The impact of occupational exposure to traffic-related air pollution among professional motorcyclists from Porto Alegre, Brazil, and its association with genetic and oxidative damage

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international Vol. 25; no. 19; pp. 18620 - 18631
• Main Authors: Carvalho, Roseana Böek, Carneiro, Maria Fernanda Hornos, Barbosa, Fernando, Batista, Bruno Lemos, Simonetti, Júlia, Amantéa, Sergio Luis, Rhoden, Cláudia Ramos
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.07.2018; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adult; Air Pollutants - analysis; Air pollution; Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Biomarkers; Biomarkers - analysis; Brazil; Cadmium; Chemical elements; Chemical pollution; Chromosome aberrations; Cross-Sectional Studies; Damage assessment; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental Monitoring - methods; Environmental risk; Environmental science; Exposure; Fingernail; Gases; Genotoxicity; Humans; Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry; Life assessment; Lipid peroxidation; Manganese; Mass spectrometry; Mass spectroscopy; Micronuclei; Micronuclei, Chromosome-Defective - chemically induced; Micronucleus Tests; Motorcycles; Nails - chemistry; Nitrogen dioxide; Occupational exposure; Occupational Exposure - adverse effects; Occupational Exposure - analysis; Occupational hazards; Occupational health; Oxidative stress; Oxidative Stress - drug effects; Peroxidation; Pollutants; Pollution; Pollution effects; Pollution monitoring; Research Article; Spectrophotometry; Trace elements; Traffic-Related Pollution - adverse effects; Traffic-Related Pollution - analysis; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control; Workload; Brazil; Environmental exposure; Air pollution; Oxidative stress, DNA damage; Occupational exposure; Heavy metals
• ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-018-2007-1

Vehicles play an important role in modern life; however, they also generate hazards. Occupational exposed subjects are in long-term contact with harmful products, which sets these professionals in a susceptible group to air pollutant damage. The aims of this study were to quantify individual exposure to pollutant gases and chemical elements and to evaluate oxidative and genetic damage in professional motorcyclists and office workers. We recruited professional motorcyclists and office workers from Porto Alegre, Brazil, between January and December 2016. Individual exposure to air pollutants was assessed by passive monitoring. Fingernail trace elements were determined by using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Oxidative stress biomarkers were quantified spectrophotometrically, and genotoxicity was evaluated by micronuclei assay. Individual exposure to NO 2 and O 3 , trace element content (Sb, Pt, As, Cd, V, Mn, and Co), oxidative stress factors, and genetic damage were statistically higher in professional motorcyclists ( p  < 0.05). Moreover, NO 2 and O 3 levels showed very strong positive correlation with plasmatic lipid peroxidation ( p  < 0.001 and r  = 0.8849 and 0.8995) and strong positive correlation with micronuclei frequency ( p  < 0.001 and r  = 0.7683 and 0.7280). Results suggest that professional motorcyclists are at high risk due to long-term air pollution exposure, which implies in the onset of several harmful effects and worsening of pre-existent diseases.