Occupational exposure to Cr(VI): comparison between chromium levels in lymphocytes, erythrocytes, and urine

Abstract

The relationships between chromium (Cr) levels in lymphocytes, erythrocytes, urine, and ambient air were compared among 14 chrome-platers from a metallurgic plant in Bulgaria and two groups of local controls, one from the same heavily polluted industrial town as the chrome-platers (n = 11) and one from a seaside resort town 100 km away (n = 6). Among the chrome-platers, the Cr concentration in peripheral lymphocytes was positively correlated with total Cr and Cr(VI) levels in ambient air and with Cr excretion in urine. As compared to the controls, the chrome-platers had mean Cr levels in lymphocytes twice as high, in erythrocytes ninefold higher, and in urine fourfold to eightfold higher. Although Cr levels in urine and lymphocytes were similar between the two control groups, levels in erythrocytes were 3 times higher among subjects from the industrial area than among those from the seaside town. The study suggests that lymphocyte Cr could be a good indicator of the Cr body burden caused by high exposures to Cr(VI), such as in electroplating operations. In these conditions, erythrocyte Cr may be less useful, possibly owing to increased toxicity due to the high affinity of erythrocytes for Cr. However, when exposure is lower, such as in most environmental situations, erythrocyte Cr should provide a better and more sensitive index than lymphocyte Cr. By contrast, urinary Cr, which provides information on total Cr exposure, including Cr(III) from dietary and environmental sources, does not seem to be of value for studying occupational exposure to Cr(VI).

Vitamin B12and folate deficiency and elevated plasma total homocysteine in workers with chronic exposure to chromate

“…In our study, the mean RBC-Cr concentration in workers exposed to chromate was 12.45 μg/l, which was lower than the values reported by Costa and by Lukanova in chrome-plate workers 5 38. In contrast, the U-Cr concentration in our investigated subjects was higher than found in previous reports 1–3.…”

Biomonitoring of two types of chromium exposure in an electroplating shop

“…For confounding factors, it is likely that smoking does not contribute greatly to Cr bioavailability in occupationally exposed individuals, where the exposure originates predominantly from the work process than the contribution of non-occupational sources of exposure, which appears negligible as compared to occupational exposure (Lumens 1993;Lukanova 1996). Apostoli (1997) found that alcohol consumption, smoking habits, residence, and age had no eVect on the U-Cr levels.…”

“…Some Weld studies (Lindberg and Vesterberg 1983;Lumens et al 1993;Lukanova et al 1996;Chen et al 2002;Caglieri et al 2006) had been conducted in the plating industry in order to study the relationships between exposure and biological indicators. But the occupational physician has no validated biological exposure indicator for ensuring medical surveillance of exposed workers (Paustenbach et al 1997).…”

Oxidative damage induced by chromium (VI) in rat erythrocytes: protective effect of selenium

“…Cr(VI) is rapidly reduced to Cr(III) via unstable intermediates [Cr(V) and Cr(IV)] inside the RBC. The reduced product binds to hemoglobin and other intracellular proteins, resulting in the elevation of total Cr levels in the RBC fraction of blood for several weeks [51]. Due to its propensity to generate radical species, erythrocytes may be considered as sensitive and intermediate cells in oxidative reactions [64].…”