Short-term exposure to some heavy metals carried with PM and cardiovascular system biomarkers during dust storm.

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of short-term exposure to heavy metals (HM) extracted from PM on CB in workers' population in an outdoor space located in southern Iran during a dust storm. At first, 44 healthy and non-smoking workers were selected. Then PM and Blood samples were collected before and after the dust storm. Finally, HMs associated with PM measured by ICP-MS and its effect on the CB, including fibrinogen, CRP, TNF-α, and BP were estimated by ANOVA, Pearson correlation, and Odd Ratio (OR) in SPSS23. Based on the results, the concentration of PM and extracted HM such as Cr, As, and Cd was higher than the WHO/EPA standards in dust storms they increased the CB and BP remarkably. Moreover, the level of fibrinogen, blood pressure (BP) and TNF-α in dust storms were higher than in normal conditions (p < 0.05, OR > 3). In addition, As and Cd decreased fibrinogen concentration and systolic BP, respectively. Whereas, TNF-α was associated with concentration of Pb (R = - 0.85) on normal days. Consequently, the HM on PM such as As, interferes with the level of investigated CB. These results considered a potential risk for the residents in the southern regions of Iran.