Journal of Environmental Biology

Quantification of transition metals in biological samples and its  possible impact on ferro-alloy workers

 

Sandhya Mishra, Dilip S. Ramteke* and Satish R. Wate

*dsramteke@rediffmail.com

¹Environmental Impact and Risk Assessment Division, National Environmental Engineering Research Institute,

Nehru Marg, Nagpur-440 020, India

(Received: July 11, 2005 ; Revised received: September 15, 2005 ; Accepted: October 10, 2005)

Abstract: Increased risk of ill-health and diseases has been associated with employment in the ferro-alloy factory. Since measurement of transition metals in human blood and hair, alongwith respective exposure rates, provides a means of assessing individual risk, it has been the most important part of the study. In the study, majority of the elements in the transition series, such as, vanadium (V), chromium (Cr), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), cobalt, (Co) nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), molybdenum (Mo) and cadmium (Cd) were considered which are randomly emitted from the source, that is, manganese ore (used during ferro-alloy manufacturing process). The commonly available transition metals, observed in biological samples of ferro-alloy workers, were found to be Fe, Zn, Co, Ni, Cu, Cr, Cd, V, Mn and Mo  in blood, while in hair, Mn, Fe, Zn, Co, Ni, Cu, Cr, Cd, V and Mo were present in decreasing order. Surveillance of bio-concentration of these metals in workers, exposed to close proximity of the coke-ovens and smelting furnaces, revealed that the workers were prone to several physical disorders.

Key words:   Ferro-alloy factory, Transition element, Exposure rates, Blood, Hair

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