Potential nephrotoxic effects of exposure to silver

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Toxicology
• Environmental Medicine

Background:

• Precious metal powder manufacturing involves potential exposure to heavy metals.
• Silver and cadmium are known to have toxicological effects.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the health effects of occupational exposure to silver and cadmium in precious metal powder manufacturing workers.
• To investigate potential biomarkers of exposure and effect, such as urinary N-acetyl-B-D glucosaminidase (NAG) and creatinine clearance.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study of 27 precious metal powder manufacturing workers.
• Measurement of urine and blood silver concentrations.
• Measurement of urine cadmium concentrations.
• Assessment of respiratory symptoms, nosebleeds, and corneal deposition.
• Measurement of urinary NAG and estimated creatinine clearance.

Main Results:

• 96% of workers had elevated urine silver and 92% had elevated blood silver.
• 19% of workers had elevated urine cadmium.
• Respiratory irritation and nosebleeds were common symptoms.
• Corneal silver deposition was observed in 63% of long-term workers, associated with decreased night vision.
• Elevated urinary NAG and reduced creatinine clearance indicated adverse kidney function, potentially linked to silver and cadmium exposure.

Conclusions:

• Occupational exposure to silver and cadmium in precious metal powder manufacturing poses significant health risks.
• Workers exhibited elevated metal levels, respiratory symptoms, and signs of kidney dysfunction.
• Further research is needed to definitively determine the role of silver versus cadmium in kidney function impairment.