Browsing by Author "Mahiout, Selma"

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    HBM4EU E-waste study – An untargeted metabolomics approach to characterize metabolic changes during E-waste recycling
    (2025-02) Kozlowska, Lucyna; Viegas, Susana; Scheepers, Paul T.J.; Duca, Radu C.; Godderis, Lode; Martins, Carla; Ciura, Krzesimir; Jagiello, Karolina; João Silva, Maria; Mahiout, Selma; Mārtiņsone, Inese; Matisāne, Linda; Nieuwenhuyse, An van; Puzyn, Tomasz; Sijko-Szpanska, Monika; Verdonck, Jelle; Santonen, Tiina; the HBM4EU E-waste Study Team; Institute of Occupational Safety and Environmental Health
    E-waste contains hazardous chemicals that may be a direct health risk for workers involved in recycling. We conducted an untargeted metabolomics analysis of urine samples collected from male e-waste processing workers to explore metabolic changes associated with chemical exposures in e-waste recycling in Belgium, Finland, Latvia, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, and Portugal. Questionnaire data and urine samples were obtained from workers involved in the processing of e-waste (sorting, dismantling, shredding, pre-processing, metal, and non-metal processing), as well as from controls with no known occupational exposure. Pre- and post-shift urine samples were collected and analysed using ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS). A total of 32 endogenous urinary metabolites were annotated with a Variable Importance in Projection (VIP) above 2, indicating that e-waste recycling is mainly associated with changes in steroid hormone and neurotransmitter metabolism, energy metabolism, bile acid biosynthesis, and inflammation. The highest VIP was observed for dopamine-o-quinone, which is linked to Parkinson's disease. These and other changes in metabolism in workers employed in the processing of e-waste need further verification in targeted studies.
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    HBM4EU Occupational Biomonitoring Study on e-Waste—Study Protocol
    (2021-12-02) Scheepers, Paul T. J.; Duca, Radu Corneliu; Galea, Karen S.; Godderis, Lode; Hardy, Emilie; Akūlova, Lāsma; Knudsen, Lisbeth E.; Komarovska, Laura; Leese, Elizabeth; Matisāne, Linda; Paegle, Linda; Mārtiņsone, Inese; Seile, Anita; Louro, Henriqueta; Mahiout, Selma; Ndaw, Sophie; Poels, Katrien; Porras, Simo P.; Silva, Maria J.; Tavares, Ana Maria; Verdonck, Jelle; Viegas, Susana; Santonen, Tiina; Rīga Stradiņš University
    Workers involved in the processing of electronic waste (e-waste) are potentially exposed to toxic chemicals. If exposure occurs, this may result in uptake and potential adverse health effects. Thus, exposure surveillance is an important requirement for health risk management and prevention of occupational disease. Human biomonitoring by measurement of specific biomarkers in body fluids is considered as an effective method of exposure surveillance. The aim of this study is to investigate the internal exposure of workers processing e-waste using a human biomonitoring approach, which will stimulate improved work practices and contribute to raising awareness of potential hazards. This exploratory study in occupational exposures in e-waste processing is part of the European Human Biomonitoring Initiative (HBM4EU). Here we present a study protocol using a cross sectional survey design to study worker’s exposures and compare these to the exposure of subjects preferably employed in the same company but with no known exposure to industrial recycling of e-waste. The present study protocol will be applied in six to eight European countries to ensure standardised data collection. The target population size is 300 exposed and 150 controls. Biomarkers of exposure for the following chemicals will be used: chromium, cadmium and lead in blood and urine; brominated flame retardants and polychlorobiphenyls in blood; mercury, organophosphate flame retardants and phthalates in urine, and chromium, cadmium, lead and mercury in hair. In addition, the following effect biomarkers will be studied: micronuclei, epigenetic, oxidative stress, inflammatory markers and telomere length in blood and metabolomics in urine. Occupational hygiene sampling methods (airborne and settled dust, silicon wristbands and handwipes) and contextual information will be collected to facilitate the interpretation of the biomarker results and discuss exposure mitigating interventions to further reduce exposures if needed. This study protocol can be adapted to future European-wide occupational studies