title: Biological monitoring of tungsten (and cobalt) in workers of a hard metal alloy industry.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate a combined biomonitoring approach based on both cobalt and tungsten determination in workers of the hard metal alloy sector.
  
  
  METHODS
  We enrolled 55 workers from a factory producing cutting tools for carpentry. Combined workroom air and biological monitoring of both cobalt and tungsten relied on inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry determinations. Metals were determined on plasma, blood and urine samples. Urine samples from 34 unexposed subjects were also analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Tungsten was determined in every collected sample. Workers showed significantly higher urinary tungsten levels than controls (pre-shift values of 4.12 vs. 0.06 microg/l on average; P < 0.0005). Both airborne and biological levels of tungsten prevailed among workers involved in wet-grinding activities. The element was excreted at higher urinary levels than cobalt and showed lower circulating (blood, plasma) concentrations. Exposure-dose relationships were apparent for tungsten biomarkers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Obtained results may contribute to the development of biomarkers of exposure to tungsten. The association of such biomarkers to traditional determinations of cobalt in blood and/or urine may substantially improve the exposure assessment of workers employed in cemented carbide industries.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental and Applied Medicine, University of Brescia, Italy. depalma@med.unibs.it
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: De Palma
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Manini
authors.forename: Michela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sarnico
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Molinari
authors.forename: Pietro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Apostoli
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000032:analysis; D003035:Cobalt / Q000097:blood* / Q000652:urine*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008669:Metallurgy; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D014414:Tungsten / Q000097:blood* / Q000652:urine*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D003035:Cobalt; D014414:Tungsten