Journal of Environmental Health Sciences (한국환경보건학회지)

Korean Society of Environmental Health (한국환경보건학회)
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Cadmium Exposure and Renal Damage in Individuals with Low Socioeconomic Status in Environmentally Vulnerable Areas

환경보건 취약지역에 거주하는 저소득 집단의 카드뮴 노출과 신장질환 영향

  • Yong Min Cho (Institute for Environmental Health, Seokyeong University) ;
  • Hohyun Jin (Department of Environmental Engineering, Seoul National University of Science and Technology) ;
  • Jiyun Kang (Department of Environmental Engineering, Seoul National University of Science and Technology) ;
  • Chahun Kim (Department of Environmental Engineering, Seoul National University of Science and Technology) ;
  • Dahee Han (Institute for Environmental Health, Seokyeong University) ;
  • Su Hyeon Kim (Department of Nano Chemical and Biological Engineering, Seokyeong University) ;
  • Seohui Han (Department of Nano Chemical and Biological Engineering, Seokyeong University) ;
  • Young-Seoub Hong (Department of Preventive Medicine and Heavy Metal Exposure Environmental Health Center, Dong-A University College of Medicine) ;
  • Ki-Tae Kim (Department of Environmental Engineering, Seoul National University of Science and Technology)
  • 조용민 (서경대학교 환경보건연구소) ;
  • 진호현 (서울과학기술대학교 환경공학과) ;
  • 강지윤 (서울과학기술대학교 환경공학과) ;
  • 김차훈 (서울과학기술대학교 환경공학과) ;
  • 한다희 (서경대학교 환경보건연구소) ;
  • 김수현 (서경대학교 나노화학생명공학과) ;
  • 한서희 (서경대학교 나노화학생명공학과) ;
  • 홍영습 (동아대학교 의과대학 예방의학교실 및 중금속노출 환경보건센터) ;
  • 김기태 (서울과학기술대학교 환경공학과)
  • Received : 2022.11.16
  • Accepted : 2023.02.09
  • Published : 2023.02.28
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Abstract

Background: Few studies have assessed exposure to chemicals in the context of environmental vulnerability with a focus on exposure among populations living in certain geographical areas. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate cadmium exposure levels and kidney damage indices in environmentally and socioeconomically vulnerable populations, with further subgrouping according to economic status. Methods: Four areas were selected to represent geographical vulnerability (two environmentally vulnerable populations and two socioeconomically vulnerable populations). Among them, population groups with lower socioeconomic status (SES) were separately classified. Urinary cadmium (UCd), beta2-microglobulin (β2-MG), and N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) levels were analyzed in samples from 245 residents of these four areas. Results: Geometric means of concentrations of UCd (0.97~2.02 ㎍/g creatinine) in all selected populations (N, 245; mean age, 67.8~70.9 years old) were higher than the national reference values (0.39 for adults and 0.78 ㎍/g creatinine for people in their 60s). Participants with a lower SES had higher UCd and NAG concentrations than did non-low SES participants. In the lower SES group, there was a significant association between UCd and NAG concentrations; however, there was no such correlation in the non-low SES group. Conclusions: Consistent with the findings of previous studies evaluating chemical exposure and associated health effects in specific populations, the findings of this study suggest that individuals with a low SES may be more vulnerable to exposure and related health effects.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

이 논문은 2020년도 정부(교육부)의 재원으로 한국연구재단의 지원을 받아 수행된 기초연구사업입니다(NRF2020R1A6A1A03042742). 또한 이 논문은 환경부의 재원으로 한국환경산업기술원의 환경성질환 예방관리 핵심 기술개발사업의 지원을 받아 연구되었습니다(2021003320003).

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