Abstract

Worker-specific Biological Exposure Action Levels (BEALs) for nickel (Ni) exposure are a urinary Ni concentration that reflects a dose that can be experienced on a daily basis without adverse systemic health effects. Several health-based reference values for systemic exposure to Ni have been derived as oral daily Ni dosing levels (e.g., 2007 WHO tolerable daily intake for Ni). To support evaluation of urinary nickel biomonitoring data in workers based on such health-based criteria, new human biokinetic models for nickel (Ni) were fit jointly to data obtained for 18 adult volunteers from four newly reported human studies and to data from two previously reported studies involving a total of 14 adult volunteers. This model and associated statistical analyses characterize and predict human Ni biokinetics after ingestion of Ni doses ≤ 20 µg/kg bw and associated inter-individual variation in urinary Ni excretion. Using this approach, we illustrate how available health-based reference values for daily Ni exposure by the oral route developed to protect against adverse health effects can be applied to derive urinary nickel BEALs for nickel workers based on their individual characteristics (e.g., shift pattern, body weight). Such worker-specific BEALs can provide health-based reference values to evaluate measures obtained through urinary Ni biomonitoring programs to complement existing industrial hygiene air monitoring programs.

摘要

镍 (Ni) 暴露的工人特定生物暴露行动水平 (BEAL) 是尿液中的镍浓度，它反映了每天可以经历的剂量，而不会对全身健康产生不利影响。一些基于健康的 Ni 全身暴露参考值已被推导出为每日口服 Ni 剂量水平（例如，2007 年 WHO 每日可耐受的 Ni 摄入量）。为了支持根据此类基于健康的标准对工人尿液中镍生物监测数据进行评估，将新的人体镍 (Ni) 生物动力学模型与从四项新报告的人类研究中获得的 18 名成年志愿者的数据和先前报告的两项数据联合拟合共涉及 14 名成年志愿者的研究。该模型和相关的统计分析表征和预测了人体摄入镍剂量≤ 20 微克/千克体重后的生物动力学，以及相关的尿镍排泄的个体间差异。使用这种方法，我们说明了如何根据个人特征（例如，轮班模式，体重）。这种特定于工人的 BEAL 可以提供基于健康的参考值，以评估通过尿镍生物监测计划获得的措施，以补充现有的工业卫生空气监测计划。我们说明了如何将现有的基于健康的通过口服途径每日接触镍的参考值应用于防止不良健康影响的镍工人根据他们的个人特征（例如，轮班模式、体重）推导出尿镍 BEAL。这种特定于工人的 BEAL 可以提供基于健康的参考值，以评估通过尿镍生物监测计划获得的措施，以补充现有的工业卫生空气监测计划。我们说明了如何将现有的基于健康的通过口服途径每日接触镍的参考值应用于防止不良健康影响的镍工人根据他们的个人特征（例如，轮班模式、体重）推导出尿镍 BEAL。这种特定于工人的 BEAL 可以提供基于健康的参考值，以评估通过尿镍生物监测计划获得的措施，以补充现有的工业卫生空气监测计划。