Mercury, a highly toxic heavy metal, has contaminated the environment of Sonbhadra in Uttar Pradesh. This new lab study by Centre for Science and Environment found the metal in not just soil and water samples, but also in people's blood.

Cadmium is a commonly occurring toxic food contaminant, but health consequences of early-life exposure are poorly understood.
 The researchers evaluated the associations between cadmium exposure and neurobehavioral development in preschool children.


Prenatal exposure to methylmercury (MeHg) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) has been associated with impaired performance on attention tasks in previous studies, but the extent to which these cognitive deficits translate into behavioral problems in the classroom and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) remains unknown.

In adult populations, emerging evidence indicates that humans are exposed to arsenic by ingestion of contaminated foods such as rice, grains, and juice; yet little is known about arsenic exposure among children. The objective of the study was to determine whether rice consumption contributes to arsenic exposure in U.S. children.

Micro- and macro-element contents of several commercial fruit juices purchased from marked were determined by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy. Among the minor elements determined, Zn, Cu, Mn, Mo, Co, Cd and Ni were found to be lover. Major mineral contents of fruit juices were established as Ca, K, Mg and P. The potassium contents of fruit juices were determined at the higher levels. K contents of fruit juices ranged between 475 mg/kg (B apricot) and 1478 mg/kg (B peach).