TY - JOUR
T1 - HBM4EU chromates study
T2 - usefulness of measurement of blood chromium levels in the assessment of occupational Cr(VI) exposure
AU - Ndaw, Sophie
AU - Leso, Veruscka
AU - Bousoumah, Radia
AU - Rémy, Aurélie
AU - Bocca, Beatrice
AU - Duca, Radu Corneliu
AU - Godderis, Lode
AU - Hardy, Emilie
AU - Janasik, Beata
AU - van Nieuwenhuyse, An
AU - Pinhal, Hermínia
AU - Poels, Katrien
AU - Porras, Simo P.
AU - Ruggieri, Flavia
AU - Santonen, Tiina
AU - Santos, Sílvia Reis
AU - Scheepers, Paul T.J.
AU - Silva, Maria João
AU - Verdonck, Jelle
AU - Viegas, Susana
AU - Wasowicz, Wojciech
AU - Iavicoli, Ivo
N1 - Funding Information:
This work has received funding from the 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 The Authors
PY - 2022/11
Y1 - 2022/11
N2 - Occupational exposures to hexavalent Chromium (Cr(VI)) can occur in welding, hot working stainless steel processing, chrome plating, spray painting and coating activities. Recently, within the human biomonitoring for Europe initiative (HBM4EU), a study was performed to assess the suitability of different biomarkers to assess the exposure to Cr(VI) in various job tasks. Blood-based biomarkers may prove useful when more specific information on systemic and intracellular bioavailability is necessary. To this aim, concentrations of Cr in red blood cells (RBC-Cr) and in plasma (P–Cr) were analyzed in 345 Cr(VI) exposed workers and 175 controls to understand how these biomarkers may be affected by variable levels of exposure and job procedures. Compared to controls, significantly higher RBC-Cr levels were observed in bath plating and paint application workers, but not in welders, while all the 3 groups had significantly greater P–Cr concentrations. RBC-Cr and P–Cr in chrome platers showed a high correlation with Cr(VI) in inhalable dust, outside respiratory protective equipment (RPE), while such correlation could not be determined in welders. In platers, the use of RPE had a significant impact on the relationship between blood biomarkers and Cr(VI) in inhalable and respirable dust. Low correlations between P–Cr and RBC-Cr may reflect a difference in kinetics. This study showed that Cr-blood-based biomarkers can provide information on how workplace exposure translates into systemic availability of Cr(III) (extracellular, P–Cr) and Cr(VI) (intracellular, RBC-Cr). Further studies are needed to fully appreciate their use in an occupational health and safety context.
AB - Occupational exposures to hexavalent Chromium (Cr(VI)) can occur in welding, hot working stainless steel processing, chrome plating, spray painting and coating activities. Recently, within the human biomonitoring for Europe initiative (HBM4EU), a study was performed to assess the suitability of different biomarkers to assess the exposure to Cr(VI) in various job tasks. Blood-based biomarkers may prove useful when more specific information on systemic and intracellular bioavailability is necessary. To this aim, concentrations of Cr in red blood cells (RBC-Cr) and in plasma (P–Cr) were analyzed in 345 Cr(VI) exposed workers and 175 controls to understand how these biomarkers may be affected by variable levels of exposure and job procedures. Compared to controls, significantly higher RBC-Cr levels were observed in bath plating and paint application workers, but not in welders, while all the 3 groups had significantly greater P–Cr concentrations. RBC-Cr and P–Cr in chrome platers showed a high correlation with Cr(VI) in inhalable dust, outside respiratory protective equipment (RPE), while such correlation could not be determined in welders. In platers, the use of RPE had a significant impact on the relationship between blood biomarkers and Cr(VI) in inhalable and respirable dust. Low correlations between P–Cr and RBC-Cr may reflect a difference in kinetics. This study showed that Cr-blood-based biomarkers can provide information on how workplace exposure translates into systemic availability of Cr(III) (extracellular, P–Cr) and Cr(VI) (intracellular, RBC-Cr). Further studies are needed to fully appreciate their use in an occupational health and safety context.
KW - Biological monitoring
KW - Electroplating
KW - Plasma chromium
KW - Red blood cells chromium
KW - Welding
KW - Workplace
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85133492650&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.envres.2022.113758
DO - 10.1016/j.envres.2022.113758
M3 - Article
C2 - 35764127
AN - SCOPUS:85133492650
SN - 0013-9351
VL - 214
JO - Environmental Research
JF - Environmental Research
IS - Pt 1
M1 - 113758
ER -
