| Exhaled Breath Condensate as a Suitable Matrix to Assess Lung Dose and Effects in Workers Exposed to Cobalt and Tungsten Matteo Goldoni,1,2 Simona Catalani,3 Giuseppe De Palma,1 Paola Manini,1,2 Olga Acampa,2 Massimo Corradi,1,2 Roberto Bergonzi,3 Pietro Apostoli,3 and Antonio Mutti2 1National Institute of Occupational Safety and Prevention, Research Centre at the University of Parma, Parma, Italy; 2Department of Clinical Medicine, Nephrology and Health Sciences, University of Parma, Parma, Italy; 3Department of Experimental and Applied Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy Abstract
The aim of the present study was to investigate whether exhaled breath condensate (EBC) , a fluid formed by cooling exhaled air, can be used as a suitable matrix to assess target tissue dose and effects of inhaled cobalt and tungsten, using EBC malondialdehyde (MDA) as a biomarker of pulmonary oxidative stress. Thirty-three workers exposed to Co and W in workshops producing either diamond tools or hard-metal mechanical parts participated in this study. Two EBC and urinary samples were collected: one before and one at the end of the work shift. Controls were selected among nonexposed workers. Co, W, and MDA in EBC were analyzed with analytical methods based on mass spectrometric reference techniques. In the EBC from controls, Co was detectable at ultratrace levels, whereas W was undetectable. In exposed workers, EBC Co ranged from a few to several hundred nanomoles per liter. Corresponding W levels ranged from undetectable to several tens of nanomoles per liter. A parallel trend was observed for much higher urinary levels. Both Co and W in biological media were higher at the end of the work shift in comparison with preexposure values. In EBC, MDA levels were increased depending on Co concentration and were enhanced by coexposure to W. Such a correlation between EBC MDA and both Co and W levels was not observed with urinary concentration of either element. These results suggest the potential usefulness of EBC to complete and integrate biomonitoring and health surveillance procedures among workers exposed to mixtures of transition elements and hard metals. Key words: cobalt, exhaled breath condensate, hard metals, lung, malondialdehyde, oxidative stress, tungsten. Environ Health Perspect 112:1293-1298 (2004) . doi:10.1289/ehp.7108 available via http://dx.doi.org/ [Online 10 June 2004]
Address correspondence to A. Mutti, Laboratory of Industrial Toxicology, Department of Clinical Medicine, Nephrology, and Health Sciences, University of Parma, Via Gramsci 14, 43100 Parma, Italy. Telephone: 0039-0521-033075. Fax: 0039-0521-033076. E-mail: antonio.mutti@unipr.it We thank I. Cortesi and D. Folli for their cooperation during the field survey and R. Andreoli and A. Caglieri for skillful technical assistance. This work was supported by the National Heart, Blood and Lung Institute (NHLBI) , Bethesda, MD, USA (grant 1R01 HL72323-01) , and by the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research (PRIN 200306145) . Contents of this article are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the NHLBI or the National Institutes of Health. The authors declare they have no competing financial interests. Received 22 March 2004 ; accepted 10 June 2004.
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