TY - JOUR
T1 - HBM4EU chromates study
T2 - determinants of exposure to hexavalent chromium in plating, welding and other occupational settings
AU - Viegas, Susana
AU - Martins, Carla
AU - Bocca, Beatrice
AU - Bousoumah, Radia
AU - Duca, Radu Corneliu
AU - Galea, Karen S.
AU - Godderis, Lode
AU - Iavicoli, Ivo
AU - Janasik, Beata
AU - Jones, Kate
AU - Leese, Elizabeth
AU - Leso, Veruscka
AU - Ndaw, Sophie
AU - van Nieuwenhuyse, An
AU - Poels, Katrien
AU - Porras, Simo P.
AU - Ruggieri, Flavia
AU - Silva, Maria João
AU - Verdonck, Jelle
AU - Wasowicz, Wojciech
AU - Scheepers, Paul T.J.
AU - Santonen, Tiina
N1 - Funding Information:
Funding: This research was conducted under the HBM4EU project and was funded by European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement no. 733032 and received co-funding from the author’s organizations and/or Ministries. Luxembourg entered the study at a later stage and thus financed the study at its own means.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 by the author. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
PY - 2022/3/1
Y1 - 2022/3/1
N2 - Work-related exposures in industrial processing of chromate (chrome plating, surface treatment and welding) raise concern regarding the health risk of hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)). In this study, performed under the HBM4EU project, we focused on better understanding the determinants of exposure and recognising how risk management measures (RMMs) contribute to a reduction in exposure. HBM and occupational hygiene data were collected from 399 workers and 203 controls recruited in nine European countries. Urinary total chromium (U-Cr), personal inhalable and respirable dust of Cr and Cr(VI) and Cr from hand wipes were collected. Data on the RMMs were collected by questionnaires. We studied the association between different exposure parameters and the use of RMMs. The relationship between exposure by inhalation and U-Cr in different worker groups was analysed using regression analysis and found a strong association. Automatisation of Cr electroplating dipping explained lower exposure levels in platers. The use of personal protective equipment resulted in lower U-Cr levels in welding, bath plating and painting. An effect of wearing gloves was observed in machining. An effect of local exhaust ventilation and training was observed in welding. Regression analyses showed that in platers, exposure to air level of 5 µg/m3 corresponds to U-Cr level of 7 µg/g creatinine. In welders, the same inhalation exposure resulted in lower U-Cr levels reflecting toxicokinetic differences of different chromium species.
AB - Work-related exposures in industrial processing of chromate (chrome plating, surface treatment and welding) raise concern regarding the health risk of hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)). In this study, performed under the HBM4EU project, we focused on better understanding the determinants of exposure and recognising how risk management measures (RMMs) contribute to a reduction in exposure. HBM and occupational hygiene data were collected from 399 workers and 203 controls recruited in nine European countries. Urinary total chromium (U-Cr), personal inhalable and respirable dust of Cr and Cr(VI) and Cr from hand wipes were collected. Data on the RMMs were collected by questionnaires. We studied the association between different exposure parameters and the use of RMMs. The relationship between exposure by inhalation and U-Cr in different worker groups was analysed using regression analysis and found a strong association. Automatisation of Cr electroplating dipping explained lower exposure levels in platers. The use of personal protective equipment resulted in lower U-Cr levels in welding, bath plating and painting. An effect of wearing gloves was observed in machining. An effect of local exhaust ventilation and training was observed in welding. Regression analyses showed that in platers, exposure to air level of 5 µg/m3 corresponds to U-Cr level of 7 µg/g creatinine. In welders, the same inhalation exposure resulted in lower U-Cr levels reflecting toxicokinetic differences of different chromium species.
KW - Air monitoring
KW - Biomonitoring
KW - Dermal exposure
KW - Exposure determinants
KW - Hexavalent chromium
KW - Occupational hygiene
KW - Risk management measures
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85126434163&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/ijerph19063683
DO - 10.3390/ijerph19063683
M3 - Article
C2 - 35329370
AN - SCOPUS:85126434163
SN - 1661-7827
VL - 19
JO - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
JF - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
IS - 6
M1 - 3683
ER -