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The level of toxic and essential trace elements in hair of petrochemical workers involved in different technological processes

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Abstract

The objective of the investigation is comparative analysis of hair trace element content in workers of different departments of petrochemical plant. A total of 75 men working in office (engineers), and departments 1 (D1), 3 (D3), and 4 (D4) of the petrochemical plant, as well as occupationally non-exposed persons, were examined. Hair trace element levels were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The office workers were characterized by the highest hair As, Hg, Sn, I, and Si content as compared to the workers of other departments, whereas the level of those elements did not differ significantly from the control values. It is notable that hair Be levels in all employees of petrochemical plant were significantly lower, whereas Se content was significantly higher than that in unexposed controls. Hair toxic trace element content in workers directly involved in industrial processes did not differ significantly or was lower than that in the control group. At the same time, the highest levels of essential trace elements (Cr, Fe, and I) were observed in employees working in primary oil refining (D1). Hair levels of Co, I, and Li were maximal in persons of sulfur and bitumen-producing division (D4). The lowest levels of both essential and toxic trace elements in hair were detected in employees involved in production of liquefied gas, kerosene, and diesel fuel (D3). The obtained data demonstrate that involvement in different technological processes in petrochemical complex differentially affect hair trace element content in workers.

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Acknowledgements

The research was funded by the Ministry of Healthcare and Social Development of Kazakhstan within the program “Protection of labor rights of workers in hazardous and heavy working conditions and development a set of interrelated socio-economic, organizational, technical and preventive measures for health and safety management to ensure a safe and healthy environment for efficient and high-quality work” (0001/PPF-15MHSD/0-15-OS).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. All-Russian Research Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (VILAR), Moscow, Russia

    Anatoly V. Skalny

  2. Orenburg State University, Orenburg, Russia

    Anatoly V. Skalny & Alexey A. Tinkov

  3. Yaroslavl State University, Yaroslavl, Russia

    Anatoly V. Skalny, Andrei R. Grabeklis & Alexey A. Tinkov

  4. RUDN University, Moscow, Russia

    Anatoly V. Skalny, Margarita G. Skalnaya, Elena S. Berezkina & Alexey A. Tinkov

  5. National Institute for Occupational Safety, Astana, Kazakhstan

    Galina A. Kaminskaya, Tatyana I. Krekesheva & Sholpan K. Abikenova

  6. Russian Society of Trace Elements in Medicine, Moscow, Russia

    Margarita G. Skalnaya, Elena S. Berezkina & Andrei R. Grabeklis

  7. Orenburg State Medical University, Orenburg, Russia

    Alexey A. Tinkov

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  1. Anatoly V. Skalny
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  2. Galina A. Kaminskaya
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Correspondence to Alexey A. Tinkov.

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Skalny, A.V., Kaminskaya, G.A., Krekesheva, T.I. et al. The level of toxic and essential trace elements in hair of petrochemical workers involved in different technological processes. Environ Sci Pollut Res 24, 5576–5584 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-016-8315-4

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