Rapid Assessment of Oxidative Damage Potential: A Comparative Study of Engineered Stone Dusts Using a Deoxyguanosine Assay

Leigh Thredgold, Chandnee Ramkissoon, Chellan Kumarasamy, Richard Gun, Shelley Rowett and Sharyn Gaskin
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Leigh Thredgold: Adelaide Exposure Science and Health, School of Public Health, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
Chandnee Ramkissoon: Adelaide Exposure Science and Health, School of Public Health, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
Chellan Kumarasamy: Adelaide Exposure Science and Health, School of Public Health, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
Richard Gun: Adelaide Exposure Science and Health, School of Public Health, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
Shelley Rowett: SafeWork SA, Government of South Australia, Adelaide, SA 5035, Australia
Sharyn Gaskin: Adelaide Exposure Science and Health, School of Public Health, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 10, 1-10

Abstract: The popularity of engineered stone (ES) has been associated with a global increase in occupational lung disease in workers exposed to respirable dust during the fabrication of benchtops and other ES products. In this study, the reactivity and subsequent oxidative reduction potential of freshly generated ES dusts were evaluated by (i) comparing different engineered and natural stones, (ii) comparing settled and respirable stone dust fractions and (iii) assessing the effect of ageing on the reactivity of freshly generated stone dust. An established cell-free deoxyguanosine hydroxylation assay was used to assess the potential for oxidative DNA damage. ES dust exhibited a higher relative reactivity than two of the three natural stones tested. Respirable dust fractions were found to be significantly more reactive than their corresponding settled fraction (ANOVA, p < 0.05) across all stone types and samples. However, settled dust still displayed high relative reactivity. The lower reactivity of the settled dust was not due to decay in reactivity of the respirable dust when it settled but rather a result of the admixture of larger nonrespirable particles. No significant change in respirable dust reactivity was observed for three ES samples over a 21-day time period, whereas a significant decrease in reactivity was observed in the natural stone studied. This study has practical implications for dust control and housekeeping in industry, risk assessment and hazard management.

Keywords: engineered stone; artificial stone; reactivity; oxidative damage; deoxyguanosine; respirable crystalline silica (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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