TY - JOUR
T1 - Urinary metals and their associations with DNA oxidative damage among e-waste recycling workers in Hong Kong
AU - Liao, Gengze
AU - Weng, Xueqiong
AU - Wang, Feng
AU - Yu, Yanny Hoi Kuen
AU - Arrandale, Victoria H.
AU - Chan, Alan Hoi-shou
AU - Lu, Shaoyou
AU - Tse, Lap Ah
PY - 2024/10/1
Y1 - 2024/10/1
N2 - Recycling electronic waste (e-waste) poses risks of metal exposure, potentially leading to health impairments. However, no previous study has focused on this issue in Hong Kong. Therefore, from June 2021 to September 2022, this study collected urine samples from 101 e-waste workers and 100 office workers in Hong Kong to compare their urinary levels of metals using ICP-MS. Among the 15 included metals (with detection rates above the 70 % threshold), eight showed significantly higher urinary concentrations (unit: μg/g creatinine) in e-waste workers compared to office workers: Li (25.09 vs. 33.36), Mn (1.78 vs. 4.15), Ni (2.10 vs. 2.77), Cu (5.81 vs. 9.23), Zn (404.35 vs. 431.52), Sr (151.33 vs. 186.26), Tl (0.35 vs. 0.43), and Pb (0.69 vs. 1.16). E-waste workers in Hong Kong generally exhibited lower metal levels than those in developing regions but higher than their counterparts in developed areas. The urine level of 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) was determined by HPLC-MS/MS, and no significant difference was found between the two groups. Multiple linear regression models revealed no significant association between individual metal and urinary 8-OHdG concentrations. However, the metal mixture was identified to marginally elevate the 8-OHdG concentrations (1.12, 95 %CI: 0.04, 2.19) by quantile g‑computation models, with Mn and Cd playing significant roles in such effect. In conclusion, while the metal levels among Hong Kong e-waste workers compared favorably with their counterparts in other regions, their levels were higher than those of local office workers. This underscores the need for policymakers to prioritize attention to this unique industry. © 2024 The Authors.
AB - Recycling electronic waste (e-waste) poses risks of metal exposure, potentially leading to health impairments. However, no previous study has focused on this issue in Hong Kong. Therefore, from June 2021 to September 2022, this study collected urine samples from 101 e-waste workers and 100 office workers in Hong Kong to compare their urinary levels of metals using ICP-MS. Among the 15 included metals (with detection rates above the 70 % threshold), eight showed significantly higher urinary concentrations (unit: μg/g creatinine) in e-waste workers compared to office workers: Li (25.09 vs. 33.36), Mn (1.78 vs. 4.15), Ni (2.10 vs. 2.77), Cu (5.81 vs. 9.23), Zn (404.35 vs. 431.52), Sr (151.33 vs. 186.26), Tl (0.35 vs. 0.43), and Pb (0.69 vs. 1.16). E-waste workers in Hong Kong generally exhibited lower metal levels than those in developing regions but higher than their counterparts in developed areas. The urine level of 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) was determined by HPLC-MS/MS, and no significant difference was found between the two groups. Multiple linear regression models revealed no significant association between individual metal and urinary 8-OHdG concentrations. However, the metal mixture was identified to marginally elevate the 8-OHdG concentrations (1.12, 95 %CI: 0.04, 2.19) by quantile g‑computation models, with Mn and Cd playing significant roles in such effect. In conclusion, while the metal levels among Hong Kong e-waste workers compared favorably with their counterparts in other regions, their levels were higher than those of local office workers. This underscores the need for policymakers to prioritize attention to this unique industry. © 2024 The Authors.
KW - 8-OHdG
KW - E-waste
KW - Hong Kong
KW - Metals
KW - Urine
KW - Workers
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85201164205&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - https://www.scopus.com/record/pubmetrics.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85201164205&origin=recordpage
U2 - 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2024.116872
DO - 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2024.116872
M3 - RGC 21 - Publication in refereed journal
C2 - 39146595
SN - 0147-6513
VL - 284
JO - Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety
JF - Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety
M1 - 116872
ER -
