Occupational Exposure to Metals & Safeguards for Prevention from Metal Exposure in the Environment

(The problem of occupational exposure of toxic metals exists from the ancient time when no proper management at workplace regarding metal exposure was done by industrialists. Biomonitoring is the branch of science with multidisciplinary aspects of applications which will help industrialist in assessment of toxic metal exposure to workers at workplace and further associated health risks. In present study total 40 workers were included as subjects out of which, 20 were exposed to metals at work place and 20 were relative controls. Head hair samples were collected from all subjects pretreated including washing with Triton X-100, acetone, and deionoised water successessively. All hair samples were digested using wet acid digestion method with Nitric Acid and Perchloric Acid mixture as per recommended protocol to obtain colourless solution. Subsequently analysis for cadmium with an Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS), ECIL Model-AAS414 was done. The cadmium level in hair of exposed workers was significantly higher than the workers which were not exposed to metals. Measures for better occupational environment for the benefit of workers have been suggested to the industrialists