Our organization, departments, staff and researchers
Sawako Horai
The research group I work for : Risk Assessment Group, Medical Practice/Welfare/Society Group
I conduct research on environment monitoring for mercury and several kinds of trace elements, focusing on wildlife and humans.
Research theme - Areas of work
Study on dose-response relationships between mercury and essential trace elements in animal species with high levels of mercury accumulation
Analysis of disease type-specific secular changes in activities of daily living (ADL) in Minamata disease patients in chronic phase
Main research achievements
2022
Horai, S., Murakami, S., Sakoda, A., Nakashita, R., Kunisue, T & Ishimori, Y.: Environmental monitoring of trace elements and evaluation of environmental impacts to organisms near a former uranium mining site in Nigyo-toge, Japan. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment volume 194, Article number: 415, 2022
Horai, S., Abiko, Y., Unoki, T., Shinkai, Y., Akiyama, M., Nakata, K., Kunisue, T., Kumagai, Y.: Concentrations of nucleophilic sulfur species in small Indian mongoose (Herpestes auropunctatus) in Okinawa, Japan. Chemosphere, 295, 2022 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.133833
2021
Abiko, Y., Katayama, Y., Zhao, W., Horai, S., Sakurai, K., Kumagai, Y.: The fate of methylmercury through formation of bismethylmercury sulfide as an intermediate in mice. Scientific Reports, 2021 DOI:10.21203/rs.3.rs-454570/v1
2020
Sakoda, A., Murakami, S., Ishimori, Y., and Horai, S.: Concentration ratios of 238U and 226Ra for insects and amphibians living in the vicinity of the closed uranium mine at Ningyo-toge, Japan. Journal of Radiation Research 61: 207-213, 2020
2018
Horai, S., Nakashima, Y., Nawada, K., Watanabe, I., Kunisue, T., Abe, S., Yamada, F. and Sugihara, R.: Trace element concentrations in the small Indian mongoose (Herpestes auropunctatus) from Hawaii, USA. Ecological Indicators 91: 92-104, 2018
Moriki T, Yoshida H, Nakashita R, Sasaki M, Watanabe I, Horai S. Evaluation of dynamics of environmental pollution observed from environment monitoring for nutrient salts and trace elements in the Hino River riverine system in Tottori Prefecture. Journal of Environmental Chemistry. 28: 33-39, 2018.
2016
Masamoto, I., Yoshimitsu, M., Kuroki, A., Horai, S., Ezinne, C.C., Kozako, T., Hachiman, M., Kamada, Y., Baba, M., and Arima, N.: Clinical significance of CD70 expression on T cells in human T-lymphotropic virus type-1 carriers and adult T cell leukemia/lymphoma patients. Leukemia & Lymphoma 57: 685-691, 2016
Takeda, N., Horai, S. and Tamura, J.: Facile analysis of contents and compositions of the chondroitin sulfate/dermatan sulfate hybrid chain in shark and ray tissues. Carbohydrate Research 424: 54-58, 2016
2015
Riyadi, A.S., Itai, T., Hayase, D., Isobe, T., Horai, S., Miller, T.W., Omori, K., Sundaryanto, A., Ilyas, M., Setiawan, I.E. and Tanabe, S.: Comparison of trophic magnification slopes of mercury in temperate and tropical regions case studies on the Oregon coast, USA, Sanriku coast, Japan, and Jakarta bay, Indonesia. Chemistry Letters 44: 1470-1472, 2015
2014
Horai, S., Yanagi, K., Kaname, T., Yamamoto, M., Watanabe, I., Ogura, G., Abe, S., Tanabe, S. and Furukawa, T.: Establishment of a primary hepatocyte culture from the small Indian mongoose (Herpestes auropunctatus) and distribution of mercury in liver tissue. Ecotoxicology 23: 1681-1689, 2014
Horai, S., Itai, T., Noguchi, T., Yasuda, Y., Adachi, H., Hyobu, Y., Riyadi, A.S., Boggs, A.S.P., Lowers, R., Guillet Jr., L.J. and Tanabe, S.: Concentrations of trace elements in American Alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) from Florida, USA. Chemosphere 108: 159-167, 2014
2013
Noguchi, T., Itai, T., Tue, N.M., Agusa, T., Ha, N.N., Horai, S., Trang, P.T.K., Viet, P.H., Takahashi, S. and Tanabe, S.: Exposure assessment of lead to workers and children in the battery recycling craft village, Dong Mai, Vietnam. Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management DOI 10.1007/ s10163-013-0159-0, 2013
2011
Hirata (Horai), S., Hayase, D., Eguchi, A., Itai, T., Nomiyama, K., Isobe, T., Agusa, T., Ishikawa, T., Kumagai, M. and Tanabe, S.: Arsenic and Mn levels in Isaza (Gymnogobius isaza) during the mass mortality event in Lake Biwa, Japan. Environmental Pollution 159: 2789-2796, 2011
2009
Kozako, T., Yoshimitsu, M., Fujiwara, H., Masamoto, I., Horai, S., Akimoto, M., Suzuki, S., Matsushita, K., Uozumi, K., Tei, C. and Arima, N.: PD-1/PD-L1 expression in human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 carriers and adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma patients. Leukemia 23: 375-382, 2009
2008
Horai, S., Furukawa, T., Ando, T., Akiba, S., Takeda, Y., Yamada, K., Kuno, K., Abe, S. and Watanabe, I.: Subcellular distribution and potential detoxication mechanisms of mercury in the liver of the Javan mongoose (Herpestes javanicus) in Amamioshima Island, Japan. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 27: 1354-1360, 2008
Baba, M., Okamoto, M., Hamasaki, T., Horai, S., Wang, X., Ito, Y., Suda, Y. and Arima, N.: Highly enhanced expression of CD70 on human T-lymphotropic virus type 1-carrying T-cell lines and adult T-cell leukemia cells. Journal of Virology 82: 3843-3852, 2008
2007
Ozaki, A., Arima, N., Matsushita, K., Uozumi, K., Akimoto, H., Hamada, H., Kawada, H., Horai, S., Tanaka, Y. and Tei, C.: Cyclosporin inhibits HTLV-1 Tax expression and shows anti-tumor effects in combination with VP-16. Journal of Medical Virology 79: 1906-1913, 2007
Horai, S., Watanabe, I., Takada, H., Iwamizu, Y., Hayashi, T., Tanabe, S. and Kuno, K.: Trace element accumulations in 13 avian species collected from the Kanto area, Japan. Science of the Total Environment 373: 512-525, 2007
2006
Horai, S., Minagawa, M., Ozaki, H., Watanabe, I., Takeda, Y., Yamada, Ando, T., Akiba, S., Abe, S. and Kuno, K.: Accumulation of Hg and other heavy metals in the Javan mongoose, Herpestes javanicus, captured on Amamioshima Island, Japan. Chemosphere 65: 657-665, 2006
Tabata, H., Anwar, M., Horai, S., Ando, T., Nakano, A., Wakamiya, J., Koriyama, C., Nakagawa, M., Yamada, K. and Akiba, S.: Toenail arsenic levels among residents in Amami-Oshima Island, Japan. Environmental Science 13: 149-160, 2006
Externally-funded research
FY 2023-2025 JSPS Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C) (Principal Investigator)
Investigation of individual differences in susceptibility to mercury toxicity that may be related to selenium
FY 2023-2026 JSPS Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A) (Co-Investigator)
Spatiotemporal trend analysis and ecological risk assessment of monitoring and emerging environmental chemicals in the Asia-Pacific region
FY 2018-2021 JSPS Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B) (Principal Investigator)
Mother-fetus transference of mercury and other trace elements in Herpestes auropunctatus and search for related genes
FY 2019-2021 JSPS Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A) (Co-Investigator)
Elucidation and risk assessment regarding mechanisms and spatiotemporal trends of concentration of new environmental pollutants in living creatures in the hydrosphere
Main career history, academic history, academic degrees, awards, etc.
Academic history
2006Department of Symbiotic Science of Environment and Natural Resources, United Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, program completed
2003Department of Environmental Science on Biosphere, Graduate School of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, program completed
2001Department of Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, graduated
Degree: Ph.D. (Agriculture)
Career history
2021 to dateNational Institute for Minamata Disease
2017Department of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Tottori University
2011Department of Regional Environmental Studies, Faculty of Regional Sciences, Tottori University
2008Division of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Center for Marine Environmental Studies, Ehime University
2006Host Response Research Field, Center for Chronic Viral Diseases, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima University
