title: Perchlorate exposure and thyroid function in ammonium perchlorate workers in Yicheng, China.
abstract: The impact of low level dust on the thyroid function of workers chronically exposed to ammonium perchlorate (AP) is uncertain and controversial. The aim of this study was to examine whether workers in China with long-term (>3 years) occupational exposure to low levels of AP dust had affected thyroid homeostasis. Mean occupational exposures to AP dust ranged from 0.43 to 1.17 mg/m3. Geometric means of post-shift urinary perchlorate levels were 20.5 µg/L for those exposed and 12.8 µg/L for the controls. No significant differences were found for thyroid function parameters of FT3, FT4, or log TSH or for TPO prevalence or thyroglobulin levels. Additionally, no differences in findings were observed for complete blood count (CBC), serum biochemical profile, or pulmonary function test. Median urinary iodine levels of 172 and 184 µg/L showed that the workers had sufficient iodine intake. This study found no effect on thyroid function from long term, low-level documented exposure to ammonium perchlorate. It is the first study to report both thyroid status parameters and urinary perchlorate, a biomarker of internal perchlorate exposure, in occupationally exposed workers in China.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedicine, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan 442000, China. hustchenhx@163.com.
authors.forename: Hongxia
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan 442000, China. wuerfan@sina.com.
authors.forename: Libing
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Maternal and Child Health Care, School of Public Health, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China. wangxiaes@sdu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Xia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China. woodside@163.com.
authors.forename: Qin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China. dingmiaohong@163.com.
authors.forename: Miaohong
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China. klpeng@mails.tjmu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Kailiang
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedicine, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan 442000, China. zhongji.meng@163.com.
authors.forename: Zhongji
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Meng
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000633:toxicity; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis / Q000652:urine; D002681:China; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004391:Dust / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006706:Homeostasis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D010472:Perchlorates / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity / Q000652:urine*; D000644:Quaternary Ammonium Compounds / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity / Q000652:urine*; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry; D013960:Thyroid Function Tests; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D015415:Biomarkers; D004391:Dust; D010472:Perchlorates; D000644:Quaternary Ammonium Compounds; C053506:ammonium perchlorate