Occupational exposure to potentially toxic elements in the foundry industry: an integrated environmental and biological monitoring
- 1 July 2021
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Springer Science and Business Media LLC in Environmental Science and Pollution Research
- Vol. 28 (26), 34630-34641
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-13099-y
Abstract
Industrial foundry processes release metal dust and fumes into the environment. Our study evaluated the exposure to potentially toxic elements in foundry workers. The assessed samples consisted of air particulate matter (n = 42), urine (n = 194), and blood (n = 167). Six workers had high concentrations of arsenic (As) in wine and one of them had a high cadmium (Cd) content in blood, according to Biological Exposure Index from the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists. The work task significantly influenced the concentrations of cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), and manganese (Mn) in air, barium (Ba) in urine, and lead (Pb) and cesium (Cs) in blood, while the employment years affected concentrations of Mn, tin (Sn), and uranium (U) in urine and iodine (I) in blood. Arsenic, Pb, Co, and Cd in particulate matter and biological matrices presented significant covariation by working activity, supporting the occupational exposure. In this study, subjects were occupationally exposed to multiple potentially toxic elements. Carcinogenic and noncarcinogenic risks were associated with As, Co, Ni, and Mn exposure.Keywords
Funding Information
- Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (2020/00284-2, 2014/05151-0, 2017/20914-8, 2016/10060-9, 2016/19924-6)
- Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (153204/2018-4)
- Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (001)
This publication has 30 references indexed in Scilit:
- Simultaneous Exposure to Heavy Metals among Residents in the Industrial Complex: Korean National Cohort StudyInternational Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2015
- Formal recycling of e-waste leads to increased exposure to toxic metals: An occupational exposure study from SwedenEnvironment International, 2014
- Monitoring of heavy metal particle emission in the exhaust duct of a foundry using LIBSTalanta, 2014
- Determinants of Metals Exposure to Metalworking Fluid Among Metalworkers in TaiwanArchives of Environmental & Occupational Health, 2013
- Occupational exposure profile of Pb, Mn, and Cd in nonferrous Brazilian sanitary alloy foundriesToxicology and Industrial Health, 2012
- Urinary heavy metals and associated medical conditions in the US adult populationInternational Journal of Environmental Health Research, 2012
- Oxidative damage in foundry workers occupationally co-exposed to PAHs and metalsInternational Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health, 2010
- Exploiting dynamic reaction cell inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (DRC-ICP-MS) for sequential determination of trace elements in blood using a dilute-and-shoot procedureAnalytica Chimica Acta, 2009
- Risk assessment of chemicals in foundries: The International Chemical Toolkit pilot-projectJournal of Hazardous Materials, 2006
- Environmental impact of mining and smelting industries in PolandGeological Society, London, Special Publications, 1996