Airborne particulate metals in the New York City subway: A pilot study to assess the potential for health impacts

A prior study in New York City observed that airborne concentrations of three metals found in steel – iron, manganese, and chromium – are more than 100 times higher in the subway system than in aboveground air. To investigate the potential for health effects of exposure at these levels, we conducted...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Environmental research 2010-01, Vol.110 (1), p.1-11
Main Authors: Grass, David S., Ross, James M., Family, Farnosh, Barbour, Jonathan, James Simpson, H., Coulibaly, Drissa, Hernandez, Jennifer, Chen, Yingdi, Slavkovich, Vesna, Li, Yongliang, Graziano, Joseph, Santella, Regina M., Brandt-Rauf, Paul, Chillrud, Steven N.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Air
Air Pollutants, Occupational - analysis
Air Pollutants, Occupational - blood
Air Pollutants, Occupational - toxicity
Air Pollutants, Occupational - urine
Biological and medical sciences
Biomonitoring
Chemical and industrial products toxicology. Toxic occupational diseases
Chromium
DNA Damage
Dust
Environmental Monitoring
Environmental pollutants toxicology
Humans
Inhalation Exposure - analysis
Manganese
Medical sciences
Metals and various inorganic compounds
Metals, Heavy - analysis
Metals, Heavy - blood
Metals, Heavy - toxicity
Metals, Heavy - urine
Microscopy, Electron, Scanning
Middle Aged
New York City
Oxidative Stress - drug effects
Particle Size
Particulate Matter - analysis
Particulate Matter - blood
Particulate Matter - toxicity
Particulate Matter - urine
Pilot Projects
PM2.5
Railroads - standards
Steel
Subway
Surface Properties
Toxicology
Workplace - standards
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Summary:A prior study in New York City observed that airborne concentrations of three metals found in steel – iron, manganese, and chromium – are more than 100 times higher in the subway system than in aboveground air. To investigate the potential for health effects of exposure at these levels, we conducted a pilot study of subway workers comparing personal exposures to steel dust with biomarkers of metal exposure, oxidative stress, and DNA damage in blood and urine samples. Workers wore a personal air sampler operating at 4L/m for one to three work shifts with blood and urine samples collected at the end of the final shift. We found that PM2.5 exposures varied among subway workers on the basis of job title and job activity. The subway workers’ mean time-weighted PM2.5 exposure was 52μg/m3, with a median of 27μg/m3, and a range of 6–469μg/m3. The observed concentrations of PM2.5, iron, manganese, and chromium fell well below occupational standards. Biomarker concentrations among the 39 subway workers were compared with a group of 11 bus drivers, and a group of 25 suburban office workers. Concentrations of DNA–protein crosslinks and chromium in plasma were significantly higher in subway workers than in bus drivers, but no significant difference was observed for these biomarkers between subway workers and office workers. Urinary isoprostane concentrations were significantly correlated with the number of years working in the subway system, and were detected at higher, though not significantly higher, concentrations in subway workers than in bus drivers or office workers. At the group level, there was no consistent pattern of biomarker concentrations among subway workers significantly exceeding those of the bus drivers and office workers. At the individual level, steel dust exposure was not correlated with any of the biomarkers measured.
ISSN:0013-9351
1096-0953
DOI:10.1016/j.envres.2009.10.006