title: Vanadium exposure-induced neurobehavioral alterations among Chinese workers.
abstract: Vanadium-containing products are manufactured and widely used in the modern industry. Yet the neurobehavioral toxicity due to occupational exposure to vanadium remained elusive. This cross-sectional study was designed to examine the neurotoxic effects of occupational vanadium exposure. A total of 463 vanadium-exposed workers (exposed group) and 251 non-exposed workers (control group) were recruited from a Steel and Iron Group in Sichuan, China. A WHO-recommended neurobehavioral core test battery (NCTB) and event-related auditory evoked potentials test (P300) were used to assess the neurobehavioral functions of all study subjects. A general linear model was used to compare outcome scores between the two groups while controlling for possible confounders. The exposed group showed a statistically significant neurobehavioral alteration more than the control group in the NCTB tests. The exposed workers also exhibited an increased anger-hostility, depression-dejection and fatigue-inertia on the profile of mood states (p<0.05). Performances in the simple reaction time, digit span, benton visual retention and pursuit aiming were also poorer among exposed workers as compared to unexposed control workers (p<0.05). Some of these poor performances in tests were also significantly related to workers' exposure duration. P300 latencies were longer in the exposed group than in the control (p<0.05). Longer mean reaction times and more counting errors were also found in the exposed workers (p<0.05). Given the findings of our study and the limitations of neurobehavioral workplace testing, we found evidence of altered neurobehavioral outcomes by occupational exposure to vanadium.
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Health, West China School of Public Health Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, PR China.
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Dinglun
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Qin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Chengyong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Keping
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Yajia
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lan
mesh_terms: D002681:China; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005072:Evoked Potentials, Auditory / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007221:Industry; D008297:Male; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D020258:Neurotoxicity Syndromes / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D011596:Psychomotor Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced*; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000187:drug effects; D012153:Retention, Psychology / Q000187:drug effects; D014639:Vanadium / Q000506:poisoning*
chemical_list: D014639:Vanadium