Biological Monitoring of Occupational Exposure to Metals in Electric Steel Foundry Workers and Its Contribution to 8-Oxo-7,8-Dihydro-2?-Deoxyguanosine Levels

Laura Campo, Mariem Hanchi, Sabrina Sucato, Dario Consonni, Elisa Polledri, Luca Olgiati, Dalila Saidane-Mosbahi and Silvia Fustinoni
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Laura Campo: Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, 20122 Milan, Italy
Mariem Hanchi: Laboratory of Analysis, Treatment and Recovery of Environmental Pollutants and Products, Faculty of Pharmacy, 5000 Monastir, Tunisia
Sabrina Sucato: Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20122 Milan, Italy
Dario Consonni: Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, 20122 Milan, Italy
Elisa Polledri: Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20122 Milan, Italy
Luca Olgiati: Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, 20122 Milan, Italy
Dalila Saidane-Mosbahi: Laboratory of Analysis, Treatment and Recovery of Environmental Pollutants and Products, Faculty of Pharmacy, 5000 Monastir, Tunisia
Silvia Fustinoni: Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, 20122 Milan, Italy

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 6, 1-16

Abstract: In this study, the urinary concentrations of selected metals in workers from an electric steel foundry in Tunisia were assessed and compared with existing biological limit values and general population reference values. Moreover, the association between oxidative DNA damage, measured as urinary 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2’deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG) and co-exposure to metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) was evaluated. Urinary levels of 12 metals were determined by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) in end-shift spot samples from 89 workers. The urinary levels of phenanthrene (U-PHE), as marker of exposure to PAHs, and 8-oxodG were also available. Median levels ranged from 0.4 µg/L (cobalt, Co, and thallium, Tl) to 895 µg/L (zinc, Zn). Only 1% of samples was above the biological limit values for Co, and up to 13.5% of samples were above limit values for Cd. From 3.4% (Co) to 72% (lead, Pb) of samples were above the reference values for the general population. Multiple linear regression models, showed that manganese (Mn), Zn, arsenic (As), barium (Ba), Tl, and Pb were significant predictors of 8-oxodG (0.012 ≤ p ≤ 0.048); U-PHE was also a significant predictor (0.003 ≤ p ≤ 0.059). The variance explained by models was low (0.11 ≤ R 2 ≤ 0.17, p < 0.005), showing that metals and PAHs were minor contributors to 8-oxodG. Overall, the comparison with biological limit values showed that the study subjects were occupationally exposed to metals, with levels exceeding biological limit values only for Cd.

Keywords: electric steel foundry; metals; urine; biological monitoring; occupational exposure; biological limit values; 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2?-deoxyguanosine; polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (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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