ASSESSMENT OF HEAVY METALS EXPOSURE AMONG SHRIMP FARM WORKERS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21111/jihoh.v10i1.13194Keywords:
heavy metals, shrimp farm workers, health risk assessment, occupational exposureAbstract
Human exposure to agrichemicals, including heavy metals, is a common occupational hazard in shrimp farming, with potential acute and chronic health effects. This study aims to assess the concentrations of selected heavy metals—copper (Cu), chromium (Cr), zinc (Zn), and lead (Pb)—in the personal air samples of shrimp farm workers and evaluate the associated health risks. The study involved a total of 10 shrimp farm workers. Personal air sampling pumps were positioned in the workers' breathing zones during their duties which included handling of chemicals and the samples were analyzed through Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). The hazard quotient (HQ) for each heavy metal suggesting the absence of significant carcinogenic risk. The total hazard index (HI) value for chromium (Cr) was 4.14 × 10⁻³, which remained within the permissible safety limits while estimated cancer risk for chromium is 9.79 × 10⁻⁹, which is within the tolerable risk limit. In conclusion, the non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic hazards associated with exposure to these heavy metals among shrimp farm workers were within tolerable thresholds. However, for the long-term exposure, there is a need for improvement especially on chemical handling and usage.References
S. Khaviya, S. Kavitha, S. Manoj, and P. G. Scholar, “A Risk Assessment Study on Occupational Hazards in Cement Industry,” 2017.
A. D. Bergstra, B. Brunekreef, and A. Burdorf, “The effect of industry-related air pollution on lung function and respiratory symptoms in school children,” pp. 1–9, 2018.
R. Rezaei, C. A. Damalas, and G. Abdollahzadeh, “Understanding farmers’ safety behaviour towards pesticide exposure and other occupational risks: The case of Zanjan, Iran,” Science of the Total Environment, vol. 616–617, pp. 1190–1198, 2018, doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.10.201.
N. A. Ahmad, “Risk Assessment And Occupational Exposure of Pesticides Among Paddy Farmers in Kampung Permatang Keriang, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia.,” pp. 1–24, 2016, [Online]. Available: http://eprints.usm.my/31660/1/NUR_ANIS_BINTI_AHMAD_24.pdf
H. Hamsan, Y. Bin Ho, S. Z. Zaidon, Z. Hashim, N. Saari, and A. Karami, “Occurrence of commonly used pesticides in personal air samples and their associated health risk among paddy farmers,” Science of the Total Environment, vol. 603–604, pp. 381–389, 2017, doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.06.096.
H. Hamsan, Y. Bin Ho, V. How, Z. Hashim, and N. Saari, “A Survey on Pesticide Use and Self-Reported Respiratory Health Symptoms Among Paddy Farmers in Tanjung Karang, Malaysia,” Malaysian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences, vol. 14, no. SP1, pp. 56–63, 2018.
M. Mostafa Shamsuzzaman and T. Kumar Biswas, “Aqua chemicals in shrimp farm: A study from south-west coast of Bangladesh,” Egypt J Aquat Res, vol. 38, no. 4, pp. 275–285, 2012, doi: 10.1016/j.ejar.2012.12.008.
H. Villarreal, “Shrimp farming advances, challenges, and opportunities,” Oct. 01, 2023, John Wiley and Sons Inc. doi: 10.1111/jwas.13027.
P. Kumar. Srivastava, Pesticides in crop production : Physiological and Biochemical Action. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2020.
B. Martha J and Day. Dennis W, Air Sampling and Industrial Hygiene Engineering. 2001. doi: 10.1021/ac00187a002.
“US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).” [Online]. Available: https://www.epa.gov/science-and-technology/substances-and-toxics-science
R. Dahmardeh Behrooz, D. G. Kaskaoutis, G. Grivas, and N. Mihalopoulos, “Human health risk assessment for toxic elements in the extreme ambient dust conditions observed in Sistan, Iran,” Chemosphere, vol. 262, Jan. 2021, doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.127835.
M. Zulhilmi and suria suhaimi Nurud, “Health risk assessment of heavy metals from consumption of Moolgarda Seheli in freshwater river at Sungai Balok, Pahang,” Bachelor, University Malaysia Pahang, 2017.
A. U. Rauf et al., “Community Health Risk Assessment of Total Suspended Particulates near a Cement Plant in Maros Regency, Indonesia,” J Health Pollut, vol. 11, no. 30, pp. 1–13, 2021, doi: 10.5696/2156-9614-11.30.210616.
P. Douglas et al., “Use of dispersion modelling for Environmental Impact Assessment of biological air pollution from composting: Progress, problems and prospects,” Waste Management, vol. 70, pp. 22–29, 2017, doi: 10.1016/j.wasman.2017.08.023.
J. Zhang, L. Wu, Y. Zhang, F. Li, X. Fang, and H. Mao, “Elemental composition and risk assessment of heavy metals in the PM10 fractions of road dust and roadside soil,” Particuology, vol. 44, pp. 146–152, 2019, doi: 10.1016/j.partic.2018.09.003.
A. Muhammad and S. S. Nurud, “Health risk assessment of heavy metals concentration in Fenneropenaeus Indicus frim Nenasi, Pekan,” University Malaysia Pahang, 2017.
