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Electronic waste is increasing. It is frequently recycled in developing countries. This is the first study to report metals, polybrominated diphenyl-ethers (PBDEs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), 2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)-1,1,1-trichloroethane (p,p'-DDT), and p,p'-DDE concentrations in female e-waste workers.Female Vietnamese recyclers and non-recyclers were studied. Metals and halogenated organics were measured in blood and urine, and compared with levels in women in the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).Recyclers had higher serum PBDE than nonrecyclers. PCB-138/158 and PCB-153 were higher in 18 to less than 38-year-old nonrecyclers. Median urinary arsenic in both cohorts was six to seven-fold higher than NHANES. Median lead in blood and urine was 40% to 60% higher in recyclers than nonrecyclers. Lead in nonrecyclers was four to six-fold higher than NHANES. Both cohorts had higher arsenic and mercury than NHANES.Occupational exposure to PBDEs and lead occurred in recyclers. Environmental exposure to arsenic, lead, and mercury occurred in both cohorts. Occupational and environmental remediation are recommended.

BACKGROUND: Tobacco‐specific carcinogen 4‐(methylnitrosamino)‐1‐(3‐pyridyl)‐1‐butanol (NNAL) was measured in all participants aged 6 years and older from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2007–2008. The suitability of using creatinine or specific gravity for urinary NNAL correction in exposure assessment is examined in this study. METHODS: Effects of both specific gravity and creatinine correction on urinary NNAL among smokers were investigated with multiple linear regression models using either normalization or the fitting of creatinine and specific gravity in the model as covariates. RESULTS: When log‐scaled NNAL was normalized by either creatinine or specific gravity, R (2) was slightly higher for creatinine than for specific gravity (R (2) = 0.1694 and 0.1439, for creatinine and specific gravity, respectively). When log‐scaled NNAL was normalized by both factors, the R (2) was improved (R (2) = 0.2068). When specific gravity or creatinine was included as a covariate separately in the models, they were highly significant factors (P < 0.001, R (2) = 0.2226 and 0.1681 for creatinine and specific gravity, respectively). However, when both were included in the model as covariates, creatinine remained highly significant (P < 0.001), whereas the significance of specific gravity was eliminated (P = 0.4294). CONCLUSION: This study confirms significant relationships between NNAL concentrations and both urine creatinine and specific gravity. We conclude that creatinine is the more influential and preferred variable to account for urine dilution in tobacco‐specific nitrosamine exposure assessment.

Background: 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP), 2,5-dichlorophenol (2,5-DCP) and their precursors are widely used in industry and in consumer products. Urinary concentrations of 2,4-DCP and 2,5-DCP have ...

Background: Environmental phenols are a group of chemicals with widespread uses in consumer and personal care products, food and beverage processing, and in pesticides. Aims: We assessed exposure t...