Khan Changaiz, Malik Riffat Naseem, Chen Jing
State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.
Center of Atmospheric Environmental Studies, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.
Heliyon. 2024 Nov 2;10(21):e40083. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e40083. eCollection 2024 Nov 15.
Significant amounts of toxic metal-containing mining waste are produced by chromium mining activities, along with the production of air pollutants. The presence of toxic metals in various environmental media including air, water, and soil, along with their chemical species such as hexavalent chromium, pose major health hazards for both directly exposed mining workers and the population residing near the mining areas. Highlighting the requirements for enhanced environmental protection and safety measures, this comprehensive review shed light on the global environmental pollution stemming from chromite mining activities. Based on the published literature, the study also investigated into the pollution caused by toxic metals and explored their probable health effects on exposed individuals. The exposure routes and the mechanisms of toxic metal induced carcinogenicity in the exposed groups were assessed. Additionally, the generated reactive species in exposed individuals and the toxicity mechanisms of hexavalent chromium were discussed. Considering these findings, this review proposed the necessity of cross-sectional biomonitoring studies involving occupationally exposed workers from chromite mining operations. The anticipated impact of this review is to influence the global and national chromite mining industry, instigating improvements in occupational settings, real-time pollution monitoring, and healthcare provisions for exposed workers.
铬矿开采活动会产生大量含有有毒金属的采矿废弃物，同时还会产生空气污染物。包括空气、水和土壤在内的各种环境介质中存在有毒金属，以及它们的化学形态如六价铬，对直接接触的采矿工人和矿区附近居民都构成了重大健康危害。本全面综述强调了加强环境保护和安全措施的要求，揭示了铬铁矿开采活动造成的全球环境污染。基于已发表的文献，该研究还调查了有毒金属造成的污染，并探讨了它们对接触者可能产生的健康影响。评估了暴露途径以及有毒金属在暴露人群中诱发致癌性的机制。此外，还讨论了暴露个体中产生的活性物质以及六价铬的毒性机制。考虑到这些发现，本综述提出了开展涉及铬铁矿开采作业中职业暴露工人的横断面生物监测研究的必要性。本综述预期的影响是影响全球和国家的铬铁矿采矿业，促使职业环境、实时污染监测以及为暴露工人提供的医疗保健得到改善。
