Gustavo Lagos

Characterization of copper in uterine fluids of patients who use the copper T-380A intrauterine device.

BACKGROUND The copper intrauterine device (IUD) is a highly effective method of contraception that requires the dissolution of the copper into uterine cavity. However, there is little information about the amount and form of copper in the fluid and whether the presence of this element produces any change in the protein concentration. METHODS Twenty-seven women were divided into three groups that had used IUD for about 6 months, 1 year and > or =3 years. The samples were collected during the proliferative phase (Pp), secretory phase (Sp) and menstruation (M). Square-wave anodic stripping voltammetry (SWASV), cyclic voltammetry (CV), high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) were used in this study. RESULTS Total copper concentrations were between 3.9 and 19.1 micro g/ml. The mean and standard deviations were as follows: 6 months, 11.4+/-4.7 micro g/ml of copper; 1 year, 11.5+/-7.0 micro g/ml of copper; and 3 years, 6.2+/-1.5 micro g/ml of copper. Total proteins were quantified by measuring the area under the chromatographic peaks. The mean areas obtained with uterine fluid samples from women who used IUDs for 6 months, 1 year and 3 years were 290,013, 538,934 and 201,863 arbitrary units (AU), respectively. The control sample was only 22323. CONCLUSIONS The amount of copper released from IUD, although high, is in the form of complexes with proteins. IUDs have a constant copper release for at least 6-12 months. Copper(I) was not detected in the fluid. Copper induces a change in the total protein concentration. The amount of copper released and the amount of proteins is slightly larger during the menstrual stage.

Are There Health Risks from the Migration of Chemical Substances from Plastic Pipes into Drinking Water? A Review

ABSTRACT Plastic pipes used to convey hot and cold drinking water are synthetic polymers containing numerous additives that enhance durability, impact strength, and toughness, and resist material degradation. Although some research studies have been conducted to evaluate the type and levels of chemical substances migrating from polymeric materials into drinking water, the potential adverse health effects associated with these compounds in potable water have not been described. This review evaluates the literature on the occurrence of regulated and unregulated substances in drinking water related to the use of plastic pipes, characterizes potential health hazards, and describes uncertainties associated with human health and exposure in need of further research. Of particular public health concern is the potential for sensitive populations to be exposed to short-term elevations in leachates during critical periods, and for co-occurring leachates targeting the same organ(s) and/or sharing a common mode of toxic action to have additive or synergistic effects. Contaminants are measured in the distribution system, not at the tap where human exposure actually occurs. For increased health protection, it is important to identify compounds that migrate from plastic pipes into drinking water and to better quantify human exposures and health hazards to these substances and their degradates.

Sulfur dioxide abatement costs and compliance with health-based standards: the case of copper smelters

Abstract This paper estimates the cost of the abatement of sulfur dioxide (SO2) for three copper smelters operating in Chile. It analyses compliance with emission goals and with the atmospheric health-based SO2 and breathable particle standards. The smelters are Chuquicamata, belonging to the State-owned company, Codelco; and Hernan Videla Lira and Ventanas belonging to ENAMI, the national mining company, also owned by the State. The marginal investment for abating 1 ton of sulfur in 1999 was estimated to be US

Case study of complaints on drinking water quality: relationship to copper content?

186 (1998) for Ventanas, and US

Removal of soluble Cu and Pb by the automatic drip coffee brewing process: Application to risk assessment

181 for Paipote. The average investment for abating 1 ton of sulfur to fully comply with the annual standard measured on average in these smelters, was estimated to be US

Winter exposure assessment of copper, zinc and arsenic in drinking water of inhabitants in Beijing, China

220 and US

Ranking of Placer Gold Prospects in Chile Through Analytic Hierarchy Process

170 for the Ventanas and Paipote smelters, respectively. These values are not far from the market value for SO2 transactions from stationary sources in the USA.

Assessing the long-run availability of copper

Several families of Talca city, Chile complained to health authorities for what they attributed to consumption of copper (Cu)-contaminated drinking water. We assessed the situation 6–12 mo after the initiation of complaints by characterizing the symptoms reported, the chemistry of drinking water, and the Cu concentration in stagnant drinking water. After completing a census, 1778 households accepted participation and were categorized as follows: category 1, Cu plumbing for tap water and dwellers reporting health complaints (HC); category 2, Cu plumbing for tap water and dwellers reporting no HC; category 3, plastic plumbing for tap water and dwellers reporting no HC. Questionnaires recorded characteristics of households and symptoms presented by each member of the family in the last 3 mo. The Cu concentration in drinking water was measured in a subsample of 80 homes with Cu pipes. In category 1, participants presented significantly more abdominal pain, diarrhea, and/or vomiting (gastrointestinal [GI] symptoms) in comparison to category 3 and to categories 2 plus 3. The stagnant Cu concentrations measured in drinking water in all houses studied were below the US Environmental Protection Agency guideline value (<1.3 mg Cu/L). In summary, data obtained by interviews suggested that individuals in some areas of Talca city were suffering more GI symptoms potentially related to Cu excess, but measurement of Cu concentration in stagnant tap waters ruled out the association between Cu exposure and GI symptom reports at the time of this study. The dose-response curves for GI symptoms and Cu exposure now available were crucial in the analyses of results.

EFFECT OF SOIL COPPER CONTENT AND pH ON COPPER UPTAKE OF SELECTED VEGETABLES GROWN UNDER CONTROLLED CONDITIONS

Abstract Three commercial brands of coffee were examined for sorption of Cu and Pb. We kept experimental conditions close to those in ordinary situations by using an automatic drip coffee maker. One‐liter increments of de‐ionized water spiked with increasing amounts of Cu and Pb were used to make pots of coffee. Influent (water) metal concentration was then compared with effluent (coffee) metal concentration. We kept influent metal concentrations in ranges that might be expected due to contamination from storage tanks and pipes in municipal water delivery systems (0.1 to 5.0 mg/L). The coffee brewing process removed 78 to 90% of both Cu and Pb from influent water. We ran experiments by varying coffee strength (function of bed depth) and varying brewed coffee volume (function of bed depth and water volume) . Most of the metal that goes through the coffee bed does so in the early stages of the brewing process before the coffee bed is wetted. The main factor influencing removal of soluble metal by coffee is contact time with the wetted coffee bed. Therefore, the strength and/or volume of coffee brewed play a critical role in metal removal. Preliminary work with steeping teabags in metal spiked water showed little to no reduction in the soluble Cu and Pb concentration. Results of this study are important for risk assessment model formulations. Daily human exposure to Cu and Pb from municipal water systems may be grossly overestimated if a large proportion of tapwater ingestion by an individual is filtered through coffee.

The boom in mineral markets: How long might it last? ☆

Human exposure to Cu, Zn and As from drinking water in Beijing, China was estimated in winter. Cu, Zn and As were detected at 6.1, 400 and 0.6 µg/L on average in stagnant water, significantly different from those in the actually ingested boiled tap water, 5.1, 130 and 2.4 µg/L, respectively. Daily intake of Cu, Zn and As from drinking water was 0.8%, 7.7% and 28.5% of the minimum for adults recommended by WHO and varied among different age groups, as the highest occurred in the 64-year-old group, followed by the 20-64-year-old group.