The association of expired nitric oxide with occupational particulate metal exposure

• Published in: Environmental research Vol. 93; no. 2; pp. 158 - 166
• Main Authors: Kim, Jee Young, Hauser, Russ, Wand, Matthew P., Herrick, Robert F., Amarasiriwardena, Chitra J., Christiani, David C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier Inc 01.10.2003; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Air pollutants; Biological and medical sciences; Breath Tests; Chemical and industrial products toxicology. Toxic occupational diseases; Epidemiology; Free Radical Scavengers - analysis; Heavy Metal Poisoning; Humans; Industry; Inorganic dusts (pneumoconiosises) and organic dusts (byssinosis etc.); Lung - pathology; Male; Medical sciences; Metals; Middle Aged; Nitric oxide; Nitric Oxide - analysis; Occupational; Occupational Exposure; Particle Size; Particulate matter; Power Plants; Respiration; Toxicology; Transition Elements; Occupational; Air pollutants; Epidemiology; Particulate matter; Metals; Nitric oxide; Human; Expired air; Boiler plant; Particle size; Work place; Toxicity; Lung; Rate; Occupational exposure; Metal particle; Suspended particle; Air Pollutants; Indoor pollution; Air pollution; Occupational medicine
• ISSN: 0013-9351; 1096-0953
• DOI: 10.1016/S0013-9351(03)00017-3

Toxicologic studies have shown that soluble transition metals in residual oil fly ash (ROFA) can induce pulmonary injury. In this study, we investigated the association between the fractional concentration of expired nitric oxide (F ENO) and exposure to metal constituents of particulate matter with an aerodynamic mass median diameter⩽2.5 μm (PM 2.5) in boilermakers exposed to ROFA and metal fume. Metals investigated included vanadium, chromium, manganese, nickel, copper, and lead. Subjects were monitored for 5 consecutive days during boiler repair overhauls in 1999 ( n=20) and 2000 ( n=14). In 1999, we found a significant inverse association between log-transformed F ENO and PM 2.5 metal concentrations. Log F ENO changed by −0.03 (95% CI: −0.04, −0.01), −0.56 (95% CI: −0.88, −0.24), −0.09 (95% CI: −0.16, −0.02), and −0.04 (95% CI: −0.07, −0.02) per μg/m 3 of PM 2.5 vanadium, chromium, manganese, and nickel, respectively. In 2000, no significant associations were observed, most likely due to exposure misclassification resulting from the use of respirators. The inverse association between PM 2.5 metal exposure and F ENO in subjects with limited respirator usage suggests that soluble transition metals might be partially responsible for the adverse pulmonary responses seen in workers exposed to ROFA.