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Low Cadmium Levels in Urine of Residents in two Prefectures where Cadmium Levels in Locally Harvested Brown Rice are Higher than in other Prefectures in Japan

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Abstract

Recent publications in Japan suggest that Cd in river beds and locally harvested rice tend to be higher in seven prefectures in the north-eastern part on the coast of the Sea of Japan (the high-Cd zone). The present study was initiated to investigate the current level of exposure to Cd and possible health effects among local populations in the zone. Thus, levels of Cd and three tubular dysfunction markers [i.e., α 1-MG, β 2-MG, and N-acetyl-β-d-glucosaminidase (NAG)] were examined in urine of local residents (700 and 704 adult women, respectively) in two prefectures (prefecture 1 and prefecture 7), which were located in the north-east (prefecture 1) and south-west ends (prefecture 7) of the high-Cd zone. Urinary Cd levels [e.g., 0.99 and 0.78 μg/l as geometric mean (GM) for observed (non-corrected) values, respectively] in prefecture 1 and prefecture 7 were comparable to the levels in other parts of Japan (All Japan-A; 0.99 μg/l). Correspondingly, GM values for α 1-MG (2.29 and 1.99 mg/l vs. 2.17 mg/l for All Japan-A) and for β 2-MG (87 and 80 μg/l vs. 99 μg/l for All Japan-A) were not elevated, and NAG also stayed unchanged (2.89 and 2.87 units/l for prefecture 1 and prefecture 7, respectively). Evaluation in combination with the findings in other five prefectures in the zone suggests that Cd exposure is equal to the national average both in prefecture 1 and in prefecture 7, whereas Cd exposure appeared to be elevated in the central part of the zone. The observation appears to be on line with geographical location of the two prefectures that they are on the two ends of the zone of high natural Cd background.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by Grants-in-Aid from Food Safety Commission, Japan (No.0802) for fiscal years 2008–2009.

The authors are grateful to the administration and staff of Hirosaki City Medical Association, Hirosaki, Japan, Fukui Preventive Medicine Association, Fukui, Japan, and Kyoto Industrial Health Association, Kyoto, Japan for their interest in and support to this study. Thanks are also due to Professor S. Nakaji, Hirosaki University, Hirosaki, Japan for his encouragements.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interests.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Kyoto Industrial Health Association (Main Office), 67 Nishinokyo-Kitatsuboicho, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto, 804-8472, Japan

    Masayuki Ikeda, Yasunari Fukui & Fumiko Ohashi

  2. Kyoto Industrial Health Association (Mibu Office), 4-1 Mibu-Shujakucho, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto, 804-8871, Japan

    Sonoko Sakuragi & Jiro Moriguchi

Authors
  1. Masayuki Ikeda
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  2. Yasunari Fukui
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  3. Fumiko Ohashi
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  4. Sonoko Sakuragi
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  5. Jiro Moriguchi
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Correspondence to Masayuki Ikeda.

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Ikeda, M., Fukui, Y., Ohashi, F. et al. Low Cadmium Levels in Urine of Residents in two Prefectures where Cadmium Levels in Locally Harvested Brown Rice are Higher than in other Prefectures in Japan. Biol Trace Elem Res 139, 217–227 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-010-8646-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-010-8646-9

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