Trace Metals In Blood Research Articles

Erectile dysfunction in copper and cobalt miners: a cross-sectional study in the former Katanga province, Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The African Copperbelt is a site of intense artisanal and industrial mining and refining of copper and cobalt. We aimed to investigate factors that are possibly associated with erectile dysfunction (ED) in metal miners in the former Katanga province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In a cross-sectional study of 138 miners and 139 controls (bakers), we administered questionnaires to obtain sociodemographic and occupational data and to assess male sexual function (International Index of Erectile Function [IIEF]) and marital relation quality (Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale). Furthermore, we measured trace metals in blood and urine, as well as testosterone and thyroid hormones in serum. Outcomes included the prevalence of questionnaire-derived ED and the relation of ED with individual characteristics, serum testosterone, and environmental factors. Miners were on average 4years older than bakers (mean ± SD, 37.5 ± 6.9 vs 33.3 ± 5.7 years). Miners had significantly lower scores than bakers on the IIEF (median [IQR], 66 [49-73] vs 73 [66-74]) and the 3 domains of the Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale (consensus, satisfaction, cohesion). Free testosterone was significantly lower in miners than bakers (ng/dL; 8.11 [6.90-10.10] vs 10.52 [8.83-12.58]; P ˂ .001). In miners, sex hormone-binding globulin correlated positively with blood Pb and urinary Cd. In a multivariable analysis, mild to moderate ED or moderate ED (IIEF-erectile function score ≤18) was significantly associated with having a mining-related job (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 2.6; 95% CI, 1.3-5.3), work seniority ˃5years (aOR, 2.3; 95% CI, 1.1-4.6), alcohol consumption (aOR, 2.8; 95% CI, 1.2-6.7), and aphrodisiacs use (aOR, 4.2; 95% CI, 2.2-8.0). Mediation analysis showed that marital relationship partially mediated the relation between work seniority >5years in mining and ED. The high prevalence of ED found in artisanal mine workers indicates that work-related factors should be considered as possibly contributing, directly or indirectly, to sexual dysfunction in men. Strengths include being the first epidemiologic study documenting ED with validated questionnaires and its possible determinants, including exposure to toxic metals, among young artisanal miners vs a suitable control group. Limitations are the cross-sectional design with convenience sampling and absence of objective confirmation of ED. As compared with controls, miners reported poorer sexual function and lower quality of their marital relationship, and they had lower free testosterone levels, which may be due to their high exposure to trace metals.

(125) Factors Associated with Erectile Dysfunction in Copper and Cobalt Miners: A Cross-sectional Study in the Katanga Province, DR Congo

Abstract Introduction The African Copperbelt is a site of intense artisanal and industrial mining and refining of copper and cobalt. Based on a preliminary case-control study of erectile dysfunction among mineworkers in the former Katanga province of the Democratic Republic of Congo (Musa et al. Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2020), Objective We further investigated possible factors associated with erectile dysfunction in copper and cobalt miners in the Katanga province. Methods In a cross-sectional study of 138 miners and 140 controls (bakers), we administered questionnaires face-to-face in French or Swahili to obtain socio-demographic and occupational data, and to assess male sexual function [International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-15)] and marital relation quality [Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS)]. We measured trace metals in blood and urine and testosterone and thyroid hormones in serum. Results Miners and bakers had similar median (IQR) age [35.6 y (30.6–40.0)]. Miners had significantly lower scores than bakers for IIEF-15 [66 (49–73) vs 73 (66–74)] and for the three DAS domains (Consensus; Satisfaction; Cohesion). Miners had significantly lower free testosterone (8.1 ng/dL) and thyroxin (13.45 pmol/L) than bakers (9.3 and 14.75, respectively). Factors associated with IIEF- EF scores ≤ 22 were: mining-related job (aOR 2.09, 95% CI 1.14–3.81; p=0.016), work seniority in mining (aOR 1.07, 95% CI 1.02–1.13; p=0.005) and regular use of aphrodisiacs (aOR 2.80, 95% CI 1.56–5.02; p=0.001). Mediation analysis showed that consensus mediated by 50% the relation between work seniority in mining and erectile function. Conclusions Compared to controls, miners had poorer sexual function and marital relation, and lower free testosterone and thyroxin. This may be due to their high exposure to trace metals (especially Pb). Erectile dysfunction is found to be increased by lower consensus in couples possibly due to longer time spent working away from home. Disclosure No

Investigation of imbalances in essential/toxic metal levels in the blood of laryngeal cancer patients in comparison with controls.

Laryngeal carcinoma is one of the common types of head and neck cancer, with men being more likely than women to develop it. Diet, age, gender, smoking habits, and environmental factors play important roles in its development. The goal of this study was to ascertain if there were imbalances in essential and toxic trace metals owing to the initiation and progression of laryngeal cancer. Atomic absorption spectrometry was employed to quantify selected macroelements, and essential/toxic trace metals in blood of the cancerous patients and matching controls. Significantly higher concentrations of Pb, Cu, Fe, and Sr while substantially lower levels of Na, K, Ca, and Mg were observed in the cancer patients compared with the controls. Considerably disparate mutual relationships among the macroelements, and essential/toxic trace metals in the patients and controls were manifested by their correlation coefficients. Similarly, multivariate apportionment of the metal levels showed appreciably diverse associations and grouping in the patients and controls. The laryngeal cancer patients exhibited significant disparities in the metal levels among various sub-types (supraglottic, subglottic, transglottic, and glottic cancer) and stages (I, II, III, and IV) of the disease. Most of the metals revealed distinct differences based on the gender, habitat, age, eating preferences, and smoking habits in both donor groups. Overall, the study demonstrated significant imbalances among the macroelements, and essential/toxic trace metal levels in the blood of laryngeal cancer patients compared to the controls.

Sexual dysfunction and mining-related jobs: A cross-sectional study in the former Katanga Province, DR Congo

Aim: Based on a preliminary case-control study of erectile dysfunction among mineworkers in the former Katanga province of the DR Congo (Musa et al. Occ Environ Med 2020), we investigated the association between sexual dysfunction and metal exposure in mining-related-jobs. Methods: In a cross-sectional study, we included 138 miners and 140 bakers from Lubumbashi, Likasi, Kipushi and Kolwezi. Using questionnaires administered face-to-face, we obtained socio-demographic and occupational data and determined the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-15), a validated tool to evaluate five sexual domains (maximum score 75). We measured trace metals in blood and urine, and total + free testosterone and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) in serum. Results: Miners and bakers had similar median (IQR) age [35.6 y (30.6-40.0)]. For several trace metals, concentrations were higher in blood or urine among miners than bakers, this being most pronounced for lead. Thus, median blood lead (µg/dl) was higher (p=0.002) in miners [6.7 (4.5-16.7)] than in bakers [5.4 (4.1-7.5)]. Blood lead and free testosterone were inversely correlated (Spearman R=-0.25, p=0.002). The median IIEF-15 score was lower (p<0.001) among miners [66 (49-73)] than among bakers [73 (66-74)]. Total testosterone (ng/dl) did not differ between miners [505 (453-651)] and bakers [541 (447-709)], but free testosterone (ng/dl) was lower among miners [8.1 (6.8-10.1)] than among bakers [9.3 (8.7-12.5)]; conversely, SBGH (nmol/l) was higher (p<0.001) among miners [55 (44-65)] than among bakers [47 (33-52)]. Conclusion: We confirmed that miners had lower scores of erectile function than controls. Miners had lower free testosterone and higher SHBG than bakers, and evidence of higher exposure to trace metals, especially lead. The possible role of lead in sexual dysfunction needs to be clarified, especially as lead is not among the main ores mined in the region.

Concentration of Trace Metals in Blood and the Relationship with Reproductive Hormones (Estradiol and Progesterone) of Obese Females Living Around A Mining Area in Brits, South Africal

Concentration of Trace Metals in Blood and the Relationship with Reproductive Hormones (Estradiol and Progesterone) of Obese Females Living Around A Mining Area in Brits, South Africal

Toxic trace metals in blood of occupationally exposed casual mine workers living in shacks around mining area in Brits, South Africa

Toxic trace metals in blood of occupationally exposed casual mine workers living in shacks around mining area in Brits, South Africa

Xenobiotic and Immune-Relevant Molecular Biomarkers in Harbor Seals as Proxies for Pollutant Burden and Effects.

Harbor seals are exposed to increasing pressure caused by anthropogenic activities in their marine environment. Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and trace elements are hazardous contaminants that accumulate in tissues of harbor seals. POPs and trace elements can negatively affect the immune-system and have been reported, e.g., to increase susceptibility to viral infections in seals. Biomarkers of the xenobiotic metabolism, cytokines, and heat-shock protein as cell mediators of the immune-system were established to evaluate the impact of environmental stressors on harbor seals. Harbor seals (n = 54) were captured on sandbanks in the North Sea during 2009-2012. Health assessments, including hematology, were performed, and RNAlater blood samples were taken and analyzed using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Normalized transcript copy numbers were correlated to hematology and POP concentration in blood and trace metals in blood and fur. A significant correlation between xenobiotic markers and contaminant burden was found. Significant interrelationships between markers and POP compounds, as well as with season, weight, and hematology values, indicate that biomarkers reflect pollutant exposure and effects. A significant relationship between cortisol levels and heat-shock protein expression was observed indicating stress experienced during restraint of the seals. Interleukin-10 transcription showed significant correlations with trace elements in fur pointing toward immune regulatory effects of metal exposure. The molecular markers prove to be an important noninvasive tool that reflects contaminant exposure and the impact of anthropogenic stressors in seal species. The connection between interleukin-2, xenobiotic markers, and pollutants may indicate immune suppression in animals exposed to contaminants with subsequent susceptibility to inflammatory disease.

Review of the state of the art of human biomonitoring for chemical substances and its application to human exposure assessment for food safety

Review of the state of the art of human biomonitoring for chemical substances and its application to human exposure assessment for food safety

Trace metals in blood and urine of newborn/mother pairs, adolescents and adults of the Flemish population (2007-2011).

The Flemish Centre for Environment and Health started with human biomonitoring in 2002 (FLEHS I: 2002-2006). The main goal of the second human biomonitoring cycle (FLEHS II: 2007-2011), was to determine mean values for a large number of pollutants in a representative sample of the general Flemish population. Values for Cd and Pb were updated, and a group of previously undetermined metals and metalloids (As, Mn, Cu and Tl) were included in some of the age groups. In this human biomonitoring program, three different age groups of the general Flemish population were monitored: 255 newborns and their mothers, 210 adolescents aged 14-15, and 204 adults between 20 and 40 years old. Trace elements were determined in cord blood and maternal blood of the mothers, in blood and urine of adolescents and in urine of adults. Determinants of life-style and personal factors were taken into account. The levels of trace elements in cord blood and maternal blood were for most elements at the lower end of the range found in literature. For Pb, As and Tl, a strong correlation (respectively r=0.43, 0.55 and 0.33; p<0.05) was found between levels in cord blood (respectively 8.6, 0.54 and 0.017 μg/L) and maternal blood (11.1, 0.64 and 0.028 μg/L), indicating that they are transported via the placenta from mother to fetus. The levels found in the adolescents and adults were compared with results from international biomonitoring studies, and were found to be in the same ranges. With the exception of Pb, all trace elements increased with increasing age group population. Finally, the results also showed that the levels of Cd and Pb in blood for this campaign (e.g. for Pb 8.6 and 14.8 μg/L in neonates and adolescents respectively) were lower compared to the first campaign (e.g. for Pb 14.7 and 21.7 μg/L in neonates and adolescents respectively), indicating a decrease over time. However, differences in sampling strategies might partially explain this observed trend.

Increased trace metals in blood and urine are associated with uterine leiomyomata

Increased trace metals in blood and urine are associated with uterine leiomyomata

Levels of Polychlorinated Dibenzo-p-Dioxins and Dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) and Trace Metals in the Blood of Nonoccupationally Exposed Residents Living in the Vicinity of a Municipal Solid Waste Incinerator and Electric Arc Furnace

This study examines levels of polychlorinated dibenzo-pdioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), and trace metals in the blood of the nonoccupation-ally exposed residents living in the vicinity of municipal solid waste incinerators (MSWIs) and electric arc furnaces (EAFs). The analysis found that older females had higher concentrations of PCDD/Fs and older males had higher body mass index (BMI) values and higher concentrations of PCDD/Fs. Moreover, sex appeared to affect the levels of PCDD/Fs because, overall, females showed higher levels of PCDD/Fs. The results of a principal component analysis indicated that the characteristics of the blood were more similar to the characteristics of the stack flux gas in MSWIs than those in EAFs. When sex, age, and BMI values were taken into consideration, none of the factors appeared to significantly affect PCDD/F and trace metal blood levels. However, when participants were divided into eight categories and analyzed, it was found that sex was the most important factor affecting levels of trace metals in blood and that males had higher concentrations of Pb, Al, Cd, and Cu.

Environmental exposure to lead, but not other neurotoxic metals, relates to core elements of ADHD in Romanian children: Performance and questionnaire data☆, ☆☆☆Study approval: This study has been reviewed and approved by the Ethics Committee of the “Romanian College of Physicians”.

Neurobehavioral measures of attention, and clinical features of the attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have been studied in pediatric environmental lead research. However rarely, if ever, have performance measures of attention or executive functions and questionnaire-based quantitative ADHD-observations been studied in the same subjects. We examined associations between pediatric blood lead concentrations (PbB), as well as those of mercury (Hg), and aluminum (Al), and performance in four different attention tasks, as well as behavioral ratings from an ICD-10 (hyperactivity) and DSM-IV-coded (attention deficit) German questionnaire (FBB-ADHS). Asymptomatic, 8-12 year old children from two Romanian cities were studied, namely Bucharest and Pantelimon, a city near a metal-processing plant. Blood was analyzed for Pb, Al, and Hg. Data from 83 children were available for final analysis. We assessed attention performance by means of four tasks of the computer-based ADHD-taylored German KITAP-battery. We also received questionnaire ratings from parents and teachers covering three ADHD-dimensions. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to estimate associations between the three neurotoxic trace metals in blood and the different ADHD features. After adjusting for eleven potentially confounding variables we found consistent borderline to significant associations between Pb, but not other metals, in blood and various performance- and questionnaire data. False alarm responses (FAR) in the KITAP subtests rather than response latencies exhibited positive associations with PbB. Questionnaire ratings for ADHD dimensions also revealed PbB-related adversity. With any two-fold increase of PbB outcome changed markedly, namely up to 35%. Restriction to children with PbBs<10mug/dl had only a marginal influence on outcome.The converging evidence from performance- and questionnaire data confirms that core elements of ADHD are adversely affected by low environmental PbB even below 10mug/dl, but not by other neurotoxic trace metals. Observed effect-sizes are considerably larger than those typically found for lead-related IQ-deficit, thus suggesting that attention deficit could be the more basic adverse effect of lead in children. This is the first study from Central and Eastern Europe dealing with links between environmental exposure of children to neurotoxic metals and ADHD.

Teplice program--the impact of air pollution on human health.

The aim of the Teplice Program is to investigate and assess the impact of air pollution on the health of the population in the district of Teplice, Czech Republic. Characterization of the air pollutants demonstrated unusually high concentrations during winter inversions of fine particles dominated by acidic sulfates, genotoxic organic compounds, and toxic trace elements. The major source of airborne fine particles is the burning of coal for heating and power. Human exposure and biomarker studies demonstrated large seasonal variations in air pollution within the Teplice District and higher seasonal average pollution levels than the comparative district, Prachatice. Personal exposures to fine particles and organic carcinogens [e.g., polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH)] were correlated with excretion of PAH metabolites in urine, several trace metals in blood, and DNA adducts in white blood cells. Respiratory and neurobehavioral studies of school children were conducted using questionnaires and clinical measures. A significantly higher prevalence of adverse respiratory symptoms and decreased lung function were found in the Teplice district than in Prachatice. The neurobehavioral studies indicated significantly higher teacher referrals for clinical assessment in Teplice, but the majority of objective performance measures did not differ. Reproductive studies were conducted in both males and females. A study of the effects of exposure on pregnancy and birth found an excess prevalence of low birth weight and premature births in Teplice; these adverse effects were more common in infants conceived in the winter and whose mothers were smokers. Based on questionnaires and medical examination, the reproductive development of young men was not different between districts and seasons, however, measures of semen quality suggest that exposure to high levels of air pollution are associated with transient decrements in semen quality.

Impact of lead pollution on the status of other trace metals in blood and alterations in hepatic functions.

Lead pollution and its impact on the status of four other trace elements--Fe, Zn, Br, and Rb--have been studied in the whole blood samples of different population groups employing energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence technique. These population groups included normal, automobile workers and lead battery manufacturers. The maximum increase in the concentration of trace elements in the blood samples of automobile workers and battery manufacturers was observed for Pb, when compared with normal Pb-B levels. The effect of lead pollution had significantly reduced Zn levels in automobile workers. Fe-B levels in automobile workers had been found to be reduced significantly as compared to control, whereas in battery workers the reduction was not significant. The concentration of Br was greatly enhanced in the blood samples of automobile workers, whereas Rb-B levels were significantly higher in both the automobile and battery workers. Oral administration of lead acetate (100 mg/kg body wt) to experimental rats significantly decreased the activities of hepatic transaminases after 3 and 4 mo of treatment, whereas the activity of hepatic alkaline phosphatase decreased significantly after 4 mo of treatment. It is concluded from this study that higher Pb-B levels greatly influence the levels of other trace elements in human blood samples and also the activities of hepatic transaminases as well as alkaline phosphatase in experimental rats.

Calibration and Reference Samples in Trace Metals Determination in Serum by Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrometry

Determination of trace metals in blood, serum and plasma presents an important problem of increasing importance from both medical and environmental points of view. For many metals, atomic absorption spectrometry is a method of choice. Nevertheless, a significant obstacle arises because of the lack of availability of proper reference materials, especially ones having the metal content of the order of a few nanograms per milliliter. In our studies dealing with determination of lead, cadmium, cobalt, manganese, aluminium and chromium, calibration with model aqueous solutions and with serum simulating albumin solution was used and the effects of matrix materials were noted. Some improvement may be achieved when matrix modifiers—stabilizers have been used. The often used quantification procedure based on standard addition may also lead to erroneous results because the form in which the analyte is added to the sample does not reflect the speciation in the real samples. This indicates that the problems cannot be considered as completely solved and further studies are indispensable.