Alterations in antioxidant defense system of workers chronically exposed to arsenic, cadmium and mercury from coal flying ash

• Published in: Environmental geochemistry and health Vol. 38; no. 1; pp. 65 - 72
• Main Authors: Zeneli, Lulzim, Sekovanić, Ankica, Ajvazi, Majlinda, Kurti, Leonard, Daci, Nexhat
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.02.2016; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adult; Air Pollutants - toxicity; Antioxidants; Antioxidants - metabolism; Arsenic; Arsenic - toxicity; ascorbic acid; Ascorbic Acid - blood; Blood levels; Cadmium; Cadmium - toxicity; chronic exposure; coal; Coal Ash - analysis; Earth and Environmental Science; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; erythrocytes; flight; Fly ash; Geochemistry; glutathione peroxidase; Glutathione Peroxidase - blood; Heavy metals; Human exposure; Humans; Kosovo; Male; Mercury; Mercury - toxicity; Middle Aged; normal values; Occupational Exposure; Occupational health; Original Paper; Oxidative stress; Oxidative Stress - drug effects; Power Plants; Public Health; reactive oxygen species; risk; Soil Science & Conservation; superoxide dismutase; Superoxide Dismutase - blood; Terrestrial Pollution; Correlation; Trace elements; Antioxidant; PP workers; Blood
• ISSN: 0269-4042; 1573-2983; 1573-2983
• DOI: 10.1007/s10653-015-9683-2

Humans are exposed to different stress factors that are responsible for over-production of reactive oxygen species. Exposure to heavy metals is one of these factors. The aim of the study was to analyze the effect of chronic exposure to heavy metals through coal flying ash on the efficiency of antioxidative defensive mechanisms, represented by the activity of superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and ascorbic acid. Nonessential elements such as arsenic and mercury levels showed a significant increase ( p  > 0.001) in the power plant workers rather than in the control subjects. There were no significant differences of blood cadmium between power plant workers and control subjects. We found a significant positive correlation ( p  < 0.05) between BAs/SZn ( r  = 0.211), BAs/BSe ( r  = 0.287), BCd/SCu ( r  = 0.32) and BHg/BSe ( r  = 0.263) in the plant workers. Red blood cell antioxidant enzymes and plasma ascorbic acid were significantly lower in power plants workers than in the control group ( p  < 0.002). We can conclude that levels of mercury, arsenic and cadmium in blood, despite their concentration within the reference values, significantly affect plasma ascorbic acid concentration, superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activity, which are able to increase the risk of oxidative stress.