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Association between long-term occupational manganese exposure and bone quality among retired workers

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Abstract

Despite well documents for manganese-induced neurological deficits, limited researches are available for effects of manganese (Mn) exposure on the bone. Here we aimed to explore the associations between long-term occupational Mn exposure and bone quality among retired workers. We conducted a cross-sectional study of 304 exposed subjects (n, male = 161 and female = 143) and 277 control retired workers (n, male = 65 and female = 212) recruited from a ferromanganese refinery. Self-reported occupation types were used as exposure classification confirmed by expert consultation. Bone quality was measured by quantitative ultrasound (QUS). In sex-stratified analyses throughout, stiffness index (SI) and T-score levels of the participants in the highest exposed group [tertile 3 of Mn cumulative exposure index (Mn-CEI)] were significantly lower as compared with the control group among female workers (SI, mean, 61.60 vs. 68.17; T-score, mean, −3.01 vs. −2.34, both P < 0.05). In addition, SI and T-score were found to be negatively associated with Mn-CEI only in the highest exposure group as compared with the female controls (both P = 0.01). However, we did not find the significant difference for SI or T-score among the male subjects in exposure models and the male controls (P > 0.05). Our results suggest that female retired workers in the highest Mn-exposed model (tertile 3 of Mn-CEI) potentially experience a higher risk of developing osteoporosis compared with the female controls. Further investigations on possible mechanisms on bone quality alteration are needed in the future.

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Acknowledgements

We thank all participants who volunteered to take part in this study, all members of the research team, and the nurses and administrators in the ferromanganese refinery.

Funding

This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant number 81472962) and the National Natural Science Foundation of Guangxi (grant number 2017GXNSFGA198003).

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Correspondence to Xiaobo Yang.

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Responsible editor: Philippe Garrigues

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Li, D., Ge, X., Liu, Z. et al. Association between long-term occupational manganese exposure and bone quality among retired workers. Environ Sci Pollut Res 27, 482–489 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-019-06694-7

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