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Assessing the first wave of epidemiological studies of nanomaterial workers

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Abstract

The results of early animal studies of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) and air pollution epidemiology suggest that it is important to assess the health of ENM workers. Initial epidemiological studies of workers’ exposure to ENMs (<100 nm) are reviewed and characterized for their study designs, findings, and limitations. Of the 15 studies, 11 were cross-sectional, 4 were longitudinal (1 was both cross-sectional and longitudinal in design), and 1 was a descriptive pilot study. Generally, the studies used biologic markers as the dependent variables. All 11 cross-sectional studies showed a positive relationship between various biomarkers and ENM exposures. Three of the four longitudinal studies showed a negative relationship; the fourth showed positive findings after a 1-year follow-up. Each study considered exposure to ENMs as the independent variable. Exposure was assessed by mass concentration in 10 studies and by particle count in six studies. Six of them assessed both mass and particle concentrations. Some of the studies had limited exposure data because of inadequate exposure assessment. Generally, exposure levels were not very high in comparison to those in human inhalation chamber studies, but there were some exceptions. Most studies involved a small sample size, from 2 to 258 exposed workers. These studies represent the first wave of epidemiological studies of ENM workers. They are limited by small numbers of participants, inconsistent (and in some cases inadequate) exposure assessments, generally low exposures, and short intervals between exposure and effect. Still, these studies are a foundation for future work; they provide insight into where ENM workers are experiencing potentially adverse effects that might be related to ENM exposures.

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Abbreviations

SOD:

Superoxide dismutase

GPX:

Glutathione peroxidase

3-Cl-Tyr:

3-chloro-tyrosine

3-NOTyr:

3-nitrotyrosine

5-OHMeU:

5-Hydroxymethyl uracil

8-isoprostane:

8-Iso-prostaglandin F2α

8-OHG:

8-Hydroxyguanosine

8-OHdG:

8-Hydroxydeoxyguanosine

C6–C12 :

n-alkanes

HNE:

4-Hydroxy-trans-nonenal

HHE:

4-Hydroxy-trans-hexenal

LTs:

Leukotrienes

MDA:

Malondialdehyde

o-tyr:

o-Tyrosine

CC16:

Clara cell protein

FENO:

Fractional exhaled nitric oxide

KL-6:

Krebs Von den Lungen 6

MIP-1beta:

Macrophage inflammatory protein-1β

PFT :

Pulmonary function test

FVC:

Forced vital capacity

FEV1:

Forced expiratory volume at 1 s

MMF:

Maximal mid-expiratory flow

PEFR:

Peak expiratory flow rate

FEF25 %:

Forced expiratory flow at 25 %

FEF50 %:

Forced expiratory flow at 50 %

FEF75 %:

Forced expiratory flow at 75 %

TGF-β1:

Transforming growth factor beta-1

hsCRP:

Highly sensitive C-reactive protein

IL1β:

Interleukin-1β

IL8:

Interleukin-8

IL-6:

Interleukin-6

IL-6sR:

Interleukin-6 soluble receptor

NF-kβ:

Nuclear factor-kappaβ

TNFalpha:

Tumor necrosis factor α

hsCRP:

Highly sensitive C-reactive protein

ICAM:

Intercellular adhesion molecule

IL-6:

Interleukin-6

IL-6sR:

Interleukin-6 soluble receptor

MPO:

Myeloperoxidase

VCAM:

Vascular cell adhesion molecule

HRV :

Heart rate variability

SDNN:

Standard deviation of all normal to normal R–R intervals

RMSSD:

The root mean square of successive differences between adjacent normal cycles

LF/HF:

Low frequency/high frequency ratio

LF:

Low frequency

HF:

High frequency

VLF:

Very low frequency

CNT/CNF:

Carbon nanotube/carbon nanofiber

EBC:

Exhaled breath condensate

ENM:

Engineered nanomaterials

ENP:

Engineered nanoparticles

Mfg:

Manufacturing

NAOO:

Nano-objects, their aggregates and agglomerates

UFP:

Ultrafine particles

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Acknowledgments

This study was partly supported by the National Health Research Institutes of Taiwan (Grants 01A1-EOSP03-014) and the Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, Taiwan (Grants IOSH101-M323). The authors also thank project teams P25/1LF/2 and P28/1LF/6, of the Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic, which supported this work.

Contributorship

SHL and CSJT conceived the study. SHL, CSJT, DP, and MKSB searched and checked the databases according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. PAS helped to develop search strategies. SHL, CSJT, DP, MKSB, and PAS extracted the data and assessed their quality. SHL wrote the draft of the paper. All authors contributed to writing, reviewing, or revising the paper and read and approved the final manuscript.

Disclaimer

The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and Taiwan National Health Research Institutes.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Health Research Institutes, 35 Keyan Road, Zhunan, Miaoli County, 35053, Taiwan, ROC

    Saou-Hsing Liou

  2. Graduate Institute of Life Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Academia Sinica, and National Health Research Institutes, Taipei, Taiwan

    Saou-Hsing Liou

  3. Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Science, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA

    Candace S. J. Tsai

  4. Birck Nanotechnology Center, Purdue University, Discovery Park, IN, USA

    Candace S. J. Tsai

  5. Department of Occupational Medicine, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic

    Daniela Pelclova

  6. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH, USA

    Mary K. Schubauer-Berigan & Paul A. Schulte

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  1. Saou-Hsing Liou
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  2. Candace S. J. Tsai
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  3. Daniela Pelclova
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  4. Mary K. Schubauer-Berigan
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  5. Paul A. Schulte
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Correspondence to Saou-Hsing Liou.

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Liou, SH., Tsai, C.S.J., Pelclova, D. et al. Assessing the first wave of epidemiological studies of nanomaterial workers. J Nanopart Res 17, 413 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-015-3219-7

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