Biological monitoring of metals and organic substances in hazardous-waste incineration workers.
OBJECTIVE
To determine blood and urine concentrations of a number of metals and organic substances in workers at a hazardous-waste incinerator (HWI) 1 year after regular operations in the facility, and to compare these concentrations with the baseline levels.


METHODS
The employees were divided into three groups according to their workplaces. Plasma analyses of hexachlorobenzene (HCB), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs 28, 52, 101, 138, 153 and 180) and polychlorinated dibenzo- p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), and urinary analyses of 2,4- and 2,5-dichlorophenol (DCP), 2,4,5- and 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (TCP), pentachlorophenol (PCP) and 1-hydroxypyrene (1-HP) were carried out. The blood concentrations of beryllium, manganese, mercury and lead, and the urine levels of cadmium, chromium, nickel and vanadium were also determined.


RESULTS
The current plasma HCB, PCB and PCDD/F levels, and the urine levels of chlorophenols (CLPs) and 1-HP did not show significant differences between workplace groups or the baseline concentrations. Moreover, no significant differences between metal levels could be observed.


CONCLUSIONS
The lack of differences between the current levels of metals and organic substances and the respective baseline concentrations, together with the absence of differences depending on the workplace indicate that the potential exposure of HWI workers to the analyzed compounds was insignificant. According to these results, 1 year of potential exposure to the above metals and organic substances would not mean any specific health problem for the workers at the HWI.
Schuhmacher
M
M
Laboratory of Toxicology and Environmental Health, School of Medicine, Rovira i Virgili University, San Lorenzo 21, 43201 Reus, Spain.
Domingo
J L
JL
Agramunt
M C
MC
Bocio
A
A
Müller
L
L
D000328:Adult; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D006256:Hazardous Waste / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D017745:Incineration; D008670:Metals / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D009930:Organic Chemicals / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D013030:Spain; D018505:Waste Management / Q000379:methods
D006256:Hazardous Waste; D008670:Metals; D009930:Organic Chemicals