Elevated Serum Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers and Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone Associated with Lymphocytic Micronuclei in Chinese Workers from an E-Waste Dismantling Site

• Published in: Environmental science & technology Vol. 42; no. 6; pp. 2195 - 2200
• Main Authors: Yuan, Jing, Chen, Lan, Chen, Duohong, Guo, Huan, Bi, Xinhui, Ju, Ying, Jiang, Pu, Shi, Jibin, Yu, Zhiqiang, Yang, Jin, Li, Liping, Jiang, Qi, Sheng, Guoying, Fu, Jiamo, Wu, Tangchun, Chen, Xuemin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Chemical Society 15.03.2008
• Subjects: Adult; Applied sciences; Asian Continental Ancestry Group; Deoxyguanosine - analogs & derivatives; Deoxyguanosine - urine; DNA; Ecotoxicology and Human Environmental Health; Electronics; Environmental Monitoring; Environmental Pollutants - blood; Environmental Pollutants - toxicity; Exact sciences and technology; Female; Flame Retardants - metabolism; Flame Retardants - toxicity; Glutathione - blood; Humans; Lymphocytes - drug effects; Male; Malondialdehyde - blood; Micronuclei, Chromosome-Defective - chemically induced; Occupational Exposure - adverse effects; Occupational Exposure - analysis; Phenyl Ethers - blood; Phenyl Ethers - toxicity; Pollution; Polybrominated Biphenyls - blood; Polybrominated Biphenyls - toxicity; Superoxide Dismutase - blood; Thyrotropin - blood; Waste Products; China, People's Rep; Persistent organic pollutant; Village; Risk factor; Flame retardant; Lipids; Volatile organic compound; Oxidation; Electronic scrap; Low volatile compound; Organic compounds; Confidence interval
• ISSN: 0013-936X; 1520-5851
• DOI: 10.1021/es702295f

In this study, we recruited 49 subjects from one village close to an electronic waste (e-waste) site (exposed group) and another located 50 km away from the e-waste site (control group). We found that serum levels of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (median PBDEs, 382 ng/g lipid weight; range, 77–8452 ng/g lipid weight) and thyroid-stimulating hormone (median TSH, 1.79 µIU/mL; range, 0.38–9.03 µIU/mL) and frequencies of micronucleated binucleated cells (MNed BNC; median, 5‰; range, 0–96‰) were significantly higher in the exposed group than in the control group (158 ng/g, range of 18–436 ng/g, and p < 0.05; 1.15 µIU/mL, range of 0.48–2.09, and p < 0.01; and 0‰, range of 0–5‰, and p < 0.01, respectively). A history of working with e-waste was significantly associated with increased MNed BNC frequencies (odds ratio (OR), 38.85; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1–1358.71, p = 0.044), independent of years of local residence, a perceived risk factor. However, there was no association between PBDEs exposure and oxidative DNA damage. Therefore, the exposure to PBDEs at the e-waste site may have an effect on the levels of TSH and genetoxic damage among these workers, but this needs to be validated in large studies.