Internal exposure risk based on urinary metabolites of PAHs of occupation and non-occupation populations around a non-ferrous metal smelting plant

Bizhi Wu; Meiqing Lin; Hailing Li; Yingjun Wu; Mengdie Qi; Jian Tang; Shengtao Ma; Guiying Li; Taicheng An

doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.131563

Internal exposure risk based on urinary metabolites of PAHs of occupation and non-occupation populations around a non-ferrous metal smelting plant

J Hazard Mater. 2023 Aug 5:455:131563. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.131563. Epub 2023 May 3.

Authors

Bizhi Wu¹, Meiqing Lin¹, Hailing Li¹, Yingjun Wu¹, Mengdie Qi¹, Jian Tang¹, Shengtao Ma¹, Guiying Li¹, Taicheng An²

Affiliations

¹ Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Joint Laboratory for Contaminants Exposure and Health, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Catalysis and Health Risk Control, Institute of Environmental Health and Pollution Control, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China; Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Environmental Catalysis and Pollution Control, Key Laboratory for City Cluster Environmental Safety and Green Development of the Ministry of Education, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China.
² Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Joint Laboratory for Contaminants Exposure and Health, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Catalysis and Health Risk Control, Institute of Environmental Health and Pollution Control, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China; Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Environmental Catalysis and Pollution Control, Key Laboratory for City Cluster Environmental Safety and Green Development of the Ministry of Education, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China. Electronic address: antc99@gdut.edu.cn.

PMID: 37167870
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.131563

Abstract

The emission of various metals from non-ferrous metal smelting activities is well known. However, relative investigations on potential occupational exposure of organic pollutants are still limited. Herein, total of 619 human urine samples were collected from workers engaged in smelting activities and residents living near and/or far from the smelting sites, and ten mono-hydroxylated metabolites of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (OH-PAHs) in human urine were determined. The median levels of Σ₁₀OH-PAHs in smelting workers (25.6 ng/mL) were significantly higher (p < 0.01) than that of surrounding residents (9.00 ng/mL) and rural residents as the control (8.17 ng/mL), indicating an increase in occupational PAH exposure in non-ferrous metal smelting activities. The composition profiles of OH-PAH congeners were similar in three groups, in which naphthalene metabolites accounted for 76-82% of the total. The effects of smoking, drinking, gender, BMI, and occupational categories on urinary OH-PAHs were considered. The partial correlation analysis showed an insignificant effect of non-ferrous metal smelting activities on PAH exposure for surrounding residents. In the health risk assessments, almost all smelting workers had cancer risks exceeded the acceptable level of 10^-6. This study provides a reference to occupational PAH exposure and reinforce the necessary of health monitoring among smelting workers.

Keywords: Health risks; Human biomonitoring; Monohydroxylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; Non-ferrous metal smelting; Urinary metabolites.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Biomarkers / urine
Environmental Monitoring
Environmental Pollutants* / analysis
Humans
Occupational Exposure* / analysis
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons* / analysis
Smoking

Substances

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons
Environmental Pollutants
Biomarkers