Abstract

 
 
 Exposure to e-waste either by occupation or through the environment have been implicated in cancer development. The growing influx of e-waste to Nigeria and inadequate recycling, part salvaging, distribution and disposal of discarded or obsolete electronic devices is creating new sets of environmental and public health challenges. This study investigated the effect of exposure on vitamin D (25(OH) Vit D), total and ionized calcium levels in workers and individuals environmentally exposed to e-waste in Lagos, Benin and Ibadan cities in Southwestern Nigeria. Six hundred and thirty-two participants from three major cities in Nigeria were recruited for this study. They included e-waste workers, environmental e-waste exposed individuals and age matched unexposed individuals. 25(OH) Vit D was determined using ELISA, while total and ionized calcium by colorimetric method. Total calcium (tCa) in e-waste workers was significantly different from environmental exposed groups (p=0.000) while ionized calcium (iCa) was significantly increased for both e-waste exposed groups when compared with the unexposed group. 25(OH)Vit D level was significantly increased in e-waste workers compared with environmental and unexposed populations (p<0.001). Optimal levels of tCa, iCa and vitamin D in the e-waste exposed population may offer some forms of defense against the severity of existing and undiagnosed cancers or reduce the risk of cancer development in the e-waste exposed participants. However, e-waste may unfavourably modulate these expected beneficial roles in the e-waste exposed populations with continued exposure.
 
 
Highlights
E-waste is a rapidly growing problem of the world and an estimated 20-50 million tons is generated per year of which 75-80% is shipped to Asia and Africa for recycling and disposal (Adaramodu et al, 2012)
This study was aimed at investigating the effect of e-waste exposure on 25(OH) Vit D, total and ionized calcium levels in workers and individuals environmentally exposed to e-waste in Lagos, Benin and Ibadan cities in Southwestern Nigeria
Total and ionized calcium and 25 (OH) vitamin D levels in e-waste exposed and unexposed participants in the different study locations: The level of total calcium in e-waste workers was increased but not significantly different from levels in unexposed group (Table 1), but both were significantly increased when compared with environmentally exposed group (p=0.000)
Summary
E-waste is a rapidly growing problem of the world and an estimated 20-50 million tons is generated per year of which 75-80% is shipped to Asia and Africa (with Nigeria been one of such countries) for recycling and disposal (Adaramodu et al, 2012). A low vitamin D status and inadequate calcium (Ca) intake are important risk factors for various types of cancers (Park et al, 2009). Ca is a very important macro element and poor Ca nutrition is a significant risk factor for total cancer incidence (Park et al, 2009). 25(OH) 2D, the biologically active form of vitamin D, exerts its effects mainly through binding to nuclear vitamin D receptor (VDR) and further binding to specific DNA sequences, namely vitamin D response elements. Through this genomic pathway, 1, 25(OH) 2D modulates expression of specific genes in a tissuespecific manner (Wels, 2004). This study was aimed at investigating the effect of e-waste exposure on 25(OH) Vit D, total and ionized calcium levels in workers and individuals environmentally exposed to e-waste in Lagos, Benin and Ibadan cities in Southwestern Nigeria
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