Biomonitorización humana (HBM) de metales en trabajadores expuestos a materiales peligrosos en una empresa de gestión integral de desechos del Ecuador

Abstract

Objectives: To determine the human biomonitoring (HBM) of metals in workers exposed to hazardous materials in an integrated waste management company. Method: A descriptive, transversal, and longitudinal method was used. Results: Proposal of human biomonitoring proposal for exposure to metals found that out of 30 workers, 2 (8%) had elevated blood lead levels, while one worker had elevated mercury (4%). Implications: Biomonitoring identifies and supports in the elimination of exposure factors, studies the relationship between toxicants and health effects, helps in the identification of workers vulnerable to chemical contaminants, it is also used in prevention programs creating surveillance and health promotion policies, as a basis for the development of laws aimed at the reduction of pollution by chemicals. Limitations and strengths of the study: There are few validated methodologies in biomonitoring and thousands of chemical substances. The decreasing trend in occupational exposure levels and better analytical methods allow the investigation of foreign products and body's own substances in more common arrays. In the future, biomarkers of exposure to carcinogens (but not cancer biomonitoring) are envisioned as 'omics' technologies that detect early molecular signals and responses at the cellular level; these techniques are a very promising possibility for future human biomonitoring.