Assessment of some heavy metals in crude oil workers from Kurdistan Region, northern Iraq

Toxicological profile and potential health concerns through metals and trace elements exposure in brick kiln workers from Lahore, Pakistan

This study examined levels of lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), mercury (Hg), and arsenic (As) in blood, hair, and nails of 18 brick kiln workers from three brick kiln units located around a metropolitan city, Lahore, Pakistan. All the trace elements except Hg and As were detected in the studied matrices of Brick kiln workers. In general, brick kiln workers reflect the highest concentration of Pb, followed by Cd, Cr, and Cu. Of the pollutants analyzed, Pb has the highest mean (min-max) concentrations at 0.35 (0.09-0.65) in blood (μg/mL), 0.34 (0.14-0.71) in hairs (μg/g), and 0.44 (0.32-0.59) in nails (μg/g) of brick kiln workers. Following Pb, the trend was Cd 0.17 (0.10-0.24), Cu 0.11(0.03-0.27), and Cr 0.07 (0.04-0.08) in blood (μg/mL), followed by Cr 0.11(0.05-0.20), Cd 0.09 (0.03-0.13), and Cu 0.08 (0.04-0.16) in hairs (μg/g) and Cu 0.16 (0.05-0.36), Cd 0.13 (0.11-0.17), and Cr 0.10 (0.05-0.14) in nails (μg/g) respectively. Relatively higher concentrations of metals and other trace elements in blood depicts recent dietary exposure. The difference of trace elements except Pb was non-significant (P > 0.05) among studied matrices of workers as well as between Zigzag and traditional exhaust-based brick kilns. The concentrations of Pb, Cd and Cr in blood of brick kilns workers are higher than the values reported to cause health problems in human populations. It is concluded that chronic exposure to metals and other trace elements may pose some serious health risks to brick kiln workers which needs to be addressed immediately to avoid future worst-case scenarios.

Toxicological profile and health risk assessment through trace elements exposure in brick kiln workers from Lahore, Pakistan.. [DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3267981/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0]

This study examined lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), mercury (Hg), and arsenic (As) levels in blood, hair, and nails of 18 brick kiln workers from three brick kiln units located around a metropolitan city, Lahore, Pakistan. All the trace elements except Hg and As were detected in the studied matrices of Brick kiln workers. In general, brick kiln workers had the highest concentration of Pb, followed by Cd, Cr, and Cu. Among trace elements, Pb has the highest mean (min-max; µg/g)) concentrations at 0.35 (0.09–0.65) in blood, 0.34 (0.14–0.71) in hairs, and 0.44 (0.32–0.59) in nails of brick kiln workers. Following Pb, the trend was Cd 0.17 (0.10–0.24), Cu 0.11(0.03–0.27), and Cr 0.07 (0.04–0.08) in blood, followed by Cr 0.11(0.05–0.20), Cd 0.09 (0.03–0.13), and Cu 0.08 (0.04–0.16) in hairs and Cu 0.16 (0.05–0.36), Cd 0.13 (0.11–0.17), and Cr 0.10 (0.05–0.14) in nails respectively. The difference of trace metals except Pb was non-significant (P > 0.05) among studied matrices of workers as well as between Zigzag and traditional exhaust based brick kilns. Non-carcinogenic risk of Pb and Cd were above USEPA and WHO limits while Pb, Cd, and Cr carcinogenic risks were close to the threshold limits. It is concluded that chronic exposure to trace elements poses serious health risks to brick kiln workers which needs to be addressed to avoid future worst-case scenarios.

Hair Toxic Trace Elements of Residents across the Caspian Oil and Gas Region of Kazakhstan: Cross-Sectional Study

This study aimed to assess the relationship between the content of toxic trace elements, such as aluminum (Al), arsenic (As), beryllium (Be), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), and lead (Pb), in the hair of the adult population of western Kazakhstan and the distance of their residence from oil and gas fields. The cross-sectional study included 850 adults aged 18-60 years. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry was used to measure the level of Al, As, Be, Cd, Hg, and Pb in hair. The relationship between the concentration of toxic trace elements in the hair and the distance from oil and gas fields was assessed in three groups (<16 km, 16-110 km, and >110 km), using multiple linear regression analysis. The highest concentration of Hg = 0.338 μg/g was determined in the group living near oil and gas fields (0-16 km), whereas the lowest concentration of Al = 3.127 μg/g and As = 0.028 μg/g was determined in participants living at a long distance (more than 110 km) (p < 0.001). The concentration of Al (-0.126 (CI: -0.174; -0.077)), Hg (-0.065 (CI: -0.129; -0.001)), and Pb (0.111 (CI: 0.045; 0.177)) is associated with the distance to oil and gas fields. The obtained data indicate a change in the toxic trace element content in the hair of residents in the Caspian region of western Kazakhstan, a change that is most pronounced in residents living in the zone of oil and gas pollution. The distance to the oil and gas fields affects the content of toxic elements in scalp hair. In particular, the concentration of Al and Hg is associated with a decrease in the distance to oil and gas fields, while the concentration of Pb is associated with an increase in the distance to these fields. The lowest content of Al and As was determined in the hair of study participants living in the most remote areas (more than 110 km from oil and gas fields). Our results demonstrate the need for the biomonitoring of toxic elements to determine long-term temporal trends in the impact of chemicals on public health in western Kazakhstan.

Securitization Concept and Its Application to Environmental Problems in the Kurdistan Region: Prospects and Obstacles

Environmental pollution has caused a wide range of problems across the globe. Various studies have focused on worldwide water and environmental issues and their effects on human health and political and social aspects. This article, on the other hand, discusses soil, water, and air pollution as well as the overuse of water resources. This study then discusses these problems as a security issue in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) context. This research adopts a qualitative approach. It reviews the results of previous studies on soil, water, and air pollution in KRI to demonstrate the causes and scale of the problem. It then explores securitization by looking at the main components of the concept and how they can be applied and what needs to be adjusted. Results of the study have shown that pollution is widespread, water is overexploited, and there is a lack of an effective response by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). In addition, in the KRI context, securitization is state-centered, meaning that the country's decision-makers play an important role in securitizing issues. The Kurdistan Regional Government, that is, the securitizing actor, should do more on the speech act, and this should be preceded by substantial political, economic, and psychological changes. Finally, the government must also enforce strict water control to support its water policies.