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Effects of Several Environmental Factors on Longevity and Health of the Human Population of Zhongxiang, Hubei, China

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Abstract

Increasing human health and longevity is of global interest. Environmental, genetic, and stochastic factors all affect longevity. Among these factors, the environment is extremely important. To investigate the relationship between the environment and longevity, we studied the environment in Zhongxiang (China), where the inhabitants commonly have long life spans. Air was analyzed for negative oxygen ions, SO2, and inhalable particles, while drinking water and rice were analyzed for macro- and micro-elements. The air quality in this area was determined to be grade I with high negative oxygen ion content and low SO2 and inhalable particle contents. Apart from Fe, Mn, and F, all tested elements and the pH were within national standards and World Health Organization guidelines. The percentage of long-lived people in the area was closely related to the macro- and micro-element contents of their staple food, rice. The elements in rice could be classified into three categories according to their effect on longevity: Sr, Ca, Al, Mo, and Se, which were positively correlated with longevity; Fe, Mn, Zn, Cr, P, Mg, and K, which had a weak effect on local longevity, and Cu and Ba, which had a negative effect on longevity.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank the government of Zhongxiang county, Hubei province, for their kind assistance with statistical data and sample collection. The funding grants of this paper are supported by an international cooperation project (2007DFC20180) and a pillar program of the Ministry of Science and Technology during the Eleventh Five-Year Plan Period of China (2007BAC03A11-07). We also thank the Regulations for Chinese Academy of Sciences Visiting Professorships for Senior International Scientists (2009Z2-22).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Chinese Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, 11A Datun Road, 100101, Beijing, China

    Jinmei Lv, Wuyi Wang, Yonghua Li & Fengying Zhang

  2. Department of International Health, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands

    Thomas Krafft

  3. Lulea University of Technology, Lulea, Sweden

    Fuqing Yuan

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  1. Jinmei Lv
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Correspondence to Jinmei Lv.

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Lv, J., Wang, W., Krafft, T. et al. Effects of Several Environmental Factors on Longevity and Health of the Human Population of Zhongxiang, Hubei, China. Biol Trace Elem Res 143, 702–716 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-010-8914-8

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