Abstract

TALAVERA NUNEZ, Maria Elena  and  GUILLEN ZEVALLOS, Maria Ofelia. Evaluation of heavy metals in the toner used in photocopiers in the city of arequipa. Rev. Soc. Quím. Perú [online]. 2010, vol.76, n.2, pp.179-186. ISSN 1810-634X.

Environmental contaminants are a risk factor for developing diseases, occupational health; exposure and the effects of pollution by heavy metals such as lead and chromium are several situations that have a history. In this paper, it quantifies the heavy metals present in the toner, by atomic absorption spectrometry, after taking into account these results, the effect of lead and chromium in workers of photocopiers, assessing people exposed to both sexes (n = 39) and in a group of persons of both sexes not exposed occupationally (n = 38), through the following determinations: hemoglobin by the method of forming cyanmethaemoglobin, with readings by visible spectrophotometry, hematocrit by the method of capillary tube, lead and chromium in blood by atomic absorption spectrometry. The results enabled us to conclude that the toner contains the following heavy metals: Pb, Cr, Fe, Zn, Cd, Cu. The presence of these metals affects the hemoglobin of workers since making the measurement is a low value: 13.53 g / dl, being the normal value between 14.3 to 17.0 g / dl; the value of hemoglobin control group is higher: 14.42 g / dl. Also the data obtained from lead and chromium in the blood of workers exceed the maximum allowable level for workers who are exposed to 30ug/dl for lead and chromium that is 5 ug / dl. In conducting the environmental management system is that the environmental impact assessment produced by this process, according to Matrix of Leopold, the following factors negatively impacted in order of importance: a change in the health and safety, air quality, alteration of the surface layer of soil, alteration of the areas. It has been proposed an Environmental Management Program that includes mitigation measures for the first factor is that change impacted the health and safety, by proposing to use safety measures such as: use of apron, masks, gloves, etc. And the employee is maximum one year to expose this activity.

Keywords : toner; heavy metals; users.

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