Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et en sécurité du travail, Canada; Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Université de Montréal, Canada.
Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Université de Montréal, Canada; Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal Research Centre (CRCHUM), Canada; Université de Montréal Centre de recherche en santé publique, Canada.
Int J Hyg Environ Health. 2020 Apr;225:113445. doi: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2019.113445. Epub 2020 Jan 10.
Electronic waste recycling (e-recycling) exposes workers to substances such as flame retardants and metals. Some of them are known or suspected endocrine disruptors that could affect hormonal homeostasis and eventually result in adverse health outcomes. Our aim was to measure biological concentrations of organophosphate ester (OPE) metabolites, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), mercury, lead and cadmium in e-recycling workers, and to explore associations with thyroid and sexual hormones. In a cross-sectional study, end-of-shift blood and urine spot samples were collected from 23 women and 77 men in six e-recycling facilities and one commercial recycling facility. Urinary concentrations of 15 OPE metabolites and mercury, and blood concentrations of 12 PBDE congeners, lead, cadmium, and thyroid (thyroxine [T4], triiodothyronine [T3], thyroid stimulating hormone [TSH]) and sexual (testosterone [T], estradiol, Follicle Stimulating Hormone [FSH], Luteinizing hormone [LH]) hormones were measured. E-recycling workers had higher concentrations of BDE209, all OPE metabolites, and lead than commercial recycling workers. In e-recycling workers, plasma geometric mean concentration of BDE209 was 18 ng/g lipids (geometric standard deviation [GSD]: 2.8) vs.1.7 ng/g lipids (GSD: 2.8) in commercial recycling, and urinary geometric mean concentration of diphenyl phosphate (DPhP), a major metabolite of triphenyl phosphate, was 1.7 ng/ml (GSD: 2.5), vs. 0.95 ng/ml (GSD: 2.0). In men, a two-fold increase in BDE209 was associated with 3.1% (95% Confidence interval: 0.07, 6.1) higher levels of total T4, and a two-fold increase in tert-butyl diphenyl phosphate (tb-DPhP) was associated with 18% (-29, -4.7) lower total T, 18% (-27, -6.9) lower free T and 13% (-25, 0.70) lower free T/estradiol ratio. In women, a two-fold increase in BDE153 was associated with 10% (-17, -3.2) lower free T3. To our knowledge, this is the first study to show associations between OPE metabolites and sex hormones in adults. Although some of our results are not conclusive and need replication, they suggest that prudent avoidance should be applied in risk management of flame retardants.
电子废物回收（e-recycling）使工人接触到阻燃剂和金属等物质。其中一些物质已知或疑似为内分泌干扰物，可能会影响激素平衡，最终导致不良健康后果。我们的目的是测量电子废物回收工人的有机磷酸酯（OPE）代谢物、多溴联苯醚（PBDEs）、汞、铅和镉的生物浓度，并探讨其与甲状腺和性激素的关系。在一项横断面研究中，我们从六家电子废物回收厂和一家商业回收厂的 23 名女性和 77 名男性工人收集了下班时的血样和尿斑样。测量了 15 种 OPE 代谢物和汞的尿浓度，以及 12 种 PBDE 同系物、铅、镉、甲状腺（甲状腺素 [T4]、三碘甲状腺原氨酸 [T3]、促甲状腺激素 [TSH]）和性激素（睾酮 [T]、雌二醇、卵泡刺激素 [FSH]、黄体生成素 [LH]）的血浓度。与商业回收工人相比，电子废物回收工人的 BDE209、所有 OPE 代谢物和铅的浓度更高。在电子废物回收工人中，BDE209 的血浆几何平均浓度为 18ng/g 脂质（几何标准差 [GSD]：2.8），而商业回收工人为 1.7ng/g 脂质（GSD：2.8），三苯基磷酸的主要代谢物二苯基磷酸酯（DPhP）的尿几何平均浓度为 1.7ng/ml（GSD：2.5），而商业回收工人为 0.95ng/ml（GSD：2.0）。在男性中，BDE209 增加两倍与总 T4 水平升高 3.1%（95%置信区间：0.07，6.1）相关，叔丁基二苯基磷酸酯（tb-DPhP）增加两倍与总 T 降低 18%（-29，-4.7）、游离 T 降低 18%（-27，-6.9）和游离 T/雌二醇比值降低 13%（-25，0.70）相关。在女性中，BDE153 增加两倍与游离 T3 降低 10%（-17，-3.2）相关。据我们所知，这是第一项表明 OPE 代谢物与成人性激素之间存在关联的研究。尽管我们的一些结果不是结论性的，需要进一步验证，但它们表明在阻燃剂风险管理中应谨慎避免。
