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. 2025 Oct 15:283:122123.
doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2025.122123. Epub 2025 Jun 12.

Oxidative damage, genetic and epigenetic alterations in hexavalent chromium exposed workers - A cross-sectional study within the SafeChrom project

Zheshun Jiang  1 , Agneta Runkel  1 , Christian Lindh  1 , Aimonen Kukka  2 , Julia Catalán  3 , Daniela Pineda  1 , Thomas Lundh  1 , Ulla Vogel  4 , Anne T Saber  4 , Martin Tondel  5 , Malin Engfeldt  6 , Annette M Krais  1 , Karin Broberg  7 ; SafeChrom Project Team
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Free article

Oxidative damage, genetic and epigenetic alterations in hexavalent chromium exposed workers - A cross-sectional study within the SafeChrom project

Zheshun Jiang et al. Environ Res. .
Free article

Abstract

Background: Hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) is a lung cancer carcinogen. However, the genotoxic and mutagenic effects of Cr(VI) in humans at low-to-moderate occupational exposure levels are unknown. This study aims to investigate the relationship between occupational exposure to Cr(VI) and the presence of oxidative damage, genetic and epigenetic alterations.

Methods: We included 113 Cr(VI) exposed workers in 14 companies and 72 controls recruited within the SafeChrom project. Cr(VI) was measured in inhalable dust and total chromium in urine (U-Cr) and red blood cells (RBC-Cr). Analysed effect biomarkers included urinary 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), micronuclei in peripheral blood reticulocytes (MNRET), blood relative mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNA-cn), relative telomere length (TL), and blood DNA methylation of four lung cancer-related genes (F2RL3, LINE-1, MGMT promoter and SEMA4B).

Results: The median inhalable Cr(VI) concentration among the exposed workers was 0.11 μg/m3 (5th-95th percentile: 0.02-8.44). Exposed workers showed higher 8-OHdG, TL, and MGMT promoter methylation levels and lower mtDNA-cn and MNRET compared with controls. Company-based differences in biomarkers were observed. Univariate analysis showed that TL was positively correlated with U-Cr, and 8-OHdG and MGMT promoter methylation were positively correlated with RBC-Cr. Multivariate analyses with adjustment for possible confounders showed higher 8-OHdG, TL, and MGMT promoter methylation in exposed workers compared with controls.

Conclusions: Low-to-moderate Cr(VI) exposure was associated with higher oxidative stress, longer telomeres and epigenetic alterations, changes that previously have been linked to lung cancer risk. This study highlights the molecular impacts of Cr(VI) exposure, underscoring the importance of reducing the exposure to Cr(VI).

Keywords: Biomonitoring; Effect biomarkers; Hexavalent chromium; Occupational exposure; Toxicity.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests:Karin Broberg reports financial support was provided by Forskningsrådet för hälsa, arbetsliv och välfärd (Forte, Swedish Research Council for Health Working Life and Welfare). Karin Broberg reports financial support was provided by AFA Försäkring (Afa Insurance). No a If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

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