Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33964762›Full record

ArticleChemosphere2021

Biomonitoring of metals in blood and urine of electronic waste (E-waste) recyclers at Agbogbloshie, Ghana.

Sylvia A Takyi, Niladri Basu, John Arko-Mensah, Duah Dwomoh, Karel G Houessionon, Julius N Fobil

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Chemosphere, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
13citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

13 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Health Risks Associated with Informal Electronic Waste Recycling in Africa: A Systematic Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022
    Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
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  6. Review
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  12. Article
  13. Metal Exposures, Noise Exposures, and Audiometry from E-Waste Workers in Agbogbloshie, Ghana.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Sylvia A TakyiDepartment of Biological, Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Ghana. Electronic address: satakyi002@st.ug.edu.gh.
Niladri BasuFaculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Canada. Electronic address: niladri.basu@mcgill.ca.
John Arko-MensahDepartment of Biological, Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Ghana.
Duah DwomohDepartment of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Ghana.
Karel G HouessiononRegional Institute of Public Health, Comlan Alfred Quenum, University of Abomey-Calavi, Ouidah, Benin.
Julius N FobilDepartment of Biological, Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Ghana.

Funding

1/2-The West Africa-Michigan CHARTER II for GEOHealth-USAU2RTW010110 · FIC · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · PI FOBIL, JULIUS N., ROBINS, THOMAS G · 2015 to 2019
$1.3M
1/2-The West Africa-Michigan CHARTER II for GEOHealth-GhanaU01TW010103 · FIC · UNIVERSITY OF GHANA · PI FOBIL, JULIUS N., ROBINS, THOMAS G · 2015 to 2020
$763k
FIC NIH HHS U01 TW010103FIC NIH HHS U2R TW010110
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

There is growing evidence that e-waste recyclers may be exposed to potentially high levels of metals though associations between such exposures and specific work activities is not well established. In addition, studies have focused on metals traditionally biomonitored and there is no data on the exposure of recyclers to elements increasingly being used in new technologies. In the current study, levels of metals were measured in blood and urine of e-waste recyclers at Agbogbloshie (Ghana) and a control group. Blood and urine samples (from 100 e-waste recyclers and 51 controls) were analyzed for 17 elements (Ag, As, Ba, Cd, Ce, Cr, Eu, La, Mn, Nd, Ni, Pb, Rb, Sr, Tb, Tl, Y) using the ICP-MS. Most e-waste recyclers reported performing at least 4 different tasks in decreasing order as e-waste dismantling (54%), trading/selling of e-waste (45%), burning wires only (40%), and collecting wires after burning (34%). Mean levels of blood Pb, Sr, Tl, and urinary Pb, Eu, La, Tb, and Tl were significantly higher in recyclers versus controls. In general, the collectors and sorters tended to have higher elemental levels than other work groups. Blood Pb levels (mean 92.4 μg/L) exceeded the U.S. CDC reference level in 84% of the e-waste recyclers. Likewise, blood Cd, Mn, and urinary As levels in recyclers and controls were higher than in reference populations elsewhere. E-waste recyclers are exposed to metals traditionally studied (e.g., Pb, Cd, As) and several other technology-critical and rare earth elements which previously have not been characterized through human biomonitoring.

Indexed as

Electronic WasteBiological MonitoringEnvironmental MonitoringGhanaHumansMetalsRecyclingMetalsAgbogbloshieE-wasteMetalsRare earth elementsTechnology-critical elementsUrineWhole blood

Identifiers

PMID33964762
PMCPMC8287752

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.