Ching-Ying Yeh

Daily intake of TBT, Cu, Zn, Cd and As for fishermen in Taiwan

The consumption of contaminated seafood has been reported as an important route of human exposure to metals in Taiwan. We consider the concentrations of TBT, Cu, Zn, Cd, As, and the consumption of oysters of Taiwanese to be the important information related to public health in Taiwan. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the public health risks associated with TBT, Cu, Zn, Cd and As from shellfish for the general population and fishermen of Taiwan. In general, TBT concentrations in various oysters ranging from 0.32 to 1.51 microg/g dry wt. varied with sampling locations. The highest TBT, Cu, and Zn geometric mean (GM) concentrations in oysters of 1.51, 1180 and 1567 microg/g dry wt. were obtained from the Hsiangshan coastal area. The values of oyster consumption for fishermen were 94.1 and 250 g/day for typically and maximally exposed individuals, respectively. In particular, the highest intake (250 g/day) from fishermen was almost two times greater than that of the general population (139 g/day). The THQ (target hazard quotient) values of Hsiangshans fishermen are 3.87 and 20.50 for TBT and Cu for maximally exposed individuals are higher than other oyster culture areas. It is interesting that those consuming oysters from Hsiangshan, Lukang, Taishi caused abnormally high THQs of TBT and other metals (100% over 1.0), and TBT was attributed to only 3-21% of the total THQs in different fishermen of Taiwan. Our results suggest that current environmental levels of TBT and other metals are associated with a significant potential threat to human health for fishermen resident in coastal areas of Taiwan.

Mercury concentration in meconium and risk assessment of fish consumption among pregnant women in Taiwan.

Meconium is a matrix that can be obtained easily and noninvasively and is useful for detecting antenatal fetal exposure to environmental toxins. Taiwan is an island with high fish consumption, and many pregnant women would like to enjoy the benefits of fish without jeopardizing their health or that of their child. The aim of this study is to assess the mercury concentration in meconium in relation to the health risk of mercury exposure. A total of 198 mother-infant pairs residing in the city of HsinChu were recruited for the study between January 2007 and June 2007. The average mean concentration of mercury in meconium was 79.2+/-7.3 ng g(-1) dry wt We use the Monte Carlo technique to assess the uncertainty in risk assessment and the impact of these uncertainties on the estimation of expected risk of mercury intake from fish in mothers. Based on the FAO/WHOs tolerable daily intake of methylmercury (0.23 microg kg(-1)d(-1)), we found that 17.3% and 14.0% of the daily mercury exposure estimated exceeded the reference dose for foreign-born and Taiwan-born mothers, respectively. We found that the mercury concentration in meconium was much higher than in other studies, except for one study done in Tagum in the Philippines where mercury is used in gold mining. This may be because Asia is the largest emitter of anthropogenic mercury, accounting for 53% of worldwide emissions. Sensitivity analysis suggests that mercury concentration in fish and the rate of ingesting fish may be the key parameters for governments offering risk management guidance to protect the health of mothers and unborn babies.

Pharmacokinetic model of daily selenium intake from contaminated seafood in Taiwan

Contaminated seafood has been reported as an important source of human exposure to metals in Taiwan. Seafood represents a non-negligible source of selenium in the human diet. This study was designed to determine the concentration of selenium in different types of seafood and predict the concentration of selenium in the blood of Taiwanese using a one-compartment steady-state pharmacokinetic (PK) model. Samples involved three subgroups, including fish, crustaceans and bivalve molluscs. Quantitative analysis for selenium was performed using an ICP-AES (Perkin Elmer) instrument. Selenium concentrations in seafood ranged from 0.63 to 2.01 microg/g wet wt. The highest selenium concentration found in fish was 2.01+/-0.36 microg/g wet wt in Salmo salar Linnaeus. In general, selenium concentration increased in the order of bivalve molluscs<crustacean<fish. The daily selenium intakes resulting from a high-seafood diet and an average diet were 145.2 and 60.2 microg/day, respectively. Daily selenium intake from seafood alone is higher than the US recommended daily allowance (RDA) of 55 microg/day and the World Health Organization (WHO) normative requirement of 40 microg/day. From PK model estimates, the concentrations of selenium in the blood of a typical seafood consumer and a high-seafood consumer were approximately 93 and 224 microg/l based on daily seafood intake of 60.2 and 145.2 microg/day, respectively.

Leptin, Superoxide Dismutase, and Weight Loss: Initial Leptin Predicts Weight Loss

Objective: Our goal was to study how plasma leptin concentration, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, and weight loss are related in obese adults.

Monitoring lead pollution near a storage battery recycling plant in Taiwan, Republic of China

This study presents the distribution of blood lead levels and lead in various environmental samples (water, sediments, soils, and air) near the Shing-Yie storage battery recycling plant in Taiwan before (July 1990 to June 1991) and after (July 1992 to June 1993) amelioration. Before amelioration, the average blood lead levels in the neighborhood of the plant were in the range of 10.55±5.7 to 12.28±7.9 μg/dl. After amelioration, relatively lower average concentrations of blood lead (range 8.35±3.0 to 9.13±2.5 μg/dl) were generally found; however, these averages were still higher than that (7.79±3.5 μg/dl) from other lead-unpolluted areas of Taiwan. An exceedingly high geometric mean (GM) lead concentration (128 μg/L) was found in the downstream river water of the Tawulum River passing by the plant. The concentrations of lead (GM=372 and 418 μg/g) in the downstream river sediments were higher than those (GM=123 and 158 μg/g) in the upstream river sediments before and after amelioration, respectively. Furthermore, lead species in river sediments were analyzed by a sequential leaching technique. The sum of phases I, II, and III accounted for 83.7% of total lead at station R2 (nearest to the plant). Maximum lead concentration (GM=2402 μg/g) in dust at the soil surface from station S1 (nearest to the plant) was much higher than those from the other stations by about 18 times before amelioration. However, the maximum value dropped to 1,155 μg/g after amelioration. On the whole, the geometric mean concentration of lead in dust at the soil surface nearest to the plant was >1,000 μg/g and decreased to <100 μg/g in the 15–30 cm depth soil about 2 km away from the plant. Before amelioration, the geometric mean lead concentration of 4.57 μg/m3 (range 0.102–37.6 μg/m3) in the air near the plant was higher than that at the background locations, the geometric mean value of which was 0.08 μg/m3.

Moving toward people's needs for smoke-free restaurants: Before and after a National Promotion Program in Taiwan, 2003–2005

INTRODUCTION In Taiwan, the Smoke-Free Restaurant Program (SFRP) was implemented from 2003 to 2005 as an initial phase before the introduction of restrictive legislation promoting smoke-free restaurants (SFRs). No studies have evaluated trends in public opinion before and after a national health promotion campaign for the introduction of SFRs on a voluntary basis. The present study investigated whether public opinion with respect to eliminating environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) in restaurants changed after implementation of the SFRP. METHODS Data were obtained from four large-scale, nationally representative surveys conducted in 2003-2005 before and after implementation of the SFRP. Weighted analyses were performed to obtain nationally representative results. RESULTS After a series of SFRP campaigns, reported exposure to ETS in restaurants by survey participants decreased by approximately 14%. Approximately 20% more people had heard of SFRs, and approximately 25% more had chosen to dine in a smoke-free restaurant. We found consistently high community support for SFRs (ca. 95%), and approximately 80% supported smoke-free restaurant legislation, although both rates dropped slightly in 2005. People aged 60 years or more, nonsmokers, and those who had greater knowledge of ETS hazards were more likely to support smoke-free restaurant legislation. DISCUSSION The SFRP was effective at promoting SFRs on a voluntary basis. Strong community endorsement has major implications for legislators who are considering the nature and extent of further smoke-free restaurant legislation in Taiwan and other countries.

Decline in semen quality in men in Northern Taiwan between 2001 and 2010

Semen quality is a key indicator of the male reproductive ability. The decline in semen quality has been debated for several decades. However, data on decline in semen quality might be inconsistent given factors such as geographical area, ethnicity, environmental exposure and lifestyle changes. This study aimed to provide information on the semen quality of men in Northern Taiwanese. We recruited 7,187 male participants between 2001 and 2010 from a reproductive medical center. The age of the participants ranged from 26 to 57 years, with a mean age of 36.9 ± 4.77 years. Semen analysis was performed through standardized methods outlined in the World Health Organization laboratory manual. Increasing age (per year) was significantly and negatively associated with semen volume (1.006 ml), progressive sperm motility, rapid progressive sperm motility and sperm with normal morphology (reduction by 1.010%, 1.013% and 1.002% per year, respectively). In addition, sperm concentration, semen volume, number of sperms, progressive sperm motility, rapid progressive sperm motility, and sperm with normal morphology were significantly reduced annually by 1.013 × 10⁶/ml, 1.015 ml, 1.028 × 10⁶, 1.021 %, 1.017% and 1.016%, respectively). Age-period-cohort (APC) analyses revealed that age and cohort had effects on reduction of the progressive and rapid progressive sperm motility. Moreover, all the sperm parameter values were significantly reduced annually. Our findings provide useful information for clinical practice and public health investigations of male reproductive health.

The effects of exercise programs on stress and metabolic syndrome in banking and insurance workers

Objectives The aim of this study is to explore the effects of exercise on the relationship between job stress and the components of metabolic syndrome. Methods A 12-week long worksite exercise program was developed for banking and insurance enterprises with a total of 89 workers participating in it. Participants were divided into three (low, medium and high) levels of exercise intervention subgroups. All were asked to complete a structured questionnaire which contained demographic and lifestyle data, SF-36, and measurements for job stress pre- and post-intervention. The profiles of metabolic syndrome (BMI, waist circumference, fasting blood glucose, triglyceride, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol) were also measured before and after the intervention. Results The scores of individual fatigue (an indicator of job strain reaction) were significantly improved in medium and high intervention groups, and notable improvements (p<0.05) in waist circumference and systolic blood pressure were found only in high intervention group. Higher exercise intervention was significantly related to greater reductions in waist circumference, systolic blood pressure, individual fatigue, and work fatigue, with adjustment for the covariant variables of job demand, job control, sex, age, smoking status, and regular daily food intake. Conclusions This study demonstrated an effective approach to worksite exercise intervention in banking and insurance enterprises. The present results show a triangular connection between job stress, metabolic syndrome and physical activity.

Glutathione S-Transferase genotype may be a modifier on urothelial cell cycle in dyestuff manufacturing workers

Objectives In the past study, the latent period of bladder cancer caused by occupational exposure is 6 months to 40–8 years. Benzidine-based dyes have been produced and used in Taiwan until 1992. It can be expected that new patients with urothelial cancer in the near future. This study was designed to investigate the association of GSTT1, GSTM1 and GSTP1 genotype with the urothelial cells cycle in dye workers. Methods A cross-sectional study was designed to investigate the association between occupational exposure and cell cycle of urothelial epithelium. A total of 225 subjects who were working in a dyestuff-manufacturing factory, which established over 20 years and located at northern part of Taiwan, were sampled. A questionnaire was used to collect the demographical characteristics and work history. Urine and blood samples were also collected. The urinary epithelium cell cycle was analysed by flow cytometer. Polymorphisms of GSTM1 and GSTT1 genotype were identified by PCR, while polymorphism of GSTP1 was then followed by restriction enzyme length polymorphism technique. Results As a result of our study exhibited those who carries genotype of GSTM1 null and GSTT1 null would influence the DNA ploidy of urothelial cells to become abnormal under the exposure of benzidine. In smoking group, who carries genotype of GSTM1 null, GSTT1 null and slow GSTP1 would in higher risk of abnormal urothelial cells. Conclusions Polymorphisms of GSTM1, GSTT1 and GSTP1 genotype may be enhancing the association between occupational exposure and cell cycle of urothelial epithelium in dye manufacturing workers.