC) patients was examined. The results demonstrated that the mean concentration of the elements in clinical samples was in the order of intestinal tissue > hair > blood. Health risk assessment showed that As and Pb in drinking water of UC patients may pose non-carcinogenic risk. Also, there is possible cancer risk to drinking water consumers for As. The potential high health risks and the significant correlation between the elements contents of drinking water and clinical samples imply that such environmental pollution should not be overlooked in Chaharmahal-Va-Bakhtiari province, Iran. Special attention should be paid on As pollution of drinking water due to its high canrcinogenic risk (CR), probably on UC tissues.

Keywords:

• Toxic/essential elements
• drinking water
• intestinal tissues
• ulcerative colitis patients
• health risk

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to the financial support (Grant Number: 2570) of the research deputy of Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences and the collaboration of both Hajar Hospital and the Center for Cohort Studies.

Ethical approval

This study was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences (IR.SKUMS.Rec.1396.131).

Informed consent

All the participants in the study provided written informed consent for participation in the study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by research deputy of Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences [grant number: 2570].