Rongyi Kang, Jieting Chen, Kaihui Li, Rui Sun, Jian Zhang, Chenxu Dai, Xijin Xu, Bo Xie, William W Au, Lei Tan, Xia Huo
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Objectives: E-waste recycling releases toxic metals into the environment, posing a considerable threat to children's health. Since 2012, China has implemented strict regulations and import controls on the e-waste industry. This study investigates the six-year trends of urinary metal levels and health risks in preschool children, including exposure levels, health risks, and association with hemoglobin.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 762 preschool children in Guiyu, China. We measured levels of 20 urinary metals and hemoglobin levels. To explore the independent and joint associations between metals and hemoglobin, multiple linear regression and Bayesian kernel machine regression models were used.
Results: Most metals decreased significantly over the period, but some metals remained relatively constant or even increased. Among the metals, lead may be a potential biomarker for e-waste control. The Hazard Index of four metals (nickel, arsenic, cadmium, and lead) exceeded 1 for 98.3% of children. The carcinogenic risk of nickel and arsenic exceeded the threshold for every child and 99.1% of children, respectively. Urinary metal and excretion levels were higher in female. Single metal and mixture metal exposures were significantly correlated with hemoglobin levels and highlight the gender-specific associations.
Conclusions: Urinary metal levels showed a significant downward trend over time under e-waste control, but the risks from nickel and arsenic remain concerning. Female children face higher risks from metal exposure and elevated hemoglobin levels.
期刊介绍：
International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health publishes Editorials, Review Articles, Original Articles, and Letters to the Editor. It welcomes any manuscripts dealing with occupational or ambient environmental problems, with a special interest in research at the interface of occupational health and clinical medicine. The scope ranges from Biological Monitoring to Dermatology, from Fibers and Dust to Human Toxicology, from Nanomaterials and Ultra-fine Dust to Night- and Shift Work, from Psycho-mental Distress and Burnout to Vibrations. A complete list of topics can be found on the right-hand side under For authors and editors.
In addition, all papers should be based on present-day standards and relate to:
-Clinical and epidemiological studies on morbidity and mortality
-Clinical epidemiological studies on the parameters relevant to the estimation of health risks
-Human experimental studies on environmental health effects. Animal experiments are only acceptable if relevant to pathogenic aspects.
-Methods for studying the topics mentioned above.
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