Background: Lead battery repair workers (LBRW) and electronic repair workers (ERW) may be exposed to inorganic components during work. This study aimed at determining essential and non-essential trace elements in male LBRW, ERW, referents and a group of female petty traders (FPT) in Kumasi (Ghana), taking into account iron status and inflammation.

Methods: Altogether 64 LBRW, 64 ERW, 65 referents and 26 FPT were investigated in this cross-sectional study. Urine, whole blood and serum were collected for determination of trace elements. C-reactive protein and ferritin were determined in serum.

Results: The LBRW had higher blood concentrations of manganese (B-Mn) and lead (B-Pb) and antimony in urine (U-Sb), and lower concentrations of cobalt in blood (B-Co). Being ERW was associated with higher concentrations of blood cadmium (B-Cd), urinary tin (U-Sn) and serum chromium (S-Cr). Concentrations of selenium (B-Se), Co and mercury (B-Hg) in whole blood and iodine in urine (U-I) were relatively high. Marginal iron status appeared to be a determinant for elevated concentrations of Co in particular, but also Mn and Cd in blood. Systemic inflammation was associated with the concentrations of copper and Se. The concentrations of Hg in whole blood were highly associated with Se and arsenic (As) in whole blood, indicating fish consumption as a common source of intake of these elements. However, Hg in whole blood was only slightly associated with Se in serum.

Conclusions: The ERW had elevated concentrations of B-Cd, S-Cr, and U-Sn, while B-Mn, B-Pb, and U-Sb concentrations were higher among the LBRW. Iron status and inflammation had substantial impact on some element concentration. This population had high concentrations of B-Se, B-Hg and B-Co and U-I.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jtemb.2017.08.014DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

trace elements
12
iron status
12
concentrations blood
12
concentrations
10
blood
9
essential non-essential
8
non-essential trace
8
repair workers
8
lbrw erw
8
erw referents
8

Similar Publications

Electrical excitability of neuronal networks based on the voltage threshold of electrical stimulation.

Sci Rep

December 2024

State Key Laboratory of Digital Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China.

Microelectrode arrays (MEAs) have been widely used in studies on the electrophysiological features of neuronal networks. In classic MEA experiments, spike or burst rates and spike waveforms are the primary characteristics used to evaluate the neuronal network excitability. Here, we introduced a new method to assess the excitability using the voltage threshold of electrical stimulation.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Mammalian SLC39A13 promotes ER/Golgi iron transport and iron homeostasis in multiple compartments.

Nat Commun

December 2024

Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China.

Iron is a potent biochemical, and accurate homeostatic control is orchestrated by a network of interacting players at multiple levels. Although our understanding of organismal iron homeostasis has advanced, intracellular iron homeostasis is poorly understood, including coordination between organelles and iron export into the ER/Golgi. Here, we show that SLC39A13 (ZIP13), previously identified as a zinc transporter, promotes intracellular iron transport and reduces intracellular iron levels.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The emergence of single-atom catalysts offers exciting prospects for the green production of hydrogen peroxide; however, their optimal local structure and the underlying structure-activity relationships remain unclear. Here we show trace Fe, up to 278 mg/kg and derived from microbial protein, serve as precursors to synthesize a variety of Fe single-atom catalysts containing FeNO (1 ≤ x ≤ 4) moieties through controlled pyrolysis. These moieties resemble the structural features of nonheme Fe-dependent enzymes while being effectively confined on a microbe-derived, electrically conductive carbon support, enabling high-current density electrolysis.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Treatment wetlands have emerged as a potential remediation option for oil-sands process affected waters (OSPW) which contains a suite of organic and inorganic constituents of potential concern. The aim of this study was to evaluate the fate of metals in a treatment wetland exposed to OSPW. Data was collected over three operational seasons testing freshwater and OSPW inputs at the Kearl Treatment Wetland in northern Alberta.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Cancer, a disease threatening human life, is caused by the disturbance of the normal cell cycle, which results in the spontaneous growth of normal and malignant cells, the lack of differentiation between the two, and consequently malignant growths. Nowadays, various synthetic agents are applied for cancer therapy; nevertheless, reports have confirmed that these chemical agents are associated with various adverse complications. This experimental study was designed to assess the anti-tumor activities of zinc nanoparticles (ZnNPs) green synthesized by the () extract against Ehrlich solid tumors (EST) in mice.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!