a Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Research , Food Safety and Health Research Center, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University , Guangzhou , PR China.
b Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Occupational Disease Prevention and Treatment, Department of Toxicology , Guangdong Provincial Hospital for Occupational Disease Prevention and Treatment , Guangzhou , PR China.
Nanotoxicology. 2018 Aug;12(6):571-585. doi: 10.1080/17435390.2018.1465606. Epub 2018 May 6.
Calcium carbonate nanomaterials (nano-CaCO) are widely used in both manufacturing and consumer products, but their potential health hazards remain unclear. The objective of this study was to survey workplace exposure levels and health effects of workers exposed to nano-CaCO. Personal and area sampling, as well as real-time and dust monitoring, were performed to characterize mass exposure, particle size distribution, and particle number exposure. A total of 56 workers (28 exposed workers and 28 unexposed controls) were studied in a cross-sectional study. They completed physical examinations, spirometry, and digital radiography. The results showed that the gravimetric nano-CaCO concentration was 5.264 ± 6.987 mg/m (0.037-22.192 mg/m) at the workplace, and 3.577 ± 2.065 mg/m (2.042-8.161 mg/m) in the breathing zone of the exposed workers. The particle number concentrations ranged from 8193 to 39 621 particles/cm with a size range of 30-150 nm. The process of packing had the highest gravimetric and particle number concentrations. The particle number concentration positively correlated with gravimetric concentrations of nano-CaCO. The levels of hemoglobin, creatine phosphokinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) in the nano-CaCO exposure group increased significantly, but the white blood cell count (WBC), Complement 3 (C3), total protein (TP), uric acid, and creatinine (CREA) all decreased significantly. The prevalence rate of pulmonary hypofunction was significantly higher (p = 0.037), and the levels of vital capacity (VC), forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), FEV1/FVC, peak expiratory flow and forced expiratory flow 25% (FEF 25%), FEF 25-75% were negatively correlated with gravimetric concentrations of nano-CaCO (p < 0.05). Logistic analysis showed that nano-CaCO exposure level was associated with pulmonary hypofunction (p = 0.005). Meanwhile, a dose-effect relationship was found between the accumulated gravimetric concentrations of nano-CaCO and the prevalence rate of pulmonary hypofunction (p = 0.048). In conclusion, long-term and high-level nano-CaCO exposure can induce pulmonary hypofunction in workers. Thus, lung function examination is suggested for occupational populations with nano-CaCO exposure. Furthermore, future health protection efforts should focus on senior workers with accumulation effects of nano-CaCO exposure.
碳酸钙纳米材料（nano-CaCO）广泛应用于制造和消费产品，但它们的潜在健康危害仍不清楚。本研究旨在调查接触纳米 CaCO 的工人的工作场所暴露水平和健康影响。通过个人和区域采样以及实时和粉尘监测，对质量暴露、粒径分布和颗粒数暴露进行了特征描述。在一项横断面研究中，共研究了 56 名工人（28 名暴露工人和 28 名未暴露对照工人）。他们完成了体格检查、肺活量测定和数字 X 线摄影。结果显示，工作场所的重力纳米 CaCO 浓度为 5.264 ± 6.987mg/m（0.037-22.192mg/m），暴露工人呼吸区浓度为 3.577 ± 2.065mg/m（2.042-8.161mg/m）。颗粒数浓度范围为 8193 至 39621 个/厘米，粒径范围为 30-150nm。包装过程的重力和颗粒数浓度最高。颗粒数浓度与纳米 CaCO 的重力浓度呈正相关。纳米 CaCO 暴露组的血红蛋白、肌酸磷酸激酶（CK）、乳酸脱氢酶和高密度脂蛋白胆固醇（HDL-C）水平显著升高，但白细胞计数（WBC）、补体 3（C3）、总蛋白（TP）、尿酸和肌酐（CREA）均显著降低。肺功能低下的患病率显著升高（p=0.037），肺活量（VC）、用力肺活量（FVC）、一秒用力呼气容积（FEV1）、FEV1/FVC、呼气峰流速和用力呼气流量 25%（FEF 25%）、FEF 25-75%与纳米 CaCO 的重力浓度呈负相关（p<0.05）。Logistic 分析表明，纳米 CaCO 暴露水平与肺功能低下有关（p=0.005）。同时，纳米 CaCO 累计重力浓度与肺功能低下的患病率之间存在剂量-效应关系（p=0.048）。综上所述，长期、高水平的纳米 CaCO 暴露可导致工人肺功能低下。因此，建议对接触纳米 CaCO 的职业人群进行肺功能检查。此外，未来的健康保护工作应重点关注具有纳米 CaCO 暴露积累效应的老年工人。
