Urinary Oxidative Stress Biomarkers in Workers of a Titanium Dioxide Based Pigment Production Plant

Flavia Buonaurio, Maria Luisa Astolfi, Silvia Canepari, Marco Di Basilio, Rocco Gibilras, Marco Mecchia, Maddalena Papacchini, Enrico Paci, Daniela Pigini and Giovanna Tranfo
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Flavia Buonaurio: Department of Chemistry, Sapienza University, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
Maria Luisa Astolfi: Department of Chemistry, Sapienza University, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
Silvia Canepari: Department of Chemistry, Sapienza University, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
Marco Di Basilio: Department of Technological Innovations and Safety of Plants, INAIL, Products and Anthropic Settlements, Via di Fontana Candida 1, Monte Porzio Catone, 00078 Rome, Italy
Rocco Gibilras: Department of Technological Innovations and Safety of Plants, INAIL, Products and Anthropic Settlements, Via di Fontana Candida 1, Monte Porzio Catone, 00078 Rome, Italy
Marco Mecchia: Department for Risks Assessment and Prevention, INAIL, Central Office, Via R. Ferruzzi 40, 00143 Rome, Italy
Maddalena Papacchini: Department of Technological Innovations and Safety of Plants, INAIL, Products and Anthropic Settlements, Via di Fontana Candida 1, Monte Porzio Catone, 00078 Rome, Italy
Enrico Paci: Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Epidemiology and Hygiene, INAIL, Via di Fontana Candida 1, Monte Porzio Catone, 00078 Rome, Italy
Daniela Pigini: Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Epidemiology and Hygiene, INAIL, Via di Fontana Candida 1, Monte Porzio Catone, 00078 Rome, Italy
Giovanna Tranfo: Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Epidemiology and Hygiene, INAIL, Via di Fontana Candida 1, Monte Porzio Catone, 00078 Rome, Italy

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 23, 1-11

Abstract: Titanium dioxide is produced or imported into the EU for over one million tons/year. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classification is 2B, a possible inhalation carcinogen for humans. This study evaluates urinary biomarkers of oxidative stress in workers of a plant producing TiO 2 pigment powder, having 0.25 µm average particle size and an ultrafine fraction, compared to unexposed subjects. Urine samples were collected from forty workers before and after the shift, from six employees of the same company and eighteen volunteers from the same geographical area. Titanium and other metals concentrations were measured by ICP-MS, while DNA, RNA, and protein oxidation products by HPLC/MS-MS. A statistically significant increase was found for the urinary concentration of Al, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb, Ti, and Zr, and for all biomarkers of oxidative stress in post-shift workers’ urine samples. Urinary concentrations after the working shift were higher than for employees and volunteers pooled together for Cd, Mn, and Zr, and for the oxidative stress biomarkers 8-oxoGuo, 8-oxodGuo, and 3NO 2 Tyr. Biomonitoring studies on dose and effect biomarkers for TiO 2 occupational exposure provide information useful for protecting workers’ health even in conditions that comply with health and safety standards, highlighting reversible effects of chronic exposure at very low doses.

Keywords: urinary Titanium; ICP-MS; HPLC-MS/MS; occupational exposure; oxidative stress biomarkers (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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