Biomonitoring of Metals in Children Living in an Urban Area and Close to Waste Incinerators

Abstract

The impact of waste incinerators is usually examined by measuring environmental pollutants. Biomonitoring has been limited, until now, to few metals and to adults. We explored accumulation of a comprehensive panel of metals in children free-living in an urban area hosting two waste incinerators. Children were divided by georeferentiation in exposed and control groups, and toenail concentrations of 23 metals were thereafter assessed. The percentage of children having toenail metal concentrations above the limit of detection was higher in exposed children than in controls for Al, Ba, Mn, Cu, and V. Exposed children had higher absolute concentrations of Ba, Mn, Cu, and V, as compared with those living in the reference area. The Tobit regression identified living in the exposed area as a significant predictor of Ba, Ni, Cu, Mn, and V concentrations, after adjusting for covariates. The concentrations of Ba, Mn, Ni, and Cu correlated with each other, suggesting a possible common source of emission. Exposure to emissions derived from waste incinerators in an urban setting can lead to body accumulation of specific metals in children. Toenail metal concentration should be considered a noninvasive and adequate biomonitoring tool and an early warning indicator which should integrate the environmental monitoring of pollutants.

Keywords: biomonitoring; children; incinerators; metals; toenails; waste.

Figure 1

Study area around incinerators (filled circles), in the city of Forlì (Emilia-Romagna, Northern Italy). Exposed subjects considered were 62 children living within a 3 km radius circle around the two incinerators, with the circle centered in the middle of the distance between the two plants. A total of 158 enrolled children were residents in the remaining city areas (reference area).

Figure 2

Proportion of children with metal concentration in toenails above the limit of detection (LOD). Children living within a 3 km radius from the two incinerators were considered exposed (n = 62). Children in the reference area (n = 158) were those living in the remaining city areas. Asterisks indicate p < 0.01 (chi-squared test).