Faculty Profiles - TAZAKI Akira

Alleviating effect of intranasal zinc on symptoms of allergic rhinitis. Reviewed International coauthorship Open Access

Xu H, Tong K, Iwasaki N, Ohgami N, Tazaki A, Kagawa T, Gao Y, Nishadhi DASM, Harusato A, Sakashita M, Ogi K, Fujieda S, Sumiya S, Iwasaki S, Kato M

The journal of allergy and clinical immunology. Global Vol. 4 ( 2 ) page： 100408 2025.1

Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal) Publisher：Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: Global

Background: There is no information about the clinical implications and kinetics of zinc (Zn) in the nasal cavity, a center of allergic inflammation, and serum in subjects with allergic rhinitis (AR). Objective: Effects of intranasal Zn on symptoms before and after allergen provocation were investigated in humans and mice with or without AR. Methods: The first clinical follow-up study for Zn levels in nasal epithelial lining fluid (ELF) and serum was conducted in 57 control subjects and 44 patients with Japanese cedar pollinosis (JCP), a representative seasonal AR, from preseason to season. The clinical implications and kinetics of Zn levels in ELF and serum were further investigated in model mice with JCP. Results: This clinical study showed that the Zn level in nasal ELF from patients with JCP was increased after pollen exposure and became significantly higher than that in nasal ELF from controls in the JCP season. Conversely, the serum Zn level in patients was decreased after pollen exposure and became significantly lower than that in the controls in the JCP season. To further investigate the clinical implication of Zn level, model mice that mimicked the kinetics of intranasal and serum Zn levels as well as the symptoms in patients with JCP were established. The mouse interventional study showed that the symptoms of mice with provocative JCP were significantly improved by treatment with the putative human-equivalent dose of Zn. The relative number of mucin-secreting goblet cells, a sign of provocative allergic rhinitis, in the mice was decreased by intranasal treatment with Zn. Conclusion: The study's behavioral and pathologic results indicate that an increased level of intranasal Zn can alleviate symptoms of AR.

DOI： 10.1016/j.jacig.2025.100408

Open Access

Progression from in vivo validation to in vitro screening in hazard assessment for leukoderma-inducible chemicals Reviewed

Anti-Graying Effects of External and Internal Treatments with Luteolin on Hair in Model Mice Reviewed

Machiko Iida, Takumi Kagawa, Ichiro Yajima, Delgama A. S. M. Nishadhi, Nobuhiko Taguchi, Akihito Harusato, Akira Tazaki, Masashi Kato

Antioxidants Vol. 13 page： 1549 2024.12

Akira Tazaki, Delgama A.S.M. Nishadhi, Ao Li, Lanyue Zhang, Than Htike Maw, Lisa Kondo-Ida, Kiyoshi Yanagisawa, Masashi Kato

Environmental Pollution Vol. 356 page： 124508 - 124508 2024.9

Elevated level of urinary tellurium is a potential risk for increase of blood pressure in humans and mice Reviewed Open Access

Tomoko Misawa, Takumi Kagawa, Nobutaka Ohgami, Akira Tazaki, Shoko Ohnuma, Hisao Naito, Dijie Chen, Yishuo Gu, Takashi Tamura, Kenji Wakai, Kimitoshi Nishiwaki, Masashi Kato

Environment International Vol. 188 page： 108735 2024.6

Beneficial and adverse effects of dam construction in canal tannery wastewater effluent with a high content of chromium in Hazaribagh, Bangladesh. Reviewed International coauthorship International journal

Fitri Kurniasari, Maw Than Htike, Akira Tazaki, Takumi Kagawa, M M Aeorangajeb Al Hossain, Anwarul Azim Akhand, Nazmul Ahsan, Shoko Ohnuma, Naruhito Iwasaki, Masashi Kato

Chemosphere Vol. 350 page： 141047 - 141047 2024.2

Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)

BACKGROUND: Blockage to divide downstream canals into upstream canals, into which tannery wastewater including a high concentration of trivalent chromium [Cr(III)] is directly discharged, has been constructed in Hazaribagh, a tannery built-up area in Bangladesh. However, there has been no study to verify the environmental significance of blockage construction for water pollution of Cr in nature. METHODS: Consecutive fixed area monitoring for a total of 164 water samples collected outside and inside Hazaribagh from 2014 to 2023 was carried out to clarify the effects of stagnant and flowable canal water in the presence or absence of blockage on Cr(III) and hexavalent Cr [Cr(VI)] concentrations. RESULTS: Since pollution of Cr(III) and Cr(VI) in Buriganga River (outside Hazaribagh) was not serious, this study then focused on their pollution in canal water (inside Hazaribagh) in the nonblockage period, blockage construction period and blockage destruction period. As expected, the mean Cr(III) concentration in downstream canal water samples in the blockage construction period was more than 98% lower than that in the upstream canal water samples in the same period, while the concentrations were comparable in downstream and upstream canal water samples in the nonblockage period and blockage destruction period. Unexpectedly, the mean concentration of Cr(VI) in the upstream canal water samples in the blockage construction period was 38.6-fold and 3.3-fold higher than that in the downstream canal water samples and the Cr(VI) guideline value by the US-EPA, respectively. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated for the first time not only a merit of decreased Cr(III) pollution but also a demerit of increased Cr(VI) pollution in stagnant water derived from blockage construction in natural environments. This bitter lesson obtained by the enclosure of Cr(III)-polluted water is globally applicable for water pollution of Cr(III), which is used in various industries including the leather industry.

DOI： 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.141047

Retinal ferroptosis as a critical mechanism for the induction of retinochoroiditis during ocular toxoplasmosis. Reviewed International journal Open Access

Kazuhisa Yamada, Akira Tazaki, Nanako Ushio-Watanabe, Yoshihiko Usui, Atsunobu Takeda, Masaaki Matsunaga, Ayana Suzumura, Hideyuki Shimizu, Hao Zheng, Nanang R Ariefta, Masahiro Yamamoto, Hideaki Hara, Hiroshi Goto, Koh-Hei Sonoda, Koji M Nishiguchi, Masashi Kato, Yoshifumi Nishikawa, Shinya Toyokuni, Hiroki Kaneko

Redox biology Vol. 67 page： 102890 - 102890 2023.11

Authorship：Lead author Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)

Toxoplasmosis is a major infectious disease, affecting approximately one-third of the world's population; its main clinical manifestation, ocular toxoplasmosis (OT), is a severe sight-threatening disease. Nevertheless, the diagnosis of OT is based on clinical findings, which needs improvement, even with biochemical tests, such as polymerase chain reaction and antibody detections. Furthermore, the efficacy of OT-targeted treatment is limited; thus, additional measures for diagnosis and treatments are needed. Here, we for the first time report a significantly reduced iron concentration in the vitreous humor (VH) of human patients infected with OT. To obtain further insights into molecular mechanisms, we established a mouse model of T. gondii infection, in which intravitreally injected tracer 57Fe, was accumulated in the neurosensory retina. T. gondii-infected eyes showed increased lipid peroxidation, reduction of glutathione peroxidase-4 expression and mitochondrial deformity in the photoreceptor as cristae loss. These findings strongly suggest the involvement of ferroptotic process in the photoreceptor of OT. In addition, deferiprone, an FDA-approved iron chelator, reduced the iron uptake but also ameliorated toxoplasma-induced retinochoroiditis by reducing retinal inflammation. In conclusion, the iron levels in the VH could serve as diagnostic markers and iron chelators as potential treatments for OT.

DOI： 10.1016/j.redox.2023.102890

Unexpected associations of long-term and excessive exposure to trivalent chromium with hypertension and glycosuria in male tannery workers. Reviewed International coauthorship International journal Open Access

Tomoyuki Tsuchiyama, Dijie Chen, M M Aeorangajeb Al Hossain, Akira Tazaki, Takumi Kagawa, Yishuo Gu, Yanjun Gao, Fitri Kurniasari, Nazmul Ahsan, Anwarul A Akhand, Masashi Kato

Chemosphere Vol. 337 page： 139190 - 139190 2023.10

Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)

Serious health hazards including renal, skin and hearing disorders have been reported in Bangladeshi tannery workers (TWs) who were chronically exposed to a large amount of trivalent chromium [Cr(III)]. However, the effects of Cr(III) exposure on the prevalence of hypertension and the prevalence of glycosuria in TWs remain unknown. Since the Cr level in toenails is an established marker reflecting long-term exposure to Cr(III) in humans, the associations of Cr levels in toenails with the prevalence of hypertension and the prevalence of glycosuria in male tannery and non-tannery office workers (non-TWs) in Bangladesh were investigated in this study. The mean toenail Cr level in non-TWs (0.5 μg/g, n = 49) was comparable to that in the general population reported previously. Mean Cr levels in TWs with a low toenail Cr level (5.7 μg/g, n = 39) and those with a high toenail Cr level (298.8 μg/g, n = 61) were >10-fold and >500-fold higher, respectively, than that in non-TWs. Our univariate and multivariate analyses indicated that the prevalence of hypertension and the prevalence of glycosuria in TWs with a high toenail Cr level, but not in TWs with a low toenail Cr level, were significantly lower than those in non-TWs. This study showed for the first time that long-term and excessive exposure to Cr(III) that is more than >500-fold but not >10-fold higher than the usual exposure level could decrease the prevalence of hypertension and the prevalence of glycosuria in TWs. Thus, this study revealed unexpected effects of exposure to Cr(III) on health.

DOI： 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.139190

Elevated arsenic level in fasting serum via ingestion of fish meat increased the risk of hypertension in humans and mice. Reviewed International journal Open Access

Takumi Kagawa, Nobutaka Ohgami, Tingchao He, Akira Tazaki, Shoko Ohnuma, Hisao Naito, Ichiro Yajima, Dijie Chen, Yuqi Deng, Takashi Tamura, Takaaki Kondo, Kenji Wakai, Masashi Kato

European heart journal open Vol. 3 ( 5 ) page： oead074 2023.9

Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)

AIMS: There has been a shortage of human studies to elucidate the association between serum arsenic levels and the prevalence of hypertension. This study multidirectionally investigated associations among arsenic exposure, dietary ingestion, and the risk of hypertension by combined human epidemiological and mouse experimental studies. METHODS AND RESULTS: This study focused on the total arsenic level in fasting serum, a biomarker of arsenic exposure. Associations among ingestion frequencies of 54 diet items of Japanese food separated into six categories, total arsenic level in fasting serum, and the prevalence of hypertension were investigated in 2709 general people in Japan. Logistic regression analysis demonstrated a dose-dependent association between serum arsenic level and hypertension and a positive association between the ingestion of fish meat and hypertension. Further analysis showed that the latter association was fully mediated by increased fasting serum arsenic levels in humans. Similarly, oral exposure to the putative human-equivalent dose of arsenic species mixture with the same ratios in a common fish meat in Japan increased systolic blood pressure and arsenic levels in fasting serum in mice. CONCLUSION: This interdisciplinary approach suggests that fish-meat ingestion is a potential risk factor for arsenic-mediated hypertension. Because the increased consumption of fish meat is a recent global trend, health risks of the increased ingestion of arsenic via fish meat should be further investigated.

DOI： 10.1093/ehjopen/oead074

Open Access

Redistribution of potentially toxic elements in the hydrosphere after the relocation of a group of tanneries. Reviewed International coauthorship

Kurniasari F, Tazaki A, Hashimoto K, Yuan T, Al Hossain MMA, Akhand AA, Ahsan N, Ohnuma S, Kato M

Chemosphere Vol. 303 ( Pt 2 ) page： 135098 2022.5

Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal) Publisher：Chemosphere

Simultaneous relocation of a group of pollutant sources in a heavily polluted area is a rare event. Such a relocation has been implemented in Hazaribagh, a tannery built-up area with heavy pollution, in Bangladesh. This provides a valuable opportunity to compare the changes in environmental conditions associated with the relocation of multiple putative sources. Our environmental monitoring for a period of 6 years at the stationary areas centered on Hazaribagh geographically revealed trivalent [Cr(III)], hexavalent [Cr(VI)] chromium, lead, iron, and manganese as tannery-related elements after the legal deadline for tannery relocation. The median Cr(III) level in canal water, into which wastewater from tanneries was directly discharged, after the relocation was 97% lower of that before the relocation, indicating a beneficial effect of the relocation. In contrast, the median Cr(VI) level in water samples just after the relocation and 2 years after the relocation were approximately 5-fold and 30-fold higher, respectively, than those before the relocation. These results indicate not only a harmful effect of the relocation but also the possibility of conversion from Cr(III) to Cr(VI) in nature. Although the health hazard indexes considering all of the tannery-related elements in all of the canal water samples before the relocation exceeded the safety thresholds, the percentages of samples in which the indexes exceeded their safety thresholds after the relocation decreased by 32.5%–45.0%. Treatment with our patented hydrotalcite-like compound consisting of magnesium and iron (MF-HT) resulted in decreases in the health hazard indexes in all of the water samples in which the indexes exceeded their safety thresholds to levels lower than their thresholds. Thus, this study shows the double-edged effects associated with the relocation and a potential solution.

DOI： 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.135098

Calcitriol inhibits arsenic-promoted tumorigenesis through regulation of arsenic-uptake in a human keratinocyte cell line Reviewed International journal

Yajima Ichiro, Tazaki Akira, Ohgami Nobutaka, Kato Masashi

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CANCER RESEARCH Vol. 12 ( 11 ) page： 5019 - + 2022

Development of an efficient remediation system with a low cost after identification of water pollutants including phenolic compounds in a tannery built-up area in Bangladesh Reviewed International coauthorship

Tian Yuan, Akira Tazaki, Kazunori Hashimoto, M. M. Aeorangajeb Al Hossain, Fitri Kurniasari, Nobutaka Ohgami, Masayo Aoki, Nazmul Ahsan, Anwarul Azim Akhand, Masashi Kato

CHEMOSPHERE Vol. 280 page： 130959 2021.10

Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal) Publisher：PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD

Water pollution caused by tannery wastewater is an important issue in developing countries. Most studies have focused on inorganic chemicals represented by chromium as a tannery-related main pollutant. This is the first study in which pollution of water by tannery-related organic chemicals was assessed by a combination of qualitative and quantitative analyses. Our quantitative analysis showed that the maximum concentration of total phenolic compounds (phenols), consisting of phenol, bisphenol F, p-cresol and chlomcresol, in canal water in a tannery built-up area in Bangladesh was >67-fold higher than the Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) guideline value. Mapping of our results indicated tanneries as the sources of phenols pollution. Our original depurative, a hydrotalcite-like compound consisting of magnesium and iron (MF-HT), could adsorb all kinds of phenols and exhibited the highest phenol adsorption ability (115.8 mg/g) among reported hydrotalcite-like compounds. The levels of phenols in canal water samples were reduced to levels below the guideline value by using MF-HT with assistance of a photocatalytic reaction. Moreover, the mean level of chromium (112.2 mg/L) in canal water samples was decreased by 99.7% by using the depurative. Thus, the depurative has the potential for solving the problem of tannery-related water pollution by phenols and chromium.

DOI： 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.130959

Intranasal levels of lead as an exacerbation factor for allergic rhinitis in humans and mice Reviewed

Reply. Invited Reviewed

Kagawa T, Tazaki A, Xu H, Ohgami N, Kato M

The Journal of allergy and clinical immunology Vol. 148 ( 2 ) page： 655 - 656 2021.8

Huadong Xu, Nobutaka Ohgami, Masafumi Sakashita, Kazuhiro Ogi, Kazunori Hashimoto, Akira Tazaki, Keming Tong, Masayo Aoki, Shigeharu Fujieda, Masashi Kato

JOURNAL OF ALLERGY AND CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY Vol. 148 ( 1 ) page： 139 - + 2021.7

Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal) Publisher：MOSBY-ELSEVIER

Background: Air pollutants are suspected to affect pathological conditions of allergic rhinitis (AR).Objectives: After detecting Pb (375 mg/kg) in Japanese cedar pollen, the effects of intranasal exposure to Pb on symptoms of AR were investigated.Methods: Pollen counts, subjective symptoms, and Pb levels in nasal epithelial lining fluid (ELF) were investigated in 44 patients with Japanese cedar pollinosis and 57 controls from preseason to season. Effects of intranasal exposure to Pb on symptoms were confirmed by using a mouse model of AR.Results: Pb levels in ELF from patients were >40% higher than those in ELF from control subjects during the pollen season but not before the pollen season. Pb level in ELF was positively associated with pollen counts for the latest 4 days before visiting a hospital as well as scores of subjective symptoms. Intranasal exposure to Pb exacerbated symptoms in allergic mice, suggesting Pb as an exacerbation factor. Pb levels in ELF and nasal mucosa in Pb-exposed allergic mice were higher than those in Pb-exposed nonallergic mice, despite intranasally challenging the same amount of Pb. Because the increased Pb level in the nasal mucosa of Pb-exposed allergic mice was decreased after washing the nasal cavity, Pb on the surface of but not inside the nasal mucosa may have been a source of increased Pb level in ELF of allergic mice.Conclusions: Increased nasal Pb level partially derived from pollen could exacerbate subjective symptoms of AR, indicating Pb as a novel hazardous air pollutant for AR.

DOI： 10.1016/j.jaci.2021.03.019

Hair graying with aging in mice carrying oncogenic RET Reviewed International coauthorship

Machiko Iida, Akira Tazaki, Ichiro Yajima, Nobutaka Ohgami, Nobuhiko Taguchi, Yuji Goto, Mayuko Y. Kumasaka, Armelle Prevost-Blondel, Michihiro Kono, Masashi Akiyama, Masahide Takahashi, Masashi Kato

AGING CELL Vol. 19 ( 11 ) page： e13273 2020.11

Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal) Publisher：WILEY

Hair graying is a representative sign of aging in animals and humans. However, the mechanism for hair graying with aging remains largely unknown. In this study, we found that the microscopic appearance of hair follicles without melanocyte stem cells (MSCs) and descendant melanocytes as well as macroscopic appearances of hair graying in RET-transgenic mice carrying RET oncogene (RET-mice) are in accordance with previously reported results for hair graying in humans. Therefore, RET-mice could be a novel model mouse line for age-related hair graying. We further showed hair graying with aging in RET-mice associated with RET-mediated acceleration of hair cycles, increase of senescent follicular keratinocyte stem cells (KSCs), and decreased expression levels of endothelin-1 (ET-1) in bulges, decreased endothelin receptor B (Ednrb) expression in MSCs, resulting in a decreased number of follicular MSCs. We then showed that hair graying in RET-mice was accelerated by congenitally decreased Ednrb expression in MSCs in heterozygously Ednrb-deleted RET-mice [Ednrb(+/-);RET-mice]. We finally partially confirmed common mechanisms of hair graying with aging in mice and humans. Taken together, our results suggest that age-related dysfunction between ET-1 in follicular KSCs and endothelin receptor B (Ednrb) in follicular MSCs via cumulative hair cycles is correlated with hair graying with aging.

DOI： 10.1111/acel.13273

Other Link： https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full-xml/10.1111/acel.13273

Increased levels of renal damage biomarkers caused by excess exposure to trivalent chromium in workers in tanneries Reviewed International coauthorship International journal

Tomoyuki Tsuchiyama, Akira Tazaki, M. M. Aeorangajeb Al Hossain, Ichiro Yajima, Nazmul Ahsan, Anwarul Azim Akhand, Kazunori Hashimoto, Nobutaka Ohgami, Masashi Kato

ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH Vol. 188 page： 109770 - 109770 2020.9

Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal) Publisher：ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE

Background: The process for leather material production is carried out in developing countries using a large amount of trivalent chromium [Cr(III)]. Assesment of health risks for millions of workers in tanneries worldwide that are highly polluted with Cr(III) is needed.Methods: Levels of total Cr and its chemical species in wastewater samples from tannery built-up areas of Bangladesh were investigated. Cr-mediated renal damage was assessed in 100 male tannery workers by epidemiological analysis consisting of questionnaires and measurements of levels of urinary Cr and urinary renal damage markers [urinary levels of total protein and kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1)].Results: High levels of total Cr (mean +/- standard deviation = 1,908,762 +/- 703,450 mu g/L) were detected in wastewater samples from 13 sites of tanneries. More than 99.99% of total Cr in the wastewater was Cr(III), indicating that workers in the tanneries were exposed to large concentrations of Cr(III). Cr levels (mean +/- standard, 2.89 +/- 4.23 mu g/g creatinine) in urine samples from the workers in tanneries were > 24-fold higher than the levels in a general population previously reported. Multivariate analysis showed significant correlations between urinary levels of Cr and urinary levels of renal damage biomarkers. Nagelkerke Pseudo R-2 values also showed that Cr level is the strongest contributor to the levels of renal damage biomarkers in the workers.Conclusion: Our results newly suggest that excess exposure to Cr(III) could be a risk for renal damage in humans.

DOI： 10.1016/j.envres.2020.109770

Application of a human mesoderm tissue elongation system in vitro derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells to risk assessment for teratogenic chemicals Reviewed International journal

Hiromasa Ninomiya, Atsushi Intoh, Hisako Ishimine, Yasuko Onuma, Yuzuru Ito, Tatsuo Michiue, Akira Tazaki, Masashi Kato

CHEMOSPHERE Vol. 250 page： 126124 - 126124 2020.7

Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal) Publisher：PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD

Toxic compounds from the mother's diet and medication in addition to genetic factors and infection during pregnancy remain risks for various congenital disorders and misbirth. To ensure the safety of food and drugs for pregnant women, establishment of an in vitro system that morphologically resembles human tissues has been long desired. In this study, we focused on dorsal mesoderm elongation, one of the critical early development events for trunk formation, and we established in vitro autonomous elongating tissues from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs). This artificial tissue elongation is regulated by MYOSIN II and FGF signaling, and is diminished by methylmercury or retinoic acid (RA), similar to in vivo human developmental disabilities. Moreover, our method for differentiation of hiPSCs requires only a short culture period, and the elongation is cell number-independent. Therefore, our in vitro human tissue elongation system is a potential tool for risk assessment assays for identification of teratogenic chemicals via human tissue morphogenesis. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

DOI： 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.126124

Multidisciplinary approach to assess the toxicities of arsenic and barium in drinking water Reviewed International journal

Masashi Kato, Nobutaka Ohgami, Shoko Ohnuma, Kazunori Hashimoto, Akira Tazaki, Huadong Xu, Lisa Kondo-Ida, Tian Yuan, Tomoyuki Tsuchiyama, Tingchao He, Fitri Kurniasari, Yishuo Gu, Wei Chen, Yuqi Deng, Kanako Komuro, Keming Tong, Ichiro Yajima

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH AND PREVENTIVE MEDICINE Vol. 25 ( 1 ) page： 16 - 16 2020.5

Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal) Publisher：SPRINGER

Well water could be a stable source of drinking water. Recently, the use of well water as drinking water has been encouraged in developing countries. However, many kinds of disorders caused by toxic elements in well drinking water have been reported. It is our urgent task to resolve the global issue of element-originating diseases. In this review article, our multidisciplinary approaches focusing on oncogenic toxicities and disturbances of sensory organs (skin and ear) induced by arsenic and barium are introduced. First, our environmental monitoring in developing countries in Asia showed elevated concentrations of arsenic and barium in well drinking water. Then our experimental studies in mice and our epidemiological studies in humans showed arsenic-mediated increased risks of hyperpigmented skin and hearing loss with partial elucidation of their mechanisms. Our experimental studies using cultured cells with focus on the expression and activity levels of intracellular signal transduction molecules such as c-SRC, c-RET, and oncogenic RET showed risks for malignant transformation and/or progression arose from arsenic and barium. Finally, our original hydrotalcite-like compound was proposed as a novel remediation system to effectively remove arsenic and barium from well drinking water. Hopefully, comprehensive studies consisting of (1) environmental monitoring, (2) health risk assessments, and (3) remediation will be expanded in the field of environmental health to prevent various disorders caused by environmental factors including toxic elements in drinking water.

DOI： 10.1186/s12199-020-00855-8