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Exposure assessment and heart rate variability monitoring in workers handling titanium dioxide particles: a pilot study

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Abstract

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) particles are used for surface coating and in a variety of products such as inks, fibers, food, and cosmetics. The present study investigated possible respiratory and cardiovascular effects of TiO2 particles in workers exposed to this particle at high concentration in a factory in China. The diameter of particles collected on filters was measured by scanning electron microscopy. Real-time size-dependent particle number concentration was monitored in the nostrils of four workers using condensation particle counter and optical particle counter. Electrocardiogram was recorded using Holter monitors for the same four workers to record heart rate variability. Sixteen workers underwent assessment of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. Mass-based individual exposure levels were also measured with personal cascade impactors. The primary particle diameter ranged from 46 to 562 nm. Analysis of covariance of the pooled data of the four workers showed that number of particles with a diameter <300 nm was associated positively with total number of N–N and negatively with total number of increase or decrease in successive RR intervals greater than 50 ms (RR50+/−) or percentage of RR 50+/− that were parameters of parasympathetic function. The total mass concentration was 9.58–30.8 mg/m3 during work, but significantly less before work (0.36 mg/m3). The clear abnormality in respiratory function was not observed in sixteen workers who had worked for 10 months to 13 years in the factory. The study showed that exposure to particles with a diameter <300 nm might affect HRV in workers handling TiO2 particles. The results highlight the need to investigate the possible impact of exposure to nano-scaled particles on the autonomic nervous system.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Prof. Andrew D. Maynard, from the Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan, School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA, and Dr. Charles Geraci, National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA for the generous advice on the use of the CPC and OPC in parallel for the measurement of nano-scaled particles. This study was supported in part by grants from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology of Japan (NEXT Program #LS059) and Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Grants-in aid for Scientific Research #26305023) and Sasagawa China-Japan Medical Association.

Author Contributions

S.I., S.O., Y.F., Y.H., N.H., T.K., and G.I. conducted exposure assessment. W.L., Y.L., Q.W., and X.D. conducted health examination. K.W. analyzed and interpreted the data. S.O., Y.F., and T.K. conducted characterization of particles. G.I., T.K., and S.I designed the study. S.I. drafted the manuscript. G.I. and T.K. revised it critically for important intellectual content. All authors approved the final version of the manuscript.

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  1. Takahiro Kobayashi

    Present address: Association for International Research Initiatives for Environmental Studies, 1-4-4 Ueno, Taito-ku, Tokyo, 110-0005, Japan

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate School of Regional Innovation Studies, Mie University, Tsu, Japan

    Sahoko Ichihara

  2. Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research, WHO Collaborating Centre for Research in Human Reproduction, Shanghai, China

    Weihua Li, Ying Liu, Qiangyi Wang & Xuncheng Ding

  3. Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama, Japan

    Seiichi Omura & Takahiro Kobayashi

  4. National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tsukuba, Japan

    Yuji Fujitani & Takahiro Kobayashi

  5. Department of Environmental and Molecular Medicine, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Tsu, Japan

    Yusuke Hiraku

  6. Faculty of Human Science and Design, Aichi Gakusen University, Okazaki, Japan

    Naomi Hisanaga

  7. Department of Preventive Medicine, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan

    Kenji Wakai

  8. Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokyo University of Science, 2641 Yamazaki, Noda, 278-8510, Japan

    Gaku Ichihara

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  1. Sahoko Ichihara
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Correspondence to Takahiro Kobayashi or Gaku Ichihara.

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Sahoko Ichihara and Weihua Li have contributed equally to this article.

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Ichihara, S., Li, W., Omura, S. et al. Exposure assessment and heart rate variability monitoring in workers handling titanium dioxide particles: a pilot study. J Nanopart Res 18, 52 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-016-3340-2

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