Assessment of cadmium levels in blood, hair, saliva and teeth in a sample of Iraqi workers and detection of dental findings

Abstract EN

Background : cadmium considered one of the heavy metals, by time can be accumulate in plants, animals and humans.

This study aimed to using some biomarkers (blood, hair, saliva and teeth), that can be easily obtained and processed for measuring the cadmium concentration in human body and assessment of DMF / t which may result from accumulation of cadmium.

Subjects, Materials and methods: This study had been done between April–October of 2010 at Al-kufa Cement Factory in Najaf, the numbers of exposed subjects were 55 and control subjects were 44, blood, hair, saliva and teeth were taken as biomarkers then DMF / t were calculated.

After processing of these biomarkers (blood, hair, saliva and teeth) cadmium analyzed by using atomic absorption spectrophotometer device (AAS) Results : The study reported that blood, hair ,saliva and teeth are good biomarker for measuring the concentration of cadmium in addition to effect of some factors like smoking habit, residency, age and in accumulation of that heavy metal in addition to increasing of the numbers of decayed and missing teeth with increasing of cadmium but without increasing in numbers of the filling teeth.

Also there was significant difference in cadmium concentration between exposed and control people Conclusions : this study reported that there was significant increase in cadmium concentration among exposed subject if compared with control subject.

Also indicated that factors like smoking habit, residency and age could lead to increasing the cadmium concentration.

In addition to increase the numbers of decay and missing teeth when the cadmium concentration was increased in these biomarkers.