1. ^aDivision of Environmental Health and Occupational Medicine, National Health Research Institute, Zhunan, Taiwan
2. ^bDepartment of Information Management, Tzu Hui Institute of Technology, Pingtung, Taiwan
3. ^cGraduate Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
4. ^dFaculty of Biomedical Laboratory Science, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
5. ^eDivision of Basic Medicine, Graduate Institute of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

Correspondence: Dr. S-L. Wang, Division of Environmental Health and Occupational Medicine, National Health Research Institutes, 100 Shih-Chuan 1st Road, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan, ROC. Tel.: +886-7-3126772 ext. 4015; Fax: +886-7-3221912; E-mail: slwang@nhri.org.tw

Received 31 December 2004; Accepted 30 May 2005; Published online 17 August 2005.

Abstract

The high density of electroplating factories in the geographic middle of Taiwan has prompted concern over the potential for exposure to harmful metals. The present study aimed to determine the levels of chromium in whole blood (B-Cr) of residents living in the high vs. low factory-density areas, and to examine the relations to gender and age. A total of 660 residents who had not moved within the 5 years preceding the study were sampled according to the stratified random sampling approach, at ages 35–44, 45–54, and 55–64 years, for both genders. Chromium determinations (n=641) were made using a graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometer. The geometric mean (95% C.I.) of B-Cr was 0.357 (0.34–0.38) g/l. The International Federation of Clinical Chemistry (IFCC) nonparametric 0.95 reference limits of B-Cr was estimated to be <0.905 g/l. B-Cr levels decreased with increasing age. Subjects in the areas with a high density (0.38 g/l, 95% C.I.: 0.36–0.40) of electroplating factories had significantly higher B-Cr levels, compared to residents of the low-density (0.27, 0.25–0.30) areas and to the general population from western countries. The health significance of the elevated B-Cr remains to be determined.