Chemical Element Mixtures and Kidney Function in Mining and Non-Mining Settings in Northern Colombia

Laura A. Rodriguez-Villamizar (), Olga M. Medina, Oscar Flórez-Vargas, Eugenio Vilanova, Alvaro J. Idrovo, Santiago A. Araque-Rodriguez, José A. Henao and Luz H. Sánchez-Rodríguez
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Laura A. Rodriguez-Villamizar: Departamento de Salud Pública, Escuela de Medicina, Universidad Industrial de Santander, Bucaramanga 680002, Colombia
Olga M. Medina: Escuela de Microbiología, Universidad Industrial de Santander, Bucaramanga 68002, Colombia
Oscar Flórez-Vargas: Escuela de Microbiología, Universidad Industrial de Santander, Bucaramanga 68002, Colombia
Eugenio Vilanova: Instituto de Bioingeniería, Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche, 03202 Elche, Spain
Alvaro J. Idrovo: Departamento de Salud Pública, Escuela de Medicina, Universidad Industrial de Santander, Bucaramanga 680002, Colombia
Santiago A. Araque-Rodriguez: Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud Programa de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Bucaramanga, Bucaramanga 681003, Colombia
José A. Henao: Escuela de Química, Universidad Industrial de Santander, Bucaramanga 680006, Colombia
Luz H. Sánchez-Rodríguez: Escuela de Microbiología, Universidad Industrial de Santander, Bucaramanga 68002, Colombia

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 3, 1-15

Abstract: The exposure to chemical mixtures is a problem of concern in developing countries and it is well known that the kidney is the major target organ for toxic elements. This cross-sectional study aimed to estimate the individual and composite mixture effect of a large number of chemical elements on kidney function in gold-mining and surrounding non-mining populations in northeast Colombia. We measured concentrations of 36 chemical elements in hair as indicators of chronic exposure from 199 adult participants. We estimated the effect of exposure to mixtures of chemical elements on estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) using weighted quantile sum regression (WQS). The WQS index of the mixture was associated with reduced eGFR (Coefficient −2.42; 95%CI: −4.69, −0.16) being Be, Cd, Pb, As, and Mn, the principal contributors of the toxic mixture. Mining activities and Hg concentration were not associated with decreased kidney function. Our results suggest that complex mixtures of chemical elements, mainly heavy metals, act as nephrotoxic in these populations and therefore the analysis of chemical element mixtures is a better approach to identify environmental and occupational chemical risks for kidney damage.

Keywords: elements; trace elements; complex mixtures; kidney function; eGFR; mining; Colombia (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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