Mehra Rita, Juneja Meenu
Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, Maharshi Dayanand Saraswati University, Ajmer 305 009, India.
Indian J Biochem Biophys. 2003 Apr;40(2):131-5.
Widespread use of metals in industrial activities has enhanced the occupational exposure to toxic metals as well as the health risks of metal hazards to humans. Elemental analysis in human tissues is the most common application of biological monitoring for screening, diagnosis and assessment of such exposures and risk. Among various biopsy materials, blood, hair, nail, teeth and body fluids may be used as bioindicators for this purpose. The present paper deals with the determination of Pb, Cr, Ni, Mn, Fe, Cu and Zn elemental concentration in workers exposed to these metals at workplace by atomic absorption spectrophotometry, with adequate quality control measures using hair as biopsy material. The study group includes the male workers such as welders, foundry man, fitter, hammer man, machine man, cupola man etc., besides office workers of locomotive workshop in Ajmer and surrounding areas exposed to different metals. Age and sex matched controls of persons working in the same area of work in offices etc. and not exposed to metal pollution were selected for valid comparison. It is proposed to validate the use of hair as a biological marker for assessing metal body burden of workers. In our study significant correlations have been found between skin disease and Cr, Mn, Fe, Cu; chest pain and Pb; hypertension and Cu, Mn; mental stress and Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn; liver problem and Ni; indigestion and Cr; Ni, diabetes and Cr, Mn, Ni; tuberculosis and Zn; breathing trouble and Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Zn. The advantages of choosing hair as a biopsy material are also given.
金属在工业活动中的广泛使用增加了职业性接触有毒金属的机会，以及金属危害对人类健康的风险。人体组织中的元素分析是生物监测用于此类接触和风险筛查、诊断及评估的最常见应用。在各种活检材料中，血液、头发、指甲、牙齿和体液均可为此用作生物指示物。本文采用原子吸收分光光度法，以头发作为活检材料并采取适当的质量控制措施，测定了在工作场所接触这些金属的工人中铅、铬、镍、锰、铁、铜和锌的元素浓度。研究组包括阿杰梅尔及其周边地区机车车间接触不同金属的男性工人，如焊工、铸造工人、钳工、锻工、机械工、化铁炉工等，以及办公室工作人员。选择年龄和性别匹配的、在办公室等相同工作区域工作且未接触金属污染的人员作为对照，以进行有效比较。旨在验证将头发用作评估工人金属体内负荷的生物标志物的用途。在我们的研究中，发现皮肤病与铬、锰、铁、铜之间；胸痛与铅之间；高血压与铜、锰之间；精神压力与锰、镍、铜、锌之间；肝脏问题与镍之间；消化不良与铬之间；镍、糖尿病与铬、锰、镍之间；肺结核与锌之间；呼吸问题与铬、锰、铁、镍、锌之间存在显著相关性。还给出了选择头发作为活检材料的优点。
