Abstract
The worker’s health service is guided to look for risks. There is not an evaluation of the onset of the disease linked to a long-term exposure to low levels of toxic agents. Besides, there are few records of the level of metal concentration in the environmental air in industry, as well as few records of the level of contamination of factory workers. To assess the level of pollution in workplace, galvanising industry was chosen as the object of this study. The worker exposure and contamination levels were assessed by means of airborne particulate matter collected in air filters and biomonitors. The analysis of the air filter, hair and toenail samples were carried out by Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis, and urine samples by Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry. The statistical multivariate analysis and ANOVA methods were applied to elemental concentration. Copper and iron elements were highlighted as the main contributors on the differentiation of the classes. The results point out the effectiveness of biomonitors in occupational studies.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Almeida, I. M., 1998: Dificuldades no diagnóstico de doenças ocupacionais e do trabalho, Jornal Brasileiro de Medicina 74, 35–48.
American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists, 2000: Threshold limit values for chemical substances in the work environment, Cincinnati, 105 pp.
Cheng, T. P., J. S. Morris S. R., Koirtyohann V. L. Spate C. Baskettk 1995: Study of the correlations of trace elements in carpenters’ toenails, J. Radioanal. Nucl. Chem. Articles, 195:31–42.
De Corte, F., 1987: The k0-standardisation method; A move to the optimisation of neutron activation analysis, Ph.D. Thesis, Ryksuniversiteit Gent, Faculteit Van de Wetenschappen, Belgium.
Georgescu, R., Pantelica, A., Cracium, D., and Grosescu, R., 1998: Factorial discriminant analysis of occupational exposure in metallurgy using INAA of hair samples, J. Radioanal. Nucl. Chem. 1231, 3–9.
Guth, D. J., and Raymond, T. S., 1996: A database designed to support dose-response analysis and risk assessment, Toxicology 114, 81–90.
International Atomic Energy Agency, 2000: Co-ordinated research project on the assessment of levels and health-effects of airborne particulate matter in mining, metal refining and metal working industries using nuclear and related analytical techniques, Final Report, IAEA, Vienna (in press).
Iyengar, G. V., and Woittiez, J., 1988: Trace elements in human clinical specimens: evaluation of literature data to identify reference values, Clin. Chem. 34, 474–481.
Johnson, R. A., and Wichern, D. W., 1992: Applied Multivariate Statistical Analysis, Prentice-Hall, New Jersey, 642 pp.
Kucèera, J., Lener, J., Soukal, L., and Horáková, J., 1996: Air pollution and biological monitoring of environmental exposure to vanadium using short-time neutron activation analysis, J. Trace Microprobe Tech. 141, 191–201.
Lin, S., Tai, C., Chan, C., and Wang, J., 1994: Nasal septum lesions caused by chromium exposure among chromium electroplating workers, Am. J. Ind. Med. 26, 221–288.
Linch, A. L., 1981: Evaluation of Ambient air Quality by Personnel Monitoring, 2nd edn., Vol. 2, CRC, Boca Raton, 305 p.
Maitre, A., Collot-Fertey, D., Anzivino, L., Marques, M., Hours, M., and Stoklov, M., 2003: Municipal waste incinerators: air and biological monitoring of workers for exposure to particles, metals, and organic compounds, Occup. Environ. Med. 60, 563–569.
Menezes, M. â. B. C., 2002: Avaliação da exposição e contaminaçã por metais em galvanoplastias utilizando filtros de ar e biomonitores (Assessment of metal exposure and contamination in galvanising using air filter and biomonitors), Ph.D. Thesis, UFMG-ICEx/DQ-476 T.172, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
Menezes, M. â. B. C., Maia, E. C. P., and Albinati, C., 2002: Instrumental neutron activation analysis as an analytical tool on supporting the establishment of guidelines and data basis for worker’s health awareness program, Rev. Bras. Pesq. Des. 4, 1110–1117.
Menezes, M. â. B. C., Maia, E. C. P., Albinati, C. C. B., Sabino, C. V. S., and Batista, J. R., 2004: How suitable are scalp hair and toenail as biomonitors?, J. Radioanal. Nucl. Chem. 259, 81–86.
Menezes, M. â. B. C., Sabino, C. V. S., Amaral, A. M., Maia, E. C. P., 2000: k0-NAA applied to certified reference materials and hair samples: evaluation of exposure level in a galvanising industry, J. Radioanal. Nucl. Chem., 245, 173–178.
Menezes, M. â. B. C., Sabino, C. V. S., Amaral, A. M., Mattos, S. V. M., and Santos Filho, S. B., 2002: K0-NAA applied to certified reference materials and hair samples: evaluation of exposure level in a galvanising industry, J. Radioanal. Nucl. Chem. 245, 173–178.
Mertz, W., 1981: The essencial trace elements, Science 213, 1332–1338.
National Institute of Standards and Technology, 1994: Certificate of analysis: standard reference material 2670: toxic metals in freeze-dried urine, Gaithersburg, 2p. (SRM 2670).
Oliveira, J. C., 2001: Sistemas de gestão: compreensão e equívocos, Proteção 14, 52–61.
Perkin Elmer, 1984: Analytical Techniques for Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrometry, Perkin Elmer, Veberlingen.
Ryabukhin, Y. S., 1978: Activation analysis of hair as an indicator of contamination of man by environmental trace elements pollutants, Report no. IAEA/RL/50, IAEA, Vienna.
Saiki, M., Vasconcellos, M. B. A., Arauz, L. J., and Fulfaro, R., 1998: Determination of trace elements in human head hair by neutron activation analysis, J. Radioanal. Nucl. Chem. 236, 25–28.
Schaller, K. H., Angerer, J., Weltle, D., and Drexler, H., 2001: External quality assurance program for biological monitoring in occupational and environmental medicine, Rev. Environ. Health 16, 223–232. (Review)
Shangai Institute of Nuclear Research, Academia Sinica, 1988: Certificate of certified reference material: Human hair, Shangai (GBW 09101).
Silva, C. S., 1998: Um estudo crítico sobre a saúde dos trabalhadores de galvânicas, por meio das relaçães entre as avaliaçães ambientais, biológicas e otorrinolaringológicas (A critical study about galvanising workers health, through relationship between environmental, biological and otorrhinolaringological assessments), Ph.D. Thesis, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
SYSTAT® 7.0 for Windows®, 1997: Statistics, SPSS Inc., Chicago.
World Health Organization, 1996: Biological monitoring of chemical exposure in the workplace; guidelines, Vol. 1, World Health Organization, Geneva.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Menezes, M.Â.B.C., Sabino, C.V.S., Franco, M.B. et al. Assessment of Workers’ Contamination Caused by Air Pollution Exposure in Industry Using Biomonitors. J Atmos Chem 49, 403–414 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10874-004-1255-2
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10874-004-1255-2