Serum copper, rubidium, selenium, strontium, and zinc and psychophysical health in adults of the Sarno river Basin: PREVES-STOP 2025 community biomonitoring results

OBJECTIVES: Evaluate associations between serum copper (Cu), rubidium (Rb), selenium (Se), strontium (Sr), and zinc (Zn) and psychophysical health in adults from Italy's Sarno River Basin within the 2025 PREVES-STOP program. METHODS: Adults aged 30-65 completed validated questionnaires plus clinical evaluation and blood sampling. Elements were quantified by collision/reaction-cell inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Associations were evaluated using Spearman and partial Spearman correlations. RESULTS: Significant associations included Zn and Rb associated with lower odds (odds ratio, OR) of severe fatigue - Recognizing and Estimating Signs of Tiredness (REST): Zn OR=0.38, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.21-0.68, q=0.02; Rb OR=0.33, 95 % CI 0.15-0.71, q=0.03 - while Sr was associated with higher well-being - the World Health Organization-5 Well-Being Index (WHO-5) OR=1.36, 95 % CI 1.12-1.65, q=0.02. CONCLUSIONS: Findings support broader trace-element panels to inform psychophysical and cardiometabolic risk beyond classical toxic metals, complementing prior PREVES-STOP evidence on lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd). Further investigation is warranted.