ArticleInternational archives of occupational and environmental health2021
Worker health risk of heavy metals in pellets of recycled plastic: a skin exposure model.
Article in International archives of occupational and environmental health, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.
What it found
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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.
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.
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Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed, 12 citations in OpenAlex.
- Effect of Skin Types and Microenvironment of Dermal Exposure to Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Derivatives and Heavy Metals.Environment & health (Washington, D.C.) · 2026Article
- A toxic burden in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province: elevated heavy metal concentrations in sanitation workers.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Determinants of blood lead and cadmium levels in sanitary landfill workers: a cross-sectional study in Greece.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- The manufacturing process and consequent occupational health and environmental risks associated with the use of plastic waste in construction bricks in small-scale recycling plants.Journal of cleaner production · 2024Article
- The Minderoo-Monaco Commission on Plastics and Human Health.Annals of global health · 2023Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
objectiveAccording to epidemiological studies, heavy metals such as arsenic, cadmium, chromium, and lead are "known" carcinogenic substances. After recycling, these metals remain in processed plastics. The purpose of this study was to assess the health risks of heavy metal skin exposure to workers in facilities that recycle plastics.
methodsWe used inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry to measure the dissolution concentrations of heavy metals in artificial sweat. Twenty-five samples of pellets of recycled plastic were examined, which were composed variously of polypropylene, high-density polyethylene, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer, high impact polystyrene, and polyamide. In addition, we used a "two-step assessment model," divided into exposure and risk characterization, to evaluate the health risks of heavy metal exposure in a simulated exposure environment of pellets of a recycled plastic processing workshop.
resultsExcept for chromium (92%), the detection of lead, cadmium and arsenic was 100% in 25 samples of pellets of recycled plastic. The possible carcinogenic risk levels of As and Cr were, respectively, 2 and 38 times greater than the unacceptable risk level of 10
conclusionWe found clear exposure-risk associations between heavy metals (lead, cadmium, chromium, arsenic) and worker health. Particularly, we found workers exposed to As and Cr were more likely to incur cancer.
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Registered trials
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