Evaluating risks of acquired clinical vulnerability among subjects exposed to E-waste

Acquired clinical vulnerability (ACV) results from insults that produce consequential pathophysiological changes and predispose exposed subjects to future disease. ACV comprises a complex biological process that is manifested by exposure to toxicants, generally over the course of many years, and results from subtle changes that occur at the cellular and molecular level. A large proportion of the world's population has already been, or will be, exposed to toxicants emanating from E-waste during the course of their lives. In countries where E-waste recycling is an important economic activity (China, India, among others), the challenge facing researchers is to devise suitable methods for identifying and objectively measuring ACV. Primary prevention can be achieved through legislation/awareness/monitoring and secondary prevention by developing innovative diagnostic tools and corrective measures. Studies in which attempts are made to define the health impact of multiple exposures, as routinely occurs in E-waste recycling, should include measures of as many of the following parameters as possible: (a) characterization of pollutant levels in air/water/soil at the residential or workplace, (b) periodical clinical examination of exposed subjects, (c) assessments of circulating toxicant loads in blood/urine/hair, (d) genomic variation and resultant susceptibility to complex biological responses, (viz, inflammation/dysplasia/immunosuppression/tissue regeneration) that derive from pathway modulation (viz., cytoskeleton/metabolism/cell adhesion/immune system/neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction/cytokine/signaling), (e) routine monitoring of altered gene expression from modulation of hematology or the above-mentioned pathways. E-waste exposure may also serve as a model for the types of multiple exposures that occur in other industrial or environmental exposures. Moreover, the approach used to study and address or alleviate E-waste exposure may also be useful in other environmental exposure situations. The studies necessary to address and alleviate E-waste hazards may eventually be cost-effective, since they are likely to result in manifold savings in reduced health costs, increased human productivity, and reduced indirect social costs.