Showing papers by "Shosuke Suzuki published in 1990"

Cadmium Content in Rice and Its Daily Intake in Various Countries

Abstract: Man ingests cadmium daily from foods and beverages. The major source of cadmium intake is rice for rice eating countries. Cadmium in rice comes from soil via rice plant roots. Rice may thus be the best indicator for the environmental monitoring of cadmium especially in rice eating countries. It is also easy to sample, transport and conserve. Several recent surveys on cadmium content in rice and daily cadmium intake have been reported. However, little data are available on geographical differences in daily cadmium intake from rice. The tolerable weekly intake for cadmium as proposed by FAO/WHO is 400-500 micrograms/person or 57-71 micrograms/day/person weighing 70 kg. Ninety two percent of world rice production is from the Asia-Pacific region, from which samples were obtained for the present study. The following countries were included: India, China, Bangladesh, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Japan, and Korea. This study was conducted to determine cadmium content in rice from the above countries and based on the data obtained, daily cadmium intake from rice and the total daily cadmium intake were calculated.

Significance of the excretion of urinary indicator proteins for a low level of occupational exposure to cadmium

Abstract: Urinary cadmium (Cd), N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase (NAG), metallothionein (MT), β2-microglobulin (BMG), and blood cadmium were determined in 79 workers who had been employed at a Cd pigment factory in Japan. The workers who had been dealing with Cd pigment manufacturing processes were estimated to be exposed to cadmium pigment dust at a maximum concentration of 3.0 [μg/m3/8 h for about 20 years. The urinary Cd level ranged from 0.2 to 9.7 μg/g creatinine with a geometric mean of 1.02 μg/g creatinine. Pearson's correlation coefficients between logarithm of urinary Cd and that of NAG, MT, and BMG in urine were 0.45, 0.62, and 0.05, respectively. The correlation coefficients between blood Cd and urinary NAG, MT, and BMG were 0.21, 0.40, and −0.074, respectively. When partial correlation coefficients were calculated to exclude the contribution of age factor, urinary Cd turned out to be significantly correlated with urinary MT (r = 0.55) and NAG (r = 0.52). The present results indicate that urinary Cd is more closely associated with urinary MT and NAG than with BMG, and suggest that MT and NAG could be good indicators of Cd absorption in a Cd-exposed population whose mean urinary Cd level is relatively low, or less than 10 μg/g creatinine.

Cadmium Content in Rice and Rice Field Soil in China, Indonesia and Japan, with Special Reference to Soil Type and Daily Intake from Rice

Abstract: The present study was carried out to: 1) assess cadmium content in both rice and soil of China, Indonesia and Japan, 2) determine the relation of cadmium content in rice and soil to soil type and country, and 3) estimate the average daily cadmium intake from rice from the results of cadmium analysis and rice consumption data of FAO. Much data on cadmium content in rice and soil of Japan have been reported (Iimura 1981; Masironi et al., 1977; Morishita 1981; Moritsugu et al., 1964; Nakatsuka et al., 1988; Yanagisawa 1984), but those for Indonesia are limited (Suzuki et al., 1988; Rivai et al., 1990). Moreover, the only data on cadmium content in rice of China have been reported by Rivai et al.(1990), none are available on the cadmium content in soil of China. Rice is a major source of cadmium intake for man in rice eating countries such as China, Indonesia and Japan. Thus, rice may be the best indicator to monitor cadmium exposure. Iimura (1981) reported the mean cadmium content in brown rice and paddy soil of Japan to be 90 and 450 ppb, respectively. Yanagisawa et al. (1984) found this parameter in brown rice and paddy soil from polluted area of Japan to be 0.37 and 1.35 ppm, respectively. Hutton et al. (1987) found the major sources of cadmium pollution to the agriculture land in England to be sewage disposal, manufacture manufacture and phosphate fertilizer. Morishita (1981) and Asami (1981) reported that rice grown in polluted soil contains more cadmium than that of non polluted soil. However, there are no data on relationship between cadmium content in rice and soil to the soil type. Assessment of the accumulation of cadmium content in rice and soil by soil type may also facilitate environmental monitoring. Daily cadmium intake from rice may be estimated from cadmium content in rice multiplied by daily rice consumption. Ohmomo (1981) reported the daily cadmium intake from rice of Japan to be 26 μg/person. Though the biological role of cadmium is not known for plants, under certain conditions it may accumulate in some plants to levels hazardous for animals and finally for man at the end of the food chain. This element, after entering into the soil would not be leached out and thus accumulate. Some of it is absorbed by plants that are a part of the ecological cycle. The hydrochloric acid extraction method can be used to detect the soluble fraction of the element absorbable from the roots of rice plants (Nihon Dojo Hiryo Gakkai 1986).

Relationship between total cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and the effects of physical exercise, alcohol consumption, cigarette smoking and body mass index.

Abstract: Despite the fact that high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC) is a part of total cholesterol (TC), the serum level of this portion has been reported to have no or only a weak relationship to the TC level. The present study assessed the relationship between HDLC and TC considering alcohol consumption, cigarette smoking, and body mass index (BMI) in 366 male workers classified into three groups by the habitual physical exercise. The results showed the different effects of alcohol consumption, cigarette smoking, and BMI on the level of HDLC among these three groups, and alcohol consumption lowered the LDLC level only in the exercise group. The closest relationship between HDLC and TC was seen in the exercise group, even after taking other factors into account. The result suggests that the HDLC level must be evaluated relative to the level of TC. As an indicator of serum lipid patterns the validity of the ratio of HDLC to TC (HDLC/TC) was discussed.

Changes of Subjective Complaints by Age

Abstract: Prevalence of subjective complaints by age was surveyed of 3389 adult women applied by a general health questionnaire-the Todai Health Index (THI). The women were sampled from the residents in the area around the Haneda, Osaka, and Fukuoka Airports excepted the noisy area of WECPNL being 90 or over. The recovery rate of the mail survey was 52%. Out of the recovered, 85.4% were married. All the subject were classified into 11 age groups at every five years of age. The positive response rate to each question, the mean values of 12 scale scores, and 3 discriminant values were compared among the age groups. And these data were also compared with male employee groups of a trading company and old gentlemen by the present coauthors. The results were as follows: 1) Women had higher scores in the scales and discriminant functions than men; Vague Complaints, Eye and Skin, Mouth and Anus, Psychosomatic disease, and Neurosis. 2) Women in their late twenties had lower scores in the scales; Vague Complaints, Respiratory Complaints, Eye and Skin, Mental Instabilty, Depressiveness, Psychosomatic disease, and Neurosis. These were different from those of men. 3) Women between their late forties and early fifties had highest scores in the same scales and seemed most unstable, which could be related with the climacteric and/or empty nest syndrome. 4) Women in their early seventies showed lower scale scores in most scales, which might be a result of the decreased sensitivity to the environmental stimuli. 5) The scale scores of Respiratory Complaints and the Lie increased according to the age, in contrast to the scale scores of Impulsiveness and Irregularity of Daily Life which decreased with aging. 6) For the middle aged women the scale scores of Aggressiveness were on the increase, but on the decrease for men. These results of a cross-sectional survery tells that the changes of THI scale scores by age could throw light on the characteristics of turning points of female life cycle.

Effect of alcohol ingestion on urinary excretion and intraerythrocyte concentrations of sodium and potassium

Abstract: Although epidemiologic studies have demonstrated that alcohol consumption is related to increased blood pressure, the mechanism involved has not been fully understood. In the present study the urinary excretion and intraerythrocyte concentrations of sodium and potassium after alcohol ingestion were measured in 7 young adults. Decreases of urinary excretion of sodium and potassium and an increase in intraerythrocyte sodium were observed. The results suggest that alterations of the electrolyte metabolism influenced by alcohol ingestion may be related to alcohol-induced hypertension.

Decrease of hearing acuity from use of portable headphones

Abstract: The association between headphone use and hearing acuity was studied among 155 medical students aged 22-29 years. Hearing levels were measured and subjects were classified into three groups: A: n = 14), off-line or portable headphone users (group B: n = 16), and the control group. Past or present headphone use frequency for group A and B is two or more times per week, with an average duration of 30-120 minutes per use. No significant differences between mean hearing acuity of the three groups were found by one-way analysis of variance. After standardization of the average hearing acuity of the control group to 0 dB, group A or B levels were plotted for each of the octave band frequencies. The mean hearing acuity at 4,000 Hz of group B showed a tendency of being lower than that of the control group. Further, percentages of group B members whose hearing acuity decreased 15, 25, 30 dB or more were significantly larger than those of the control. These results suggest that more than 10% of the young generation is at risk for damaged hearing acuity from use of portable headphones.

Interaction of Daughter-In-Law and Mother-In-Law in aHousehold Giving Effect on their Physical Symptom and Psychological Health Level Applied by the Todai Health Index

Abstract: In order to know the interaction of physical symptom and psychological health of daughter-in-law and those of mother-in-law living together in the same household, an attempt was made to apply a self-administered health questionnaire, the Todai Health Index (THI), to 36 daughters-in-law, who have twenty to twenty five-year-old daughters, and the paired mothers-in-law. Two female control groups were sampled of the same generation of mother-in-law (control A) and daughter-in-law (control B), who live in the suburbs of three big cities. Twelve scales and two discriminant function values (DF values) of THI are as follows: SUSY, subjective symptoms; RESP, respiratory; EYSK, eye and skin; MOUT, mouth and anus; DICE, digestion; IMPU, impulsiveness; LISC, lie; MENT, mental instability; DEPR, depression; AGGR, aggressiveness; NERV, nervousness; LIFE, irregularity of life; PSD, psychosomatic; NEURO, neurosis. The mean scores of SUSY, RESP, EYSK, DEPR, PSD and NEURO of daughter-in-law are significantly lower than those of mother-in-law, which are mainly on the decrease of those in daughter-in-law, and AGGR of daughter-in-law is significantly higher than that of mother-in-law. There are significant correlations of IMPU, DEPR, NERV, PSD and NEURO, which are on the psychological scales, between daughter-in-law and mother-inlaw. While there are no significant correlations of twelve scales and two DF values between control A and B. For daughter-in-law and mother-in-law, living together in the same household for a few decades gives a better influence on the health of the both.