Jerome Nriagu

University of Michigan, Environmental Health Sciences, Emeritus

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Dr. Jerome Nriagu currently is Professor Emeritus, School of Public Health, the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Dr. Nriagu is an accomplished expert in environmental chemistry and health effects of trace elements in the environment, and has contributed knowledge across several domains of environmental health sciences including water quality, risk science, environmental epidemiology and environmental injustice (health disparities). Dr. Nriagu has authored, co-authored and/or edited over 30 books as well as over 400 peer-reviewed journal articles (including 14 in Nature and Science) and book chapters. He was the chief editor of the Encyclopedia of Environmental Health. The impact of his work is reflected in the fact that he is one of the most cited researchers in his field. He graduated from the Universities of Ibadan (BSC, DSc), Wisconsin, Madison campus (MS) and Toronto, Canada (PhD). He held positions as a Research Scientist, Federal Canadian Department of the Environment in Burlington, Ontario

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Prof Attiya Waris

University of Nairobi, Kenya

Sarva Mangala Praveena

UPM - Universiti Putra Malaysia

Remo Caponi

University of Cologne

Armando Marques-Guedes

UNL - New University of Lisbon

Loukas Mistelis

Queen Mary, University of London

Lynne Kiesling

University of Colorado Denver

Michael Bates

University of California, Berkeley

Nicola Lupo

LUISS Guido Carli

Juliana Jalaludin

UPM - Universiti Putra Malaysia

Roberto Cippitani

Indepac

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Papers by Jerome Nriagu

Lead and Lead Poisoning in Antiquity

Technology and Culture, 1986

Phantom risk: Scientific inference and the law

Science of The Total Environment, Mar 1, 1994

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Tales Told in Lead

Science, Sep 11, 1998

Alt hough t here was no Lead Age t o compare wit h humankind's Bronze and Iron ages, t he element... more Alt hough t here was no Lead Age t o compare wit h humankind's Bronze and Iron ages, t he element lead is one of t he most ext ensively produced and emit t ed mat erials known. Underst anding t he past and present emission of lead is an import ant public healt h issue. In his Perspect ive, Nriagu discusses result s report ed in t he same issue by Shot yk et al. in which lead was measured in Swiss bogs in t he Jura Mount ains and used t o const ruct a hist ory of lead emission from 4000 B.C. t o t he present .

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Mercury and Environmental Justice Issues

Mercury pollution and contamination are widespread, well documented, and continue to pose a publi... more Mercury pollution and contamination are widespread, well documented, and continue to pose a public health concern in both developed and developing countries. In response to a growing need for understanding the cycling of this ubiquitous pollutant, the science of mercury has grown rapidly to include the fields of biogeochemistry, economics, sociology, public health, decision sciences, physics, global change, and mathematics. Only recently have scientists begun to establish a holistic approach to studying mercury pollution that integrates chemistry, biology, and human health sciences. Mercury in the Environment follows the process of mercury cycling through the atmosphere, through terrestrial and aquatic food webs, and through human populations to develop a comprehensive perspective on this important environmental problem. This timely reference also provides recommendations on mercury remediation, risk communication, education, and monitoring

Sulfur isotope abundances in Great Lakes waters: a preliminary report

Dennis Pirages and Ken Cousins, Editors, Resource Scarcity to Ecological Security: Exploring New Limits to Growth, MIT Press (2005) ISBN 0-262-66189-6 280 pp., $24.00 (paperback)

Science of The Total Environment, Jun 15, 2006

Biogeochemical cycling of organic lead compounds

Activated Carbons Derived FromOrganic Sewage Sludge For The RemovalOf Mercury From Aqueous Solution

Various types of activated carbons were developed from organic sewage sludge (SS) using H2SO4, H3... more Various types of activated carbons were developed from organic sewage sludge (SS) using H2SO4, H3PO4 and ZnCl2 as chemical activation reagents. The surface morphology of the SS carbons was examined, and the activation mechanisms of the chemical reagents were extensively discussed. The surface areas of the activated carbons were within 289-555 m 2 /g. ZnCl2 activated carbon had the highest adsorption capability for Hg(II), followed by H3PO4 and H2SO4 activated carbons, and the adsorption followed the Freundlich isotherm model. The leaching amount of As, Cr(VI), Cd, Hg and Pb from the SS carbons was below the wastewater disposal limits issued by the Ministry of Environment of Japan. Accordingly, it is believed that the activated carbons developed in this study are safe and practical for utilization in mercury removal from industrial wastewater.

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Series preface

Trace Metals in the Environment, 2000

Genetic variation in Glutathione S-Transferase Omega-1, Arsenic Methyltransferase and Methylene-tetrahydrofolate Reductase, arsenic exposure and bladder cancer: a case–control study

Environmental Health, Jun 29, 2012

Background: Ingestion of groundwater with high concentrations of inorganic arsenic has been linke... more Background: Ingestion of groundwater with high concentrations of inorganic arsenic has been linked to adverse health outcomes, including bladder cancer, however studies have not consistently observed any elevation in risk at lower concentrations. Genetic variability in the metabolism and clearance of arsenic is an important consideration in any investigation of its potential health risks. Therefore, we examined the association between genes thought to play a role in the metabolism of arsenic and bladder cancer. Methods: Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in GSTO-1, As3MT and MTHFR were genotyped using DNA from 219 bladder cancer cases and 273 controls participating in a case-control study in Southeastern Michigan and exposed to low to moderate (<50 μg/L) levels of arsenic in their drinking water. A time-weighted measure of arsenic exposure was constructed using measures from household water samples combined with past residential history, geocoded and merged with archived arsenic data predicted from multiple resources. Results: While no single SNP in As3MT was significantly associated with bladder cancer overall, several SNPs were associated with bladder cancer among those exposed to higher arsenic levels. Individuals with one or more copies of the C allele in rs11191439 (the Met287Thr polymorphism) had an elevated risk of bladder cancer (OR = 1.17; 95% CI = 1.04-1.32 per 1 μg/L increase in average exposure). However, no association was observed between average arsenic exposure and bladder cancer among TT homozygotes in the same SNP. Bladder cancer cases were also 60% less likely to be homozygotes for the A allele in rs1476413 in MTHFR compared to controls (OR = 0.40; 95% CI = 0.18-0.88). Conclusions: Variation in As3MT and MTHFR is associated with bladder cancer among those exposed to relatively low concentrations of inorganic arsenic. Further investigation is warranted to confirm these findings.

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Dr. Nriagu Awarded Honorary Doctor of Science Degree by the University of Alberta

Environmental advocate awarded an Honorary Doctor of Science degree by the University of Alberta ... more

Arsenic Carbonate Complexes in Aqueous Systems

ACS Symposium Series, 2002

Page 1. Chapter 3 Arsenic Carbonate Complexes in Aqueous Systems Janice S. Lee and Jerome O. Nria... more

Lead Exposure in a Middle Class Population of Ancient Rome

Deep Blue (University of Michigan), Dec 30, 2018

The cemetery population of Isola Sacra dates to the 2 nd and 3 rd centuries AD and consisted of m... more The cemetery population of Isola Sacra dates to the 2 nd and 3 rd centuries AD and consisted of middle class traders and craftsmen as suggested by tomb inscriptions. We present data to show that most of the skeletal remains (humans as well as domestic animals) at the site have become diagenetically contaminated with lead. Analysis of 22 bones from protected monumental tombs, believed to be free of post-mortem changes, shows average lead concentration of 10 μg/g, with the range being 0.87-36 μg/g. The observed bone lead levels are comparable to values that have been reported for many modern urban populations. Calculated average blood lead level was 10 μg/dL (range, 0.89-36 μg/dL) and suggest that exposure to lead was not just restricted to the aristocracy but was pervasive among all social classes of the Roman population. The health risk of the suspected lead exposure dose would have been marginal for the adult population but likely inimical to children. The isotopic composition of the bone lead suggests that the cemetery population obtained their lead from multiple ancient sources. The aim of releasing this report is to encourage further debate and research on the role of lead poisoning in the decline of the ancient Roman Empire

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Heavy metals in the environment : international conference, Toronto, September 1993

Arsenic

Elsevier eBooks, 2008

Sulfur in the Environment. Part I: The Atmospheric Cycle

Journal of Applied Ecology, Apr 1, 1980

Differing effects of inorganic and organic arsenic on uptake and distribution of multi-elements in Rice grain

Environmental Science and Pollution Research, Oct 12, 2020

Arsenic (As) pollution can lead to an element imbalance in rice. A hydroponic study was carried o... more Arsenic (As) pollution can lead to an element imbalance in rice. A hydroponic study was carried out to examine the influence of inorganic (arsenate) and organic (dimethylarsinic acid (DMA)) arsenic compounds on the concentration and distribution of iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), nickel (Ni), carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and sulfur (S) in rice caryopsis at maturity using laser confocal microscopy and synchrotron X-ray fluorescence (SXRF). Results showed that treatments with inorganic (iAs) and organic (DMA) arsenic did not change the distribution characteristics of the above elements in rice grains. Fe, Mn, and iAs were mainly limited to the ventral ovular vascular trace, while Cu, Zn, and DMA extended into the endosperm. This implies that milling processes are likely to remove a majority of Fe, Mn, and iAs, but not Cu, Zn, and DMA. With regard to the average fluorescent intensity of the rice endosperm, iAs exposure caused significant reductions in Mn (53%), Fe (40%), Cu (27%), and Zn (74%) while DMA treatments decreased Mn (49%), Fe (37%), and Zn (21%). Compared with DMA, iAs exerted more influence on the reduction of these elements in rice caryopsis. In addition, the elemental analysis revealed a significant 12.7% increase for N and 8% reduction for S in DMA-treated rice caryopsis while a significant decrease of 24.0% for S in iAs-exposed rice caryopsis. These findings suggest that Cu, Zn, and S are more easily impacted by iAs, while N is mostly affected by DMA.

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Cadmium in the environment. Part 1: Ecological cycling

This book written by one chemical engineer and two environmental engineers, is intended as a tech... more This book written by one chemical engineer and two environmental engineers, is intended as a technical overview of biomass as an energy resource. The 10 chapters encompass the role of biomass in the energy cycle of the earth, socioeconomic and environmental factors associated with the use of biomass, sources of biomass, methods of energy production from biomass, and biomass production of proposed seafarming systems. Although the book generally achieves its purpose as an overview, it is not a definitive text on what is known about biomass technology because of imbalances in presentation and the lack of recency in literature coverage. One notable imbalance is evident after comparisons of the completeness of various technologies for deriving energy from biomass. Comparatively sophisticated, high-capacity boilers and incinerators are featured in the chapter on direct conversion, and grid systems for tethering giant brown kelp on a vast scale are covered in the sea-farming chapter. In contrast, the generators illustrated for producing methane from agricultural residues and animal manures are taken from references up to 24-years old and have the capacity to meet the cooking needs of five families in a developing country. Unfortunately, the notable advances in methane generation made at several Agricultural Experiment Stations have been overlooked. Most of the 187 references predate 1978, and more than two dozen prominent citations in the text and illustrations are reported of contract research institutes. The chapter on alternate sources of biomass is the weakest, notably in discussions of methods of increasing crop yield. The key reference in that section is an article from a leading business periodical. The chapter on ethanol and other alcohols was written before the impact of gasohol on the U.S. fuel market, so it is devoid of recent farm-and industrial-scale technology for ethanol production, and of the view, low-energy processes for separating ethanol from water that are under development. This book may be useful to instructors and students needing a general text for an upper level undergraduate course in biomass technology. Agricultural scientists will benefit primarily from information on alternate methods of deriving energy from biomass, except for the chapters on methane and ethanol-G.

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Arsenic exposure from drinking water and staple food (rice): A field scale study in rural Bengal for assessment of human health risk

Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, Dec 1, 2021

Arsenic is a well-known carcinogen with emerging reports showing a range of health outcomes even ... more Arsenic is a well-known carcinogen with emerging reports showing a range of health outcomes even for low to moderate levels of exposure. This study deals with arsenic exposure and associated increased lifetime cancer risk for populations in arsenic-endemic regions of rural Bengal, where arsenic-safe drinking water is being supplied at present. We found a median total exposure of inorganic arsenic to be 2. 9 μg/Kg BW/day (5th and 95th percentiles were 1.1 μg/Kg BW/day and 7.9 μg/Kg BW/day); with major contribution from cooked rice intake (2.4 µg/Kg BW/day). A significant number of households drank arsenic safe water but used arsenic-rich water for rice cooking. As a result, 67% participants had inorganic arsenic intake above the JEFCA threshold value of 3 μg/Kg BW/day for cancer risk from only rice consumption when arsenic contaminated water was used for cooking (median: 3.5 μg/Kg BW/day) compared to 29% participants that relied on arsenic-free cooking water (median: 1.0 µg/kg BW/day). Arsenic in urine samples of study participants ranged from 31.7 to 520 µg/L and was significantly associated with the arsenic intake (r = 0.76); confirming the preponderance of arsenic exposure from cooked rice. The median arsenic attributable cancer risks from drinking water and cooked rice were estimated to be 2.4 × 10-5 and 2.7 × 10-4 respectively, which further emphasized the importance of arsenic exposure from staple diet. Our results show that any mitigation strategy should include both drinking water and local staple foods in order to minimize the potential health risks of arsenic exposure.

Simulated mobilization of metals from sediments in response to lake acidification

Water Air and Soil Pollution, Dec 1, 1986

The regeneratable forms of pollutant metals in lake sediments were estimated using different chem... more The regeneratable forms of pollutant metals in lake sediments were estimated using different chemical extractants and the effects of lake acidification on the mobilization of such metal fractions studied in laboratory microcosm. The release of each metal was found to increase exponentially below a threshold pH value, which was about 4.0 for Cu, Ni, Zn, Cd and Fe. The data suggest that a large percentage of pollutant metals are mobile as determined by chemical extraction techniques and long-term release experiments.

Lead and Lead Poisoning in Antiquity

Technology and Culture, 1986

Phantom risk: Scientific inference and the law

Science of The Total Environment, Mar 1, 1994

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Tales Told in Lead

Science, Sep 11, 1998

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Mercury and Environmental Justice Issues