HBM4EU Occupational Biomonitoring Study on e-Waste—Study Protocol

Paul T. J. Scheepers, Radu Corneliu Duca, Karen S. Galea, Lode Godderis, Emilie Hardy, Lisbeth E. Knudsen, Elizabeth Leese, Henriqueta Louro, Selma Mahiout, Sophie Ndaw, Katrien Poels, Simo P. Porras, Maria J. Silva, Ana Maria Tavares, Jelle Verdonck, Susana Viegas, Tiina Santonen and e-Waste Study Team Hbm4eu
Additional contact information
Paul T. J. Scheepers: Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Radboudumc, P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
Radu Corneliu Duca: Department of Health Protection, Laboratoire National de Santé (LNS), 1 rue Louis Rech, 3555 Luxembourg, Luxembourg
Karen S. Galea: Institute of Occupational Medicine (IOM), Edinburgh EH14 4AP, UK
Lode Godderis: Centre for Environment and Health, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, KU Leuven (University of Leuven), Kapucijnenvoer 35, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
Emilie Hardy: Department of Health Protection, Laboratoire National de Santé (LNS), 1 rue Louis Rech, 3555 Luxembourg, Luxembourg
Lisbeth E. Knudsen: Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Øster Farimagsgade 5, 1353 Copenhagen, Denmark
Elizabeth Leese: Health & Safety Executive, Buxton SK17 9JN, UK
Henriqueta Louro: INSA, National Institute of Health Dr. Ricardo Jorge, Department of Human Genetics, Av. Padre Cruz, 1600-609 Lisbon, Portugal
Selma Mahiout: Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Topeliuksenkatu 41 b, 00250 Helsinki, Finland
Sophie Ndaw: INRS, French National Research and Safety Institute, 54500 Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy, France
Katrien Poels: Centre for Environment and Health, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, KU Leuven (University of Leuven), Kapucijnenvoer 35, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
Simo P. Porras: Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Topeliuksenkatu 41 b, 00250 Helsinki, Finland
Maria J. Silva: INSA, National Institute of Health Dr. Ricardo Jorge, Department of Human Genetics, Av. Padre Cruz, 1600-609 Lisbon, Portugal
Ana Maria Tavares: INSA, National Institute of Health Dr. Ricardo Jorge, Department of Human Genetics, Av. Padre Cruz, 1600-609 Lisbon, Portugal
Jelle Verdonck: Centre for Environment and Health, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, KU Leuven (University of Leuven), Kapucijnenvoer 35, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
Susana Viegas: NOVA National School of Public Health, Public Health Research Centre, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, 1600–560 Lisbon, Portugal
Tiina Santonen: Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Topeliuksenkatu 41 b, 00250 Helsinki, Finland
e-Waste Study Team Hbm4eu: HBM4EU e-waste study members are listed in Acknowledgments.

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 24, 1-17

Abstract: Workers involved in the processing of electronic waste (e-waste) are potentially exposed to toxic chemicals. If exposure occurs, this may result in uptake and potential adverse health effects. Thus, exposure surveillance is an important requirement for health risk management and prevention of occupational disease. Human biomonitoring by measurement of specific biomarkers in body fluids is considered as an effective method of exposure surveillance. The aim of this study is to investigate the internal exposure of workers processing e-waste using a human biomonitoring approach, which will stimulate improved work practices and contribute to raising awareness of potential hazards. This exploratory study in occupational exposures in e-waste processing is part of the European Human Biomonitoring Initiative (HBM4EU). Here we present a study protocol using a cross sectional survey design to study worker’s exposures and compare these to the exposure of subjects preferably employed in the same company but with no known exposure to industrial recycling of e-waste. The present study protocol will be applied in six to eight European countries to ensure standardised data collection. The target population size is 300 exposed and 150 controls. Biomarkers of exposure for the following chemicals will be used: chromium, cadmium and lead in blood and urine; brominated flame retardants and polychlorobiphenyls in blood; mercury, organophosphate flame retardants and phthalates in urine, and chromium, cadmium, lead and mercury in hair. In addition, the following effect biomarkers will be studied: micronuclei, epigenetic, oxidative stress, inflammatory markers and telomere length in blood and metabolomics in urine. Occupational hygiene sampling methods (airborne and settled dust, silicon wristbands and handwipes) and contextual information will be collected to facilitate the interpretation of the biomarker results and discuss exposure mitigating interventions to further reduce exposures if needed. This study protocol can be adapted to future European-wide occupational studies.

Keywords: biomarkers; flame retardants; phthalates; cadmium; chromium; lead; mercury; occupational exposure; recycling (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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