Ambient Melamine Exposure and Urinary Biomarkers of Early Renal Injury

Information about environmental exposure to melamine and renal injury in adults is lacking. We investigated this relationship, in 44 workers at two melamine tableware manufacturing factories in Taiwan (16 manufacturers, eight grinders, ten packers, and ten administrators) and 105 nonexposed workers (controls) at one shipbuilding company who were enrolled in August December of 2012. For melamine workers, personal and area air samples were obtained at the worksite over 1 workweek (Monday Friday). In the same week, pre- and post-shift one-spot urine samples were collected each workday and one first-spot urine sample was collected on each weekend morning and the following Monday morning. For each control, a one-spot urine sample was collected on Friday morning. A blood sample was also obtained from each participant at this time. Melamine levels were measured in air, urine, and serum, and early renal injury biomarkers were measured in urine. Urinary melamine concentrations in manufacturers increased sharply between pre- and post-shift measurements on Monday, remained significantly elevated throughout the workweek, and decreased over the weekend; changes in urinary melamine concentrations were substantially lower for other melamine workers. Manufacturers were exposed to the highest concentrations of ambient melamine and had significantly higher urinary and serum melamine concentrations than did the controls (P<0.001). Urinary melamine levels were positively associated with urinary N-acetyl beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) levels but not nnicroalbumin levels, and the detectable beta 2-microglobulin rate increased in the manufacturers group. In conclusion, ambient melamine exposure may increase the levels of urinary biomarkers of renal tubular injury in this occupational setting.