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Environmental Lithium Exposure in the North of Chile—II. Natural Food Sources

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Abstract

Lithium, generally, occurs in barely trace amounts in ground water with few major exceptions. One of these is the northern area of Chile where all potable water and many of the food stuffs contain high levels of lithium. Surface water can contain between 100 and 10,000 times more than most rivers in North America. Inevitably, food, both animal and vegetable, contains higher lithium levels than found elsewhere. In consequence, the local population has been exposed to high levels of lithium in their food and drinking water for as long as the region has been populated. The present report details lithium levels in a variety of food stuffs from several locations in Northern Chile and compares these with those found elsewhere. The implications for the local population have been discussed in our earlier paper.

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Notes

  1. Historically, the ancient people from the coast would periodically trade shellfish and fish to those living in the Altiplano, something now rarely done.

  2. Figueroa and Eschobar [8] give a detailed description of the habitat, growth cycle, and physical characteristics of each species

  3. Based on analyses of lithium in 1 day dietary composites and mixed diet standards in Southern Ontario by Clarke and Gibson [28].

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Author information

Author notes

  1. Blago Razmillic & Oscar Zumeata

    Present address: Merck, Santiago, Chile

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, University of Tarapaca, Arica, Chile

    Leonardo T. Figueroa, Blago Razmillic & Oscar Zumeata

  2. Department of Agronomy, University Tomas Frias Potosi, Bolivia, Brazil

    G. Nina Aranda

  3. Department of Human Genetics, University of Texas at Houston, Houston, TX, USA

    Sara Ann Barton & William J. Schull

  4. Schull Institute, Houston, TX, USA

    William J. Schull

  5. Centre for Mental Health, Division of Experimental Medicine, Department of Medicine, Imperial College, London, UK

    Allan H. Young

  6. Bryn Mawr College, Pennsylvania, PA, USA

    Yumi M. Kamiya

  7. Haslemere, UK

    John A Hoskins

  8. Suite No 503, 830 Montgomery Avenue, Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, PA, USA

    Edward B. Ilgren

Authors
  1. Leonardo T. Figueroa
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  2. Blago Razmillic
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  3. Oscar Zumeata
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  4. G. Nina Aranda
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  5. Sara Ann Barton
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  6. William J. Schull
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  7. Allan H. Young
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  8. Yumi M. Kamiya
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  9. John A Hoskins
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  10. Edward B. Ilgren
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Edward B. Ilgren.

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Figueroa, L.T., Razmillic, B., Zumeata, O. et al. Environmental Lithium Exposure in the North of Chile—II. Natural Food Sources. Biol Trace Elem Res 151, 122–131 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-012-9543-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-012-9543-1

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