Evaluating levels and health risk of heavy metals in exposed workers from surgical instrument manufacturing industries of Sialkot, Pakistan

Abstract

The study aimed to monitor heavy metal (chromium, Cr; cadmium, Cd; nickel, Ni; copper, Cu; lead, Pb; iron, Fe; manganese, Mn; and zinc, Zn) footprints in biological matrices (urine, whole blood, saliva, and hair), as well as in indoor industrial dust samples, and their toxic effects on oxidative stress and health risks in exposed workers. Overall, blood, urine, and saliva samples exhibited significantly higher concentrations of toxic metals in exposed workers (Cr; blood 16.30 μg/L, urine 58.15 μg/L, saliva 5.28 μg/L) than the control samples (Cr; blood 5.48 μg/L, urine 4.47 μg/L, saliva 2.46 μg/L). Indoor industrial dust samples also reported to have elevated heavy metal concentrations, as an example, Cr quantified with concentration of 299 mg/kg of dust, i.e., more than twice the level of Cr in household dust (136 mg/kg). Superoxide dismutase (SOD) level presented significant positive correlation (p ≤ 0.01) with Cr, Zn, and Cd (Cr> Zn > Cd) which is an indication of heavy metal's associated raised oxidative stress in exposed workers. Elevated average daily intake (ADI) of heavy metals resulted in cumulative hazard quotient (HQ) range of 2.97-18.88 in workers of different surgical units; this is an alarming situation of health risk implications. Principal component analysis-multiple linear regression (PCA-MLR)-based pie charts represent that polishing and cutting sections exhibited highest metal inputs to the biological and environmental matrices than other sources. Heavy metal concentrations in biological matrices and dust samples showed a significant positive correlation between Cr in dust, urine, and saliva samples. Current study will help to generate comprehensive base line data of heavy metal status in biomatrices and dust from scientifically ignored industrial sector. Our findings can play vital role for health departments and industrial environmental management system (EMS) authorities in policy making and implementation.

Health hazards of child labor in the leather products and surgical instrument manufacturing industries of Sialkot, Pakistan

“…A positive correlation was also observed between Ni and Cr (r ¼ 0.57) concentrations measured in different bio-matrices, which implied the recent occupational exposure. Both of these metals showed the synergistic relationship in the surgical industries as per our current and previous findings (Junaid et al, 2016a). Moreover, these two metals were also significantly correlated (p < 0.05) in the dust samples and this was further confirmed by the augmented levels of Cr (34.28e299.75 mg/kg) and Ni (13.29e164.59 mg/kg) measured in the indoor industrial dust samples compared to the other metals ( Fig.…”

“…For Saliva samples, the surgical industries revealed higher levels of Ni, Pb, Mn, and Zn, while in the leather industries; Cr, Cd, Cu, and Fe levels were reported with elevated concentrations. Generally, the metal levels in the saliva samples were lower compared to other bio-matrices, previous studies also reported similar findings (Gil et al, 2011;Junaid et al, 2016a).…”

“…Consequently, the varying exposure tendencies can induce health impacts of different levels. Even chronic low-level exposure to the toxic metals (Cr, Ni, Pb, and Cd) can disrupt the neurological, digestive, respiratory, and reproductive systems and can induce developmental, genotoxic, and carcinogenic effects in the exposed population (Barton, 2011;Junaid et al, 2016a). Therefore, we extracted the correlation and linear regression matrix (Tables 3 and 4) using the metal concentrations in the bio-matrices and exposure duration to reveal whether these metals are the fresh intake from occupational exposure or a result of chronic environmental exposure or an endogenous contamination.…”

“…The main sections are cutting, polishing, welding, fitting, cleaning and packing in the surgical industries and crusting, surface coating, cutting, stitching and packing in the leather industries (IARC, 2012;Junaid et al, 2016a). Children were exposed to varying levels of heavy metals in these industrial sections through dust, particulate matter, and fumes.…”

“…Previous reports have highlighted the worse working conditions in these industries, albeit only a few scientific studies are available those focused on occupational health assessment associated with the heavy metals exposure in the workers (Junaid et al, 2016a;Khan et al, 2013) and rarely in the child labor (Sughis et al, 2014). Generally, prolonged occupational exposure to heavy metals can induce different health hazards such as asthma, hypotension, gastrointestinal diseases, renal and hepatic failure and even cancer, and children are more prone to such health impacts (ATSDR, 2000;Jim enez-Rodríguez et al, 2009;Jomova and Valko, 2011).…”