Abstract:
Occupational exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and their metabolites have been linked to increased risk for a suite of negative health outcomes such as lung, skin, bladder, kidney, and liver cancers and other diseases. This study sought to conduct a health risk assessment of urinary-PAHs and their metabolites among artisanal auto-mechanical workers from the Siwdu auto-mechanical workshops in Cape Coast Metropolis, Ghana. A total of 59 urine samples from three different artisanal groups namely: auto-mechanics, auto-sprayers, and plastic welders, were extracted in replicates (n = 3) for PAHs and its metabolites using solid phase extraction (SPE) protocol followed by HPLC-UV/RF instrumental analysis. The mean total metabolites and parent PAHs ranged between 490759.50 - 1869.00 ng/L, 129819.00 - 1752.00 ng/L, and 45613.50 - 2020.00 ng/L and 71916.36 -1382.73 ng/L, 12268.80 - 1703.04 ng/L, and 62936.82 -3862.41 ng/L for AM, AS and PW artisans respectively. About 80% of the samples had elevated levels of mean total PAHs (> 200.00 ng/L) set by NIOSH. Statistically, there were significant difference among the artisan group samples analysed with respect to analyte levels (p < 0. 05). The cumulative non-cancer risk and cancer risk upon exposure ranged between 4.0 × 10-6 - 6.0 × 10-4 and 4.0 × 10-7 - 1.0 × 10-4 for PAH metabolites and 2.0 × 10-6 - 2.0 × 10-5 and 1.0 × 10-6 - 2.0 × 10-5 for parent PAHs for AM, AS and PW artisans respectively. About 70% of the samples had both elevated non-cancer and cancer risk (> 10-6). The study showed that the artisanal auto-mechanical workers were exposed to elevated levels of PAHs due to poor safety culture, which may pose health risks to them.
