Heavy metals in hair and nails of electronic waste dismantling workers in Buriram, Thailand

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate and compare the concentration of eight heavy metals (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn) in hair and nails of e-waste workers and non-e-waste workers. Hair and nails samples were collected from participants in Daeng Yai sub-district, Ban Mai Chaiyapot district, and Ban Pao sub-district, Puttatisong district, Buriram, Thailand from December 2018 to January 2019. All sampled were digested with nitric acid by microwave digester and the concentration of heavy metals was analyzed by using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). The results showed that the concentration of As and Cd in both hair and nails of both groups was lower than the LOD (0.75 µg/g and 0.5 µg/g, respectively). The concentrations of Cr, Cu, Mn, Pb, and Zn in the hair of e-waste workers group were significantly greater than those of non-e-waste worker group at significance level of 0.05. The average concentrations of Cr, Cu, Mn, Pb and Zn in the hair of e-waste workers group were 6.44, 18.38, 2.85, 6.64 and 185.5 µg/g-Hair, respectively, while non-e-waste workers groups were 1.24, 6.68, 1.35, 1.28 and 121.56 µg/g-Hair, respectively. For nails, the concentrations of Cr, Cu, Mn, and Pb of the e-waste workers group were significantly greater than non-e-waste worker group at significance level of 0.05. The average concentrations of Cr, Cu, Mn, and Pb in nails of e-waste workers group were 15.91, 39.71, 3.78, and 4.92 µg/g-Nail, respectively, while those of non-e-waste workers groups were 9.73, 18.33, 1.78, and 1.76 µg/g-Nail, respectively. Some associated factors including, e-waste dismantling occupation, working time, PPE using, gender, living time, and the behavior of participants include smoking habits, second-hand smoking habits, seafood consumption, bare feet direct walking expose to soil were probably increase the level of heavy metals in hair and nails.