Blood levels of metallic chemical element exposure patterns and associated factors in a population living in an Industrial District in Brazil.

AIM: to estimate the level of metallic chemical elements in the population living in the Steel company vicinity in Santa Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; and estimate the association between exposure to the Steel company and the blood metals concentrations patterns. METHOD: A cross-sectional study was carried out on 463 individuals aged 18+ years old residing 1+ years in the Steel company vicinity. Mg, Be, Co, Ba, Ni, Cd, Al, and Pb were assessed in blood by DRC-ICP-MS. Metallic chemical element concentration patterns were obtained by exploratory factor analysis in the studied population. Exposure was set as the distance (Km) from each participant's residence to the Steel company in Santa Cruz, georeferenced by GPS. The outcome was set as the positive factor loadings in the factor analysis, including Mg and Be (Factor-1), Co, Ba, and Ni (Factor-2), Cd, Al, and Pb (Factor-4). Crude and adjusted OR, and their respective 95 %CI, were estimated to explore associations between independent variables and the exposures to metallic elements positively associated with the factors using polychotomous logistic regression. RESULTS: A reduction of 19 % was found between each km distance from the residence and the Steel company and P50 concentration of Cd, Al, and Pb (ORP50=0.81; 95 %CI:0.67-0.97), after adjusting by age, sex, and smoking. No statistically significant associations were observed for the distance from residences and the Steel company, after adjusting for age, gender, having a domestic vegetable garden and chewing gum for Mg and Be concentrations (Factor-1) (ORP50=0.84; 95 %CI:0.70-1.01; ORP75=1.10; 95 %CI:0.91-1.34); nor for Co, Ba and Ni (Factor-2) blood concentrations(ORP50=1.10; 95 %CI:0.91-1.33; ORP75=1.03; 95 %CI:0.84-1.26), in the adjusted analysis. CONCLUSIONS: For each Km distance from residences to the Steel company, a 19 % reduction in the risk of Cd, Al, and Pb blood concentration was observed in the population living in Santa Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The environmental monitoring of air pollution in the Santa Cruz industrial district of Rio de Janeiro using a plant fertility model.

In 2010, a steel company was established in Santa Cruz, Rio de Janeiro. In 2012, silver rain raised concerns about human and environmental impacts. In 2013, the steel company signed an Adjustment of Conduct Term (ACT). To evaluate air pollution in the vicinity of the steel company based on a plant fertility assay before and after ACT implementation. A pollen abortion assay was implemented using flower buds of Bauhinia forficata in 2013 and Delonix regia in 2015. Sites over 5 km from the steel company, highways, and tunnels were classified as unexposed; sites 5 km from highway/tunnel were classified as exposed to other sources; and sites 5 km from the steel company were classified as exposed. Random plant collection occurred during the dry and rainy seasons (10 buds/site and 300 cells/slide). Aborted grains were analyzed using a 400-fold magnification microscope. Statistical analyses were considered significant at the 5% level. In 2013 were collected flower buds in 27 sites (2 unexposed, 18 highway/tunnel-exposed, and 7 steel company-exposed); and 34 sites in 2015 (14 unexposed, 18highway/tunnel-exposed, and 2 steel company-exposed). In both years, the mean pollen abortion was significantly higher in the dry season for sites exposed to highway/tunnel (p < 0.001) and the steel company (p = 0.005). In 2013, the mean pollen abortion was significantly higher in sites exposed to highway/tunnel compared to unexposed sites (p = 0.004) and in sites exposed to the steel company compared to sites exposed to highway/tunnel (p = 0.034). In 2015, compared to unexposed sites, the mean pollen abortion was significantly higher in sites exposed to highway/tunnel (p = 0.014) and the steel company (p < 0.001). Overall, compared to unexposed sites, the mean pollen abortion was 5.79-fold higher in sites exposed to the steel company and 4.08-fold higher in sites exposed to highway/tunnel. Compared to unexposed plants, greater air pollution effects occurred in plants exposed to the steel company before (2013) and after (2015)ACT implementation.