Di Ciaula Agostino
International Society of Doctors for Environment (ISDE), Bari, Italy.
Expo Health. 2021;13(4):681-695. doi: 10.1007/s12403-021-00412-w. Epub 2021 Jun 25.
Cement plants located in urban areas can increase health risk. Although children are particularly vulnerable, biomonitoring studies are lacking. Toenail concentration of 24 metals was measured in 366 children (6-10 years), who live and attend school in a city hosting a cement plant. Living addresses and schools were geocoded and attributed to exposed or control areas, according to modeled ground concentrations of PM generated by the cement plant. Air levels of PM and NO were monitored. PM levels were higher in the exposed, than in the control area. The highest mean PM concentration was recorded close to the cement plant. Conversely, the highest NO concentration was in the control area, where vehicular traffic and home heating were the prevalent sources of pollutants. Exposed children had higher concentrations of Nickel (Ni), Cadmium (Cd), Mercury (Hg), and Arsenic (As) than controls. These concentrations correlated each other, indicating a common source. Toenail Barium (Ba) concentration was higher in the control- than in the exposed area. The location of the attended school was a predictor of Cd, Hg, Ni, Ba concentrations, after adjusting for confounders. In conclusion, children living and attending school in an urban area exposed to cement plant emissions show a chronic bioaccumulation of toxic metals, and a significant exposure to PM pollution. Cement plants located in populous urban areas seem therefore harmful, and primary prevention policies to protect children health are needed.
位于市区的水泥厂会增加健康风险。尽管儿童特别容易受到影响，但缺乏生物监测研究。对366名6至10岁在一座有水泥厂的城市生活和上学的儿童的 toenail 中24种金属的浓度进行了测量。根据水泥厂产生的PM的模拟地面浓度，对居住地址和学校进行地理编码，并将其归为暴露区或对照区。对空气中的PM和NO水平进行了监测。暴露区的PM水平高于对照区。水泥厂附近记录到的平均PM浓度最高。相反，对照区的NO浓度最高，那里车辆交通和家庭供暖是主要的污染物来源。暴露组儿童的镍（Ni）、镉（Cd）、汞（Hg）和砷（As）浓度高于对照组。这些浓度相互关联，表明有共同来源。对照区儿童的 toenail 钡（Ba）浓度高于暴露区。在调整混杂因素后，就读学校的位置是镉、汞、镍、钡浓度的一个预测因素。总之，在市区生活和上学且暴露于水泥厂排放物中的儿童表现出有毒金属的慢性生物累积，以及对PM污染的显著暴露。因此，位于人口密集市区的水泥厂似乎有害，需要制定保护儿童健康的一级预防政策。
