Solid Waste Exposure Effects on Serum Minerals, Antioxidant Vitamins And Oxidative Stress Among Adult Waste Pickers of Dhaka, Bangladesh

Abstract

In Bangladesh, improper waste disposal is one of the major causes of environmental pollution. It is responsible for a significant health risk, especially people working in solid waste disposal sites and living nearby. Unfortunately, no specific information is available regarding the effect of exposure to occupational hazards in Bangladesh. This study was designed to assess the occupational health risk of male adults working in solid waste dumping landfill in relation to their exposure. Blood samples were collected from exposed (working in the garbage dumping site for at least 6 months) and control subjects (age and gender-matched and never exposed to dumped garbage). Oxidative stress markers (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and protein carbonyl content), antioxidant vitamins (retinol and α-tocopherol), and most common toxic heavy metal and nutritionally important minerals (lead, iron, and zinc) level were analyzed and compared with unexposed control subjects. Oxidative stress-mediated damage of macromolecules in terms of protein carbonyl group was found to be significantly (p<0.001) increased in the exposed adults. Exposed subjects also contained a significantly (p<0.05) higher level of lead, whereas no significant difference was found in serum vitamin A and E between exposed and unexposed subjects. This study indicated that people working on waste disposal landfills and exposed to solid waste have substantial occupational health risks in terms of lead intoxication and oxidative stress.