Effect of exposures to multiple metals on blood pressure and hypertension in the elderly: a community-based study.

A chronic disease, hypertension (HTN) is prevalent among the elderly. Exploring the factors that influence HTN and blood pressure (BP) changes is of great public health significance. However, mixed exposure to multiple serum metals has had less research on the effects on BP and HTN for the elderly. From April to August 2019, 2372 people participated in the community physical examination program for the elderly in Tongling City, Anhui Province. We measured BP and serum levels of 10 metals and collected basic demographic information. We analyzed the relationship between metal levels and changes in BP and HTN by the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression, Bayesian kernel machine regression model, and generalized linear model. In multiple models, lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) were still significantly associated with HTN occurrence after adjusting for potential confounders (Pb: ORquartile 4 VS quartile 1 = 1.20, 95% CI 1.01-1.43; Cd: ORquartile 4 VS quartile 1 = 1.37, 95% CI 1.16-1.62). In the male subgroup, results were similar to those of the general population. In the female group, Cd was positively correlated with HTN and systolic blood pressure, while Pb was not. According to this study, Pb and Cd were correlated with BP and HTN positively, and there was a certain joint effect. To some extent, our findings provide clues for the prevention of hypertension in the elderly.

Association of exposure to multiple serum metals with the risk of chronic kidney disease in the elderly: a population-based case-control study.

In the world, chronic kidney disease (CKD) has been recognized as one of the critical public health problems, and the prevalence is higher in the elderly people. However, there are few studies on the association between exposure to multiple serum metal levels and CKD. A case-control study, we established, for elderly people in Anhui Province, China, to explore the effects of different metals and analyze the effect of mixed exposure on CKD. In this study, 287 cases of CKD and 287 controls were selected in the elderly health physical examination project in Tongling City, Anhui Province. Questionnaire survey, physical examination, and blood collection were conducted. Graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS) and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) were used to measure the concentration of serum metals. After selecting by least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO), 5 metals were brought into the multi-metal model. After adjusting all potential covariates additionally, the concentrations of lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), and manganese (Mn) were significantly associated with CKD risk, whereas Pb, Se, and Cd had significant non-linearity with CKD. Besides, patients with highest quartiles of cobalt (Co), lead (Pb), and manganese (Mn) were 1.64, 1.39, and 0.64 times more possible to have CKD, respectively, as compared with the lowest levels. In the Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) model, cadmium (Cd) had a combined effect with lead (Pb) possibly. This study suggested that the CKD risk was associated with exposure of multiple metals in elderly people. The underlying mechanisms of serum metals and CKD need more experimental and prospective studies to elucidate.

Occupational exposure to solid chemical agents in biomass-fired power plants and associated health effects.

Occupational exposure to aluminium, arsenic, lead, cadmium, and manganese can increase the risk of numerous neurophysiological changes in workers, and may lead to conditions resembling Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease. However, although the health hazard aspect of these agents has been examined, biomass-fired power plant workers' exposure to them remains a neglected issue. The purpose of this study was to measure maintenance and ash removal workers' multiple exposures to inhalable dust, metals, and crystalline silica during their work tasks in biomass-fired power plants. Maintenance and ash removal workers were exposed to high inhalable dust concentrations inside biomass-fired boilers. The median air inhalable dust concentration in workers' breathing zones were 33 mg m(-3) and 120 mg m(-3) in ash removal and maintenance tasks, respectively. The median concentration of manganese (0.31 mg m(-3)) exceeded the occupational exposure limit in worker's breathing zone samples in maintenance tasks. The most evident exposure-associated health risk from multiple exposures to metals was that of cancer, followed by central nervous system disorders, lower respiratory tract irritation, and finally upper respiratory tract irritation. To avoid the above mentioned health effects, powered air respirators with ABEK+P3 cartridges and carbon monoxide gas detectors are recommended as the minimum requirement for these work tasks. A compressed air breathing apparatus is the best form of protection for the most demanding work phases inside boilers in biomass-fired power plants.