Assessment of Exposure to Toxic Occupational Elements Among Electronic Repair Workers in Quchan City, Iran

Nowadays, the adverse effects of toxic metals on humans are well-known. Large-scale production and the demand for new electronic devices have made electronic components a significant source of toxic elements. This work focused on examining the exposure to residential toxic metals and metalloids in electronic components repairers by analyzing their scalp hair and nail samples. In this study, ۱۹ electronic component repairers were selected based on the required criteria for the study, including different ages and employment durations. Hair and nail samples as biological tissues were collected from them and analyzed to detect the toxic elements. The results showed that smoking and filled teeth were effective in increasing the value of toxic elements in these people. High levels of Zn and Sn were obtained in the nails compared to hair samples, including ۳۱۰.۵ and ۲۰۴.۷ μg/g for nails and ۲۵۴ and ۷۷.۱ μg/g for hair, respectively, and the concentration levels of the studied elements were found in the rank order of Zn>Sn>Pb>Ni>As>Se>Cr>Cd. Our study confirmed that there was a strong correlation between nail selenium content and nail As burden (r=۰.۹۰۷, p=۰.۰۲۸). We realized that Sn and Pb had a strong correlation together due to the use of solder joints in the repairing process by the repairers. This study shows that human scalp hair and nails could be useful biomarkers to assess the extent of toxic metal exposure in the repairer of electronic components.

کلیدواژه ها:

Toxic metal bio-accumulation ، Electronic repairers ، Solder joints ، Lead and tin