International Journal of Advances in Science Engineering and Technology, ISSN(p): 2321 –8991, ISSN(e): 2321 –9009 Volume-8, Issue-1, Jan.-2020, http://iraj.in HEAVY METAL LEVELS IN URINE OF E-WASTE DISMANTLING WORKERS IN PROVINCE,

1PANVARONG WONGSABSAKUL, 2POKKATE WONGSASULUK, 3TASSANEE PRUEKSASIT

1International Postgraduate Programs in Environmental Management, Chulalongkorn University, 10330, Thailand 2College of Public Health Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand 3Department of Environmental Science, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand 3Research Program of MunicipalSolid Waste and Hazardous Waste Management, Center of Excellence on Hazardous SubstanceManagement (HSM), Bangkok 10330, Thailand 3College of Public Health Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand. E-mail: [email protected], [email protected]; [email protected], [email protected]

Abstract- Electronic waste (e-waste) is recently worldwide concern issue because rapidly increasing of newer electronic products, recycling is an important way to reduce e-waste. In the recycling process, exposures to heavy metals can cause adverse health effects to e-waste dismantling workers. In Thailand, e-waste is increasing similarly to the global e-waste situation. One of the largest e-waste sites in Thailand is . The objective of this study was to examine the levels of urinary heavy metals in dismantling workers. As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Ni, Mn and Zn concentrations in the urine of 100 dismantling workersat the e-waste separating sites in Daengyai sub-district and Banpao sub-district, Buriram province were investigated. The face-to-face interview questionnaire was used to get participants information, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry was used to measure the urinary heavy metals. The results showed mean (SD) and median of arsenic concentration in the urine were 55.23 (34.91) µg/L and 47.70 µg/L, ranging from 6.28 to 175.73 µg/L. There were 70% of the dismantling workers presented arsenic in urine exceeded the standard of The American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists(ACGIH). The mean (SD) and median Cu, Mn, and Zn concentration in the urine of participants were 25.42 (16.48) and 19.90, 1.98 (1.32) and 1.76, and 355.60 (238.12) and 295.00 µg/g of creatinine, respectively. There were (8%, 21%, and 4%, respectively) of the dismantling workers with heavy metal in urine exceeded the standard.

Keyword- Heavy Metals, E-Waste, Urine, Biomarkers,Thailand

I. INTRODUCTION passes into the body of workers through different three routes of exposure including inhalation, skin Nowadays, the global electronic waste production is contact, and ingestion [10]. Worldwide, there is rapidly increasing because of newer products concern about exposures to heavy metals and the improvement [1]. Due to the significantly growing associated health impacts at e-waste recycling sites ofe-waste generation,e-waste has then become an [11]. E-waste isa complex mixture of several hundred emerging global environmental issue [2].The total e- materials. The hazardous components in e-waste waste generated worldwide in 2018 was 49.8 million include cathode ray tubes (CRTs), liquid crystal tons, and the annual total volume has been expected display (LCD) screens, batteries, printed circuit up to 52 million tones in [3]. In Thailand, e-waste is boards (PCB), and plastic with Brominated flame rapidly increasing similarly to the global e-waste retardants (BFRs)[8],[12]. At dismantling site, toxic situation. Pollution Control Department (PCD) elements arising from the electronic items that are reported the amount of electronic waste generated in processed including, Cadmium (Cd), Chromium (Cr), 2017 was 618,749 tons. It is expected that the amount Copper (Cu), Arsenic (As), Nickel (Ni), Manganese of e-waste generation in the next year will be higher (Mn) lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn). These metals can and is likely to increase everyyear. Accordingto a accumulate in the body and lead to acute and chronic large amount of electronic waste and the lack of toxicological effects, such as damage to central and proper disposal methods, it leads to informal e-waste peripheral nervous systems, blood composition, dismantling such as cutting, chipping, split, and lungs, kidneys, liver, and death. For example, Copper smash[1]. Thelow-income workers in rural areas can be accumulated in the body, causing damage to dismantle the scrap in electronic waste to recover the kidneys and even death due to long-term exposure precious components such as copper, aluminum, iron, [13], [14]. Furthermore, many studies used urine as a and brass for sale [4 - 6].In some areas, the livelihood biomarker that has been used to investigate the level of many villagers depends on the income generated of heavy metals in human [15],[16]. The heavy from this occupation. However, inappropriate metals level in urine has regularly been used as an separatingof e-waste causes serious risk to human indicator of daily exposure because urine is health because e-waste contains a hazardous heavy biomarker representing daily excretion of heavy metal such as arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, metals [17]. Although the bladder is not a major mercury, nickel, copper, and zinc [7 - 9]. Most of target organ for most heavy metals, the interaction these compounds are released during dismantling and with many heavy metals and the accumulation of

Heavy Metal Levels in Urine of E-Waste Dismantling Workers in Buriram Province, Thailand

66 International Journal of Advances in Science Engineering and Technology, ISSN(p): 2321 –8991, ISSN(e): 2321 –9009 Volume-8, Issue-1, Jan.-2020, http://iraj.in heavy metals in the bladder for a long time might using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry affect carcinogenesis [18], [19]. The major objective calibration with multielement standard and use of this paper is to examine the levels of urinary heavy rhodium as internal standard methods. These element metals in e-waste dismantling workers 100 people values are reported in µg metal/g creatinine and µg from informal e-waste disassemblysites compared metal/L to compared with the standard values. with thestandard. Their urinary levels of heavy metals were analyzed, and other related exposure data and III. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION personal information were collected by using questionnaires. 3.1 Demographics information and characteristics of E-waste worker II. MATERIALS AND METHODS The mean (SD) age of the dismantling workers studied was 47.6 (9.7) years old and they ranged in age from 20 to 65 yearolds(Table 1). The participants comprised 51 males and 49 females. Their average weight was 61.7 ± 10.3 kg and average height was 160.2 ± 7.2 cm. The body mass index (BMI) of the participants was 24.0 ± 3.7kg/m2which calculated from their weight and height.

Table 1: Summaries of demographic profiles

The mean (SD) number of working periodin e-waste was 8.0 (7.3) years with a range between 6 months and 60 years (Table 2). The percentage of smokers Fig. 1. Sampling sites in Buriram, Thailand was 30% and family smoked was 27%.Over half of E-waste dismantling activity sites involved in this the participants (58%) indicated that they drank project are located in Daengyai sub-district, alcohol. Almost half (45.0%) of the participants had Banmaichaiyapot district and Banpao sub-district, eaten seafood 1-2 times per week. The percentage of Phutthaisong district, Buriram province, personal protective equipment (PPE) and fertilizer Thailand.The urine samples were collected from the using were 42.0% and 58.0%, respectively. In volunteer workersat this e-waste dismantling sites in addition to separating or dismantling e-waste, 40% of total, 100 participants were recruited into this study participants also have burned e-waste.All participants (51 male e-waste workers, and 49 female e-waste separated e-waste by primitive method, i.e., hand or workers) consisting of 50 people from Ban Daengyai torn, and the type of e-waste separated during the sub-district, Banmaichaiyapot district and 50 people sampling was not much different whichmanily from Ban Pao sub-district, Phutthaisong district. consisted of TV screens and printed circuit boards. Inclusion criteria for participation in the study were The top three of e-waste in this dismantling site adults (aged from 18 to 65 years old) and workedon werefans, TV screens, and computer monitors. The the e-waste dismantling process at least onemonth. most common group of e-waste was fans(26.0%). Personal information was investigated by face-to-face Table 3shows the lists of the common heavy interviews with questionnaire such as age, gender, metalspossibly found in the mentionede-waste type body weight, smoking behavior, alcohol drinking, which are Cu, Pb, Cd, Cr, As, Ni, and Zn [20]. and PPE using. The involvement of participants in this study was under approval by the Committee for Research Involving Human Research Subjects, Health Science Group, responsible for ethics on human experimentation with the certificate of approval number (COA. No.) 217/2018.The urine sample (>30 mL) was collected into a urine sample glass bottles by a first-morning urine sampling method (8–9 am). Urine samples were stored in the refrigerator at 4 ℃ until shipment to the laboratory, kept at -20°C [11]. The standard method of ACGIH was used to analyze the heavy metalsin urine and certified by the Special Lab Center Clinic of Thailand. The heavy metals in urine were determined

Heavy Metal Levels in Urine of E-Waste Dismantling Workers in Buriram Province, Thailand

67 International Journal of Advances in Science Engineering and Technology, ISSN(p): 2321 –8991, ISSN(e): 2321 –9009 Volume-8, Issue-1, Jan.-2020, http://iraj.in the ACGIH standardof 35 µg/L. The mean (SD) and medianconcentration of As in the urine were 55.23 (34.91) and 47.70 µg/L, ranging from 6.28 to 175.73 µg/L (Table 5). There was 70% of the dismantling workers who had As in the urine over the standard. The mean (SD) and median concentration of Cd in the urine were 0.89 (0.47) and 0.77 µg/g of creatinine, ranging from 0.29 to 2.57 µg/g of creatinine (the standard of Cd in the urine is3 µg/g of creatinine). The mean (SD) and median concentration of Cr in the urine of participants were 2.78 (2.72) and 1.94 µg/L, ranging from 0.38 to 17.62 µg/L (the standard of Cr in the urine is 25 µg/L). The mean (SD) and median concentration ofCu in the urine were 25.42 (16.48) and 19.90 µg/g of creatinine, ranging from 5.58 to 80.68 µg/g of creatinine (the standard of Cu in the urine is 50 µg/g of creatinine). Eight percent of the dismantling workers werefound to have Cu in the urine over the standard. The mean (SD) and median concentration Pb in the urine of participants were 8.72 (5.24) and 8.00 µg/g of

Table 2:Characteristics of the participants creatinine, ranging from 0.66 to 34.55 µg/L (the standard of Pb in the urine is 50 µg/g of creatinine).

The mean (SD) and median concentration of Ni in the urine were 3.45 (2.97) and 2.68 µg/g of creatinine, ranging from 0.14 to 15.80 µg/g of creatinine (the standard of Ni in the urine is 30 µg/g of creatinine). The mean (SD) and median concentration of Mn in the urine ofparticipants were 1.98 (1.32) and 1.76 µg/g of creatinine, ranging from 0.10 to 6.48 µg/g of creatinine (the standard of Mn in the urine is 3 µg/g of creatinine). There was 21% of the dismantling workers who had Mn in the urine over the standard. The mean (SD) and median concentration ofZn in the urine of participants were 355.60 (238.12) and 295.00 µg/g of creatinine, ranging from 5.58 to 80.68 µg/g of creatinine (the standard of Zn in the urine is 900 µg/g of creatinine). There was 4% of the dismantling workers who hadZn in the urine over the standard. The urinaryheavy metals reported as µg/g of

Table 2: Continuous creatinine following ACGIH standard because these heavy metals can cause adverse effects on the kidney. For As and Cr,the value was expressedas µg/L following ACGIH standard because creatinine is not a suitable correction factor for these heavy metals in the urine. The main activity of e-waste dismantling in this area wasto recover copper fromelectrical motors, printed circuit boards (PCB), and monitors parts. As can be found in PCB, LCD, CTR displays, and computer chips [21], [22]. Cu is mostly found in electrical motors, monitors,and used instead of Table 3: Main e-waste group found in the area aluminum in computer chips [23]. With respect to various electronic parts containing As and Cu, the 3.2 Urinary heavy metal levels of E-waste worker Asand Cu concentrations in the urine of worker could For the analysis of heavy metals in urine sample, the be found higher than the standard level thatmight be average urinary metals concentrations were low and causedby the exposure to As which is the major not exceeded the ACGIH standard except for arsenic heavy metal found in LCD screens, CTR screens, and (Table 4). The average concentration of As in urine of PCB, [24], [25] andexposure to Cu during separating the participants (55.23 ± 34.91µg/L)was higher than copper wire as the major component of many

Heavy Metal Levels in Urine of E-Waste Dismantling Workers in Buriram Province, Thailand

68 International Journal of Advances in Science Engineering and Technology, ISSN(p): 2321 –8991, ISSN(e): 2321 –9009 Volume-8, Issue-1, Jan.-2020, http://iraj.in devices. Some previous studies also proved that high level of urinaryAs and Cu concentration of The urinary data of this study werecompared to the participants caused bythe intake of contaminated food study ofSrigboh et al. (2016) that previously and drinking water, as well as,directly exposed to the measured urinary heavy metals in 58 e-waste workers chemicals without PPE using, such as gloves and at Agbogbloshie, Ghana. There were 6 urinary heavy masks [26], [27]. metals found the same, including As, Cr, Cu, Pb, Ni, and Zn. It has been reported that the mean Moreover, there wereother associated factors such as concentrationsof As, Ni, and Zn in the urine of smoking due to arsenic predominantly contained in participants were77.50µg/L, 15.9µg/g of creatinine, the cigarette smoke [28].For Zn and Mn, these metals 659 µg/g of creatinine, which higher than are essential trace elements of the human body, which thosedetected for the workers in the present some people may have a higher metal value due to study.Similarly, the urine concentration of As was alcohol drinking. There are numerousresearch on higher than other heavy metals. The mean (SD) metal in alcoholic beverages. They reported that concentration of Cu (25.47 ± 16.48µg/g of creatinine) alcohol consumption provides important amounts of and Pb(8.72 ± 5.24µg/g of creatinine) in the urine of nutritional requirements of several essential metals participants in this study wasin the same levels, 23.8 such as Zn and Mn [29]. (11.9) and 9.0 (8.0) µg/g of creatinine. While the concentration ofCr,0.9 (0.5) µg/L, was lower than that of this study.The results of this study indicated that the levels of As concentration is higher than other heavy metals and over the standard like the study by Srigboh et al. (2016). For another research in China, the median concentrationAsin the urine of dismantling worker,13.0µg/L, was considerably lower than that found in the present study. The medianCr, Cd, Pb concentration in the urine of dismantling workerwere 0.74µg/L, 0.37, and 1.8µg/g of creatinine, respectively, which were lower than those observed in this study.They pointed that seafood consumption was probably the origin of the elevated urine in As concentrations[8].

IV. CONCLUSION AND ECOMMENDATIONS

This study was conducted to investigate the concentration of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Ni, Mn and Znin Table 4: Urinary heavy metals standard concentration the urine of 100 e-waste dismantling workersin Buriram Province, Thailand. The As, Cu, Mn,and Zn in urine of some workerswas higher than the standard levels. The contributionof workerswith heavy metal in urine exceeded the standard accounted for 70%, 8%, 21%, and 4%, respectively.The maximum of Asin urine was 175.73µg/L that was about threetimes higher than the standard. For Cu, Mn, and Zn , the concentration of the metals in the urine wasslightly higher than the standard.However, the differentconcentration of the metal in urine of workers might depend on some associated factors and their lifestyles such as BMI, smoking behavior, seafood consumption, alcohol drinking, e-waste burning, working hour per day, frequency and quantity of e-waste dismantling, type of e-waste,and PPE using during the dismantling. The further investigation on the relationship between some associated factors and heavy metalsin urine should be performed. The overall resultswould be useful for encouraging the workers’ awareness to prevent their exposure to heavy metals from e-waste dismantlingas well asto minimize their adverse health risk. Table 5: Urinary heavy metals concentration

Heavy Metal Levels in Urine of E-Waste Dismantling Workers in Buriram Province, Thailand

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