1. Biomarkers of exposure to stainless steel tungsten inert gas welding fumes and the effect of exposure on exhaled breath condensate
- Author
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Antonio Mutti, Silvana Pinelli, Massimo Corradi, Rossella Alinovi, Matteo Goldoni, Paola Mozzoni, Luisella Selis, Roberta Andreoli, and Maria Grazia Riccelli
- Subjects
Chromium ,Welding ,Urine ,010501 environmental sciences ,Toxicology ,Dinoprost ,01 natural sciences ,law.invention ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,0302 clinical medicine ,law ,Nickel ,Malondialdehyde ,Exhaled breath condensate ,Inert gas ,Lung ,Inhalation Exposure ,Chemistry ,General Medicine ,Middle Aged ,030210 environmental & occupational health ,Breath Tests ,Exhalation ,Inflammation Mediators ,Environmental Monitoring ,Adult ,Adolescent ,chemistry.chemical_element ,Air Pollutants, Occupational ,Nitric Oxide ,Noble Gases ,Tungsten ,03 medical and health sciences ,Young Adult ,Occupational Exposure ,Humans ,Hexavalent chromium ,0105 earth and related environmental sciences ,Aged ,Creatinine ,Aldehydes ,Chromatography ,Gas tungsten arc welding ,Hydrogen Peroxide ,Stainless Steel ,respiratory tract diseases ,Oxidative Stress ,Biomarkers - Abstract
The respiratory tract is the main target organ of the inhaled hexavalent chromium (Cr-VI) and nickel (Ni) contained in stainless steel (SS) welding fumes (WFs). The aim of this study was to investigate the Cr and Ni content of the exhaled breath condensate (EBC) of SS tungsten inert gas (TIG) welders, and relate their concentrations with oxidative stress and inflammatory biomarkers. EBC and urine from 100 SS TIG welders were collected pre-(T0) and post-shift (T1) on a Friday, and pre-shift (T2) on the following Monday morning. Both EBC and urinary Cr concentrations were higher at T1 (0.08 μg/L and 0.71 μg/g creatinine) and T0 (0.06 μg/L and 0.74 μg/g creatinine) than at T2 (below the limit of detection [LOD] and 0.59 μg/g creatinine), and EBC Ni concentrations generally remained These findings confirm that, unlike Ni-EBC, Cr-EBC is a reliable biomarker of exposure even at very low environmental concentrations. However, given the weak relationship between the biomarkers and effects of exposure, we speculate that other substances generated during SS TIG welding also play a role in generating lung oxidative stress.
- Published
- 2017