Pulmonary hypofunction due to calcium carbonate nanomaterial exposure in occupational workers: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Calcium carbonate nanomaterials (nano-CaCO) are widely used in both manufacturing and consumer products, but their potential health hazards remain unclear. The objective of this study was to survey workplace exposure levels and health effects of workers exposed to nano-CaCO. Personal and area sampling, as well as real-time and dust monitoring, were performed to characterize mass exposure, particle size distribution, and particle number exposure. A total of 56 workers (28 exposed workers and 28 unexposed controls) were studied in a cross-sectional study. They completed physical examinations, spirometry, and digital radiography. The results showed that the gravimetric nano-CaCO concentration was 5.264 ± 6.987 mg/m (0.037-22.192 mg/m) at the workplace, and 3.577 ± 2.065 mg/m (2.042-8.161 mg/m) in the breathing zone of the exposed workers. The particle number concentrations ranged from 8193 to 39 621 particles/cm with a size range of 30-150 nm. The process of packing had the highest gravimetric and particle number concentrations. The particle number concentration positively correlated with gravimetric concentrations of nano-CaCO. The levels of hemoglobin, creatine phosphokinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) in the nano-CaCO exposure group increased significantly, but the white blood cell count (WBC), Complement 3 (C3), total protein (TP), uric acid, and creatinine (CREA) all decreased significantly. The prevalence rate of pulmonary hypofunction was significantly higher (p = 0.037), and the levels of vital capacity (VC), forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), FEV1/FVC, peak expiratory flow and forced expiratory flow 25% (FEF 25%), FEF 25-75% were negatively correlated with gravimetric concentrations of nano-CaCO (p < 0.05). Logistic analysis showed that nano-CaCO exposure level was associated with pulmonary hypofunction (p = 0.005). Meanwhile, a dose-effect relationship was found between the accumulated gravimetric concentrations of nano-CaCO and the prevalence rate of pulmonary hypofunction (p = 0.048). In conclusion, long-term and high-level nano-CaCO exposure can induce pulmonary hypofunction in workers. Thus, lung function examination is suggested for occupational populations with nano-CaCO exposure. Furthermore, future health protection efforts should focus on senior workers with accumulation effects of nano-CaCO exposure.

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Empower Advanced Biomedical Material Design to Toxicity Prediction

“…In vivo modeling in embryonic zebrafish [53] Colloidal NPs Adverse outcome pathways (AOPs) [54] CaCO 3 NPs Pulmonary hypofunction [55] Metal oxide NPs NanoÀQSAR [56] C 60 fullerene Pulmonary toxic effects [57] Apriori Algorithm Pristine C 60 fullerene Predicting hemocompatibility [58] k-nearest neighbors PEG/PLA NPs Microarray gene expression analysis and clinical outcome prediction [47] All category NPs to predicts the 24 h postfertilization (hpf ) In vivo embryonic zebrafish [36] K-means clustering algorithm Quantitative resolution of NP size aqueous matrices at environmentally relevant concentrations Au-NPs [59] Protein NPs Local protein sequence motifs representing common structural property [59] i-TASSER Short peptide-gold nanoflowers In-silico modeling for hyperthermia [60] SnO 2 NPs Biomineralization efficiency [61] Figure 3. Summary of MIRIBEL components, guiding principles, and potential benefits.…”

Direct imaging evidences of metal inorganic contaminants traced into cigarettes

“…Furthermore, a nano-CaCO3 exposure was significantly associated with pulmonary hypofunction. [57] The role of titanium element in the filter, aggregating chemically in titanium dioxide particles especially in T-cigarettes, has been considered as an additive tool for capturing the toxic tobacco-specific nitrosamine via chemical absorption and for decomposing the filter waste by photodegradation processes (e.g. UV radiations of sunlight activation) [58,59].…”

New Occupational Exposures with Respiratory Effects

“…Another study showed severe chemical pneumonitis with extensive bilateral ground-glass opacities in a worker exposed to nanosized positively charged fluorinated acrylate during spray painting wooden furnitures 156 . In a cross-sectional study on 28 workers of a Chinese manufacturing industry, Li and colleagues (2018) 157 reported a significant reduction in lung function of the workers as a result of long-term exposure to nanosized calcium carbonate. Pelclova and colleagues 158 found a trace of nanoparticles in the exhaled breath condensate (EBC) of the workers exposed to titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) nanoparticles.…”