Table 4.
Key characteristics of reviewed papers.
| Author Country (Year) |
Chemical | Industry | Participant Age | Participant Gender | Author-Defined Sample Description | Author-Defined Exposure Measurement | Author-Defined Health Outcomes |
Paper Quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ismail et al. Egypt (2017) [56] |
Pesticides: Chlorpyrifos |
Agriculture: Cotton |
12–18 years | M | Pesticide applicators 2005 (n = 41); 2009 (n = 21) Non-applicators 2005 (n = 38); 2009 (n = 20) |
SRQ: Current work status/work history/non-work chemical exposures | Neurobehavioural tests-BARS/WAIS-R Neurological symptoms Plasma BChE |
Good |
| Abdel Rasoul et al. Egypt (2008) [60] |
Pesticides: Chlorpyrifos |
Agriculture: Cotton |
2 groups: 9–15 years 16–18 years |
M | 9–15 years Pesticide applicators (n = 30) Non-applicators (n = 30) 16–18 years Pesticide applicators (n = 20) Non-applicators (n = 20) |
SRQ: Current work status/work history BIO: Plasma AChE |
Neurobehavioural tests-WAIS Neurological symptoms |
Good |
| Eckerman et al. Brazil (2007) [62] |
Pesticides: Unspecified OP |
Agriculture: Green vegetables |
10–18 years | M/F | Farmworker schoolchildren (n = 38) Urban schoolchildren (n = 28) |
SRQ: Current work status/work history ENV: Non-work chemical exposures-Exposure index |
Neurobehavioural tests-BARS | Medium |
| Callahan et al. Egypt * (2014) [55] |
Pesticides: Chlorpyrifos |
Agriculture: Cotton |
12–19 years ** | M | Pesticide applicators (n = 38) Non-applicators (n = 24) |
SRQ: Current work status/ non-work chemical exposures) BIO: Urinary TCPy |
Self-reported wheeze Lung function |
Medium |
| Rohlman et al. Egypt (2014) [63] |
Pesticides: Chlorpyrifos |
Agriculture: Cotton |
12–18 years | M/F | Pesticide applicators (n = 21) Non applicators (n = 20) |
SRQ: Current work status/work history BIO: Urinary TCPy. Plasma AChE/BChE |
Neurobehavioural tests-BARS/WAIS | Medium |
| Saddik at al Lebanon (2009) [64] *** |
Solvents | Auto spray painting, mechanical repair and furniture painting workshops | 10–17 years | M | Solvent-exposed workers (n = 100) Non-exposed workers (n = 100) Non-working, non-exposed schoolchildren (n = 100) |
SRQ: Current work status/work history ENV: Ambient air levels of six solvents |
Neurobehavioural tests-PIPS/non-computerised tests Mood-POMS |
Good |
| Saddik at al Lebanon (2003) [65] *** |
Solvents | Auto spray painting, mechanical repair, furniture painting workshops |
10–17 years | M | Solvent-exposed workers (n = 100) Non-exposed workers (n = 100) Non-working, non-exposed schoolchildren (n = 100) |
SRQ: Current work status/work history | Neurological symptoms Neurobehavioural tests-PIPS |
Medium |
| Saddik at al Lebanon (2005) [66] *** |
Solvents | Auto spray painting, mechanical repair and furniture painting workshops | 10–17 years | M | Solvent-exposed workers (n = 100) Non-exposed workers (n = 100) Non-working, non-exposed schoolchildren (n = 100) |
SRQ: Current work status/work history | Neurological symptoms Neurobehavioural tests-non computerised tests Mood-POMS |
Medium |
| Nuwayhid et al. Lebanon (2005) [67] |
Metals: Lead | Carpentry, mechanics, metal works | 10–17 years | M | Workers (n = 78) Non-workers (n = 60) |
SRQ: Work history | Mental health Physical exam Blood lead Haemoglobin/ferritin |
Good |
| Moawad et al. Egypt (2015) [68] |
Metals: Lead | Auto repair, car batteries, smelters, radiators, pottery workshops, garbage collection | 6–18 years | M/F | Non-workers with moderate living standard (n = 100) Non-workers in slums (n = 100) Schoolchildren (suburban n = 70; urban n = 30) Workshop group (n = 100) |
SRQ: CL status ENV: Water, dust, soil ***** |
Blood lead Haemoglobin |
Good |
| Sughis et al. Pakistan (2012) [59] |
Metals: Various | Surgical instrument manufacture | 10–14 years | M | Exposed workers (n = 104) Schoolchildren (n = 75) |
BIO: Urine chromium and nickel concentrations | Respiratory symptoms Lung function-spirometry Blood pressure Oxidative DNA damage |
Good |
| Arif et al. Bangladesh (2018) [69] |
Metals: Lead | Battery recycling | 10–14 years | M | Exposed workers (n = 30) Non-exposed workers |
SRQ: Current work status/work history BIO: Minimum blood lead concentration |
Oxidative stress DNA damage-Comet assay Growth retardation |
Medium |
| Shah et al. Pakistan (2012) [13] |
Metals: Lead | Battery recycling | 12–15 years | M | Exposed workers (n = 118) Exposed non-workers (n = 89) Non-exposed (n = 95) |
SRQ: Current work status/work history | Blood lead | Medium |
| Dundar et al. Turkey (2005) [70] |
Metals: Lead | Auto repair | 15–17 years | M | Exposed workers (n = 42) Non-exposed (n = 55) |
SRQ: Work history | Blood lead concentration Thyroid function-TSH/ FT4/FT3 Thyroid volume-ultrasound |
Medium |
| Baloch et al. Pakistan (2020) [58] |
Metals: Lead, Cadmium | Battery recycling, welding | 12–18 years | M | 12–18 years Battery workers (n = 95) Welding workers (n = 60) Non-exposed (n = 100) 20–45 years Battery workers (n = 100) Welding workers (n = 120) Non-exposed (n = 145) |
SRQ: Current work status/work history ENV: Water, soil ***** |
Blood/hair lead/cadmium Haemoglobin | Medium |
| Bose-O’Reilly et al. Indonesia/ Zimbabwe (2008) [71] |
Metals: Mercury |
Gold mining | 9–17 years | M/F | Exposed workers (n = 80) Children living in exposed areas (n = 80) Non-exposed (n = 50) |
SRQ: Current work status/work history | Blood/urine/hair mercury Medical symptoms Neurobehavioural tests |
Medium |
| Junaid et al. Pakistan (2017) [72] |
Metals: Various | Leather and surgical instrument manufacturing | 8–18 years | M/F | Exposed workers (n = 60) Unexposed (n = 15) |
SRQ: Current work status/work history ENV: Equation to measure exposure from inhalation, ingestion and dermal contact |
Blood/urine/saliva/hair various metals | Medium |
| Sughis et al. Pakistan (2014) [73] |
Metals: Various | Carpet weaving, brick industry | 8–12 years | M/F | Carpet weaving workers (n = 80) Brick industry workers (n = 80) School: high air pollution area (n = 100) School: lower air pollution area (n = 79) |
SRQ: Current work status/work history ENV: Water and particulate matter |
Urine various metals | Medium |
| Kazi et al. Pakistan (2015) [57] |
Metals: Lead | Battery recycling | 12–15 years | M | Exposed workers (n = 118) Exposed non-workers (n = 85) Non-exposed (n = 90) |
SRQ: Work history | Hair lead | Low |
| Tiwari et al. India (2012) [16] |
Metals: Chromium | Gem polishing | <14 years | M/F | Gem polishing workers (n = 24) Non-workers (n = 23) |
SRQ: Current work status/work history | Blood chromium | Low |
| Lahiry et al. Bangladesh (2011) [14] |
Metals: Various | Waste disposal | 8–15 years | M/F | Waste disposal workers (n = 20) Non-workers (n = 15) |
SRQ: CL status | Oxidative stress DNA damage-Comet assay Liver function tests |
Low |
| Cuadra et al. Nicaragua (2006) [74] **** |
POPs: Various | Waste disposal | 11–15 years | M/F | Workers living onsite (n = 11) Workers living nearby (n = 23) Non-workers living nearby (n = 16) Non-workers living nearby/not eating lake fish (n = 16) Non-workers living remotely/not eating lake fish (n = 11) |
SRQ: Current work status/work history/diet | Serum POP POP metabolites |
Medium |
| Athanasiadou et al. Nicaragua (2008) [15] **** |
POPs: PBDE | Waste disposal | 11–15 years | M/F | Workers living onsite (n = 19) Workers living nearby (n = 44) Non-workers living nearby (n = 31) Non-workers living nearby/not eating lake fish (n = 18) Non-workers living remotely/not eating lake fish (n = 19) |
SRQ: Current work status/work history/diet | Serum PBDE PBDE metabolites |
Medium |
CL = Child labourer. SRQ: Self-report questionnaire. ENV: Environmental assessment. BIO: Biomarker. * 10-month cohort study. All others are cross-sectional. ** One participant was 19 years old. *** Papers from the same overall study. **** Papers from the same overall study. ***** Authors used environmental assessments as outcomes, rather than as exposures in these two studies.