ArticleEuropean radiology experimental2024
Anthropogenic gadolinium in the Tone River (Japan): an update showing a 7.7-fold increase from 1996 to 2020.
Article in European radiology experimental, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- ESR Essentials: gadolinium-wise MRI-practice recommendations by the European Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine and Biology.European radiology · 2025Guideline
- Use of gadolinium-based contrast agents in head and neck cancer diagnosis, staging, and monitoring: current applications and future perspectives.European radiology · 2026Review
- Recognizing the importance of papers on sustainable radiology.Japanese journal of radiology · 2026Article
- Recommendations on the use of gadolinium-based contrast agents in the diagnosis and monitoring of common adult intracranial tumours.European radiology · 2025Review
- Pharmacokinetics, Excretion, and Organ Distribution of the Novel Gadolinium-Based MRI Contrast Agent Gadoquatrane in Female Cynomolgus Monkeys.Investigative radiology · 2025Article
- The GREENWATER study: patients' green sensitivity and potential recovery of injected contrast agents.European radiology · 2025Observational
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundAnthropogenic gadolinium (Gd), originating from Gd-based contrast agents (GBCAs) used in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), is widely identified in the aquatic environment with concerns about toxicity and accumulation. We aimed to present new data on anthropogenic Gd in the Tone River, which has the largest drainage area in Japan, and then to compare the current data with those obtained in 1996.
methodsThe water samples were collected on August 9-10, 2020, at 15 different locations of the Tone River in Japan. The concentrations of the rare earth elements (REEs) were measured by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry and normalized to Post-Archean Australian Shale to construct shale-normalized REE patterns. The degree of Gd-anomaly was defined as the percentage of anthropogenic Gd to the geogenic background and used to compare the water samples from different locations. Pearson's correlation coefficients were calculated.
resultsAll the samples displayed positive Gd anomalies. The Gd-anomaly ranged from 121 to 6,545% and displayed a repeating decrease-and-increase trend. The Gd-anomaly showed strong positive correlations to the number of hospitals (r = 0.88; p < 0.001) and their MRI units (r = 0.89; p < 0.001).
conclusionsOur study revealed notable anomalies of Gd concentrations in river water in Japan, with strong positive correlations to the number of major hospitals and their MRI units. Compared with the previous report in 2000, the Gd-anomaly in Tone River increased from 851% (sampled in 1996) to 6,545%, i.e., 7.7 times, reflecting the increased use of GBCAs in hospitals. RELEVANCE STATEMENT: Notable Gd concentration anomalies in river water in Japan were observed. This result underlines the importance of more extensive research on anthropogenic gadolinium, and investigations of risks to human health as well as the development of effective removal technologies may be necessary. KEY POINTS: • All water samples from Tone River displayed positive Gd anomalies. • The Gd anomalies increased to 7.7 times higher over the past 24 years. • Correlations between Gd values and the number of hospitals and MRI units were observed.
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