Metals Exposures and Telomere Length as a Marker of DNA Damage Among Electronic Waste Workers and a Reference Group

Informal E-waste recycling releases complex mixtures including heavy metals that bioaccumulate in exposed populations, including e-waste workers. Emerging evidence suggests that these metals contribute to telomere attrition, leading to cellular aging and non-communicable diseases (NCDs). This study investigated the longitudinal impact of repeated metal exposures on telomere length among e-waste workers in Ghana. A total of 78 study participants (53 e-waste workers and 25 reference group) were included in the study. Blood and urine samples were used for 3- repeated measurements of telomere length using real-time polymerase chain reaction. Using restricted cubic spline modelling, the study observed shorter telomere length among the e-waste workers compared to the reference group, and this was more evident among the burners within the e-waste workers population. There was a negative association between Pb, Cr levels, and telomere length. Zn was positively associated with telomere length, while a nonlinear association was observed between Mg levels and telomere length. The consistently shorter relative telomere length among e-waste workers coinciding with higher concentrations of Cr and Pb, implicates the role of metals in telomere shortening. Future research should utilize longer follow-up longitudinal studies with a larger sample size to confirm these findings.