title: Biological monitoring of welders' exposure to chromium, molybdenum, tungsten and vanadium.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Welders are exposed to a number of metallic elements during work. Bioaccessability, that is important for element uptake, has been little studied. This study addresses bioaccessability and uptake of chromium (Cr), molybdenum (Mo), tungsten (W) and vanadium (V) among welders.
  
  
  METHODS
  Bioaccessability of Cr, Mo, V and W was studied in airborne particulate matter collected by personal sampling of the workroom air among shipyard welders by using the lung lining fluid simulant Hatch solution. Associations between concentrations of Hatch soluble and non-soluble elements (Hatchsoland Hatchnon-sol) and concentrations of the four elements in whole blood, serum, blood cells and urine were studied.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Air concentrations of the four elements were low. Only a small fraction of Cr, V and W was Hatchsol, while similar amounts of Mo were Hatchsoland Hatchnon-sol. Welders (N=70) had statistically significantly higher concentrations of all four elements in urine and serum when compared to referents (N=74). Highly statistically significant associations were observed between urinary W and HatchsolW (p<0.001) and serum V and HatchsolV (p<0.001), in particular when air samples collected the day before collection of biological samples were considered.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Associations between Hatchsolelements in air and their biological concentrations were higher than when Hatchnon-solconcentrations were considered. Associations were generally higher when air samples collected the day before biological sampling were considered as compared to air samples collected two days before.
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Occupational Health, Oslo, Norway. Electronic address: dag.ellingsen@stami.no.
authors.forename: Dag G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Ellingsen
authors.affiliation: Northwest Public Health Research Centre, St. Petersburg, Russia.
authors.forename: Maxim
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chashchin
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Occupational Health, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Balazs
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Berlinger
authors.affiliation: Northwest Public Health Research Centre, St. Petersburg, Russia; North-western State Medical University named after I.I. Mechnikov, St. Petersburg, Russia.
authors.forename: Vladimir
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Fedorov
authors.affiliation: Northwest Public Health Research Centre, St. Petersburg, Russia; North-western State Medical University named after I.I. Mechnikov, St. Petersburg, Russia.
authors.forename: Valery
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Chashchin
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Occupational Health, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Yngvar
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Thomassen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002857:Chromium / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008982:Molybdenum / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D014414:Tungsten / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D014639:Vanadium / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D014896:Welding; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014639:Vanadium; D002857:Chromium; D008982:Molybdenum; D014414:Tungsten
keywords: Air; Blood; Hatch solubility; Urine; Welders