Assessing the impact of respirable dust and heavy metals on mechanics’ health in automobile workshops

Prolonged exposure to air pollutants and heavy metals may increase the risk of developing cancer and multiple acute respiratory illnesses in any polluted workplace. This study aimed to evaluate heavy metal exposure and its impact on mechanics’ health in the selected automobile workshops. A validated...

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Main Authors: Nor Ashikin, Sopian, Nik Muhammad Danish Haikal, Nik Hasrul Hisham, Muhamad Aiman, Saharin Sah, Zarifah, Shahri, Noor Haziqah, Kamaludin
Format: Conference or Workshop Item
Language:English
Published: AIP Publishing 2025
Subjects:
Online Access:https://umpir.ump.edu.my/id/eprint/45545/
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author Nor Ashikin, Sopian
Nik Muhammad Danish Haikal, Nik Hasrul Hisham
Muhamad Aiman, Saharin Sah
Zarifah, Shahri
Noor Haziqah, Kamaludin
author_facet Nor Ashikin, Sopian
Nik Muhammad Danish Haikal, Nik Hasrul Hisham
Muhamad Aiman, Saharin Sah
Zarifah, Shahri
Noor Haziqah, Kamaludin
author_sort Nor Ashikin, Sopian
building UMP Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description Prolonged exposure to air pollutants and heavy metals may increase the risk of developing cancer and multiple acute respiratory illnesses in any polluted workplace. This study aimed to evaluate heavy metal exposure and its impact on mechanics’ health in the selected automobile workshops. A validated questionnaire on socio-demographic information, working experience, work practice, and workshop environment has been distributed to mechanics at six workshops in Kuantan and Gambang, Pahang. The respirable dust was collected for a full working period of 6 hours using active sampling. Meanwhile, the assessment of heavy metals exposure has been performed following the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Manual of Analytical Method 7302. The prediction of the incremental lifetime cancer risk of heavy metals exposure was based on the inhalation route of exposure and according to the USEPA approach. The range of respirable dust for the workshops in Kuantan is between 2.77 to 4.86 mg/m3. Meanwhile, the concentration of respirable dust for workshops in Gambang ranges from 1.47 to 4.93 mg/m3. The mechanics in Gambang are exposed to a higher concentration of Fe and Ag as compared to the mechanics in Kuantan. The cumulative cancer risk for all mechanics for Cr exceeded the safe limit. This finding highlighted the necessity for workshop management to take a proactive approach to reducing respirable dust and heavy metals exposures, especially through the improvement of safe work practices and providing adequate ventilation at the workplace.
first_indexed 2025-11-15T04:00:51Z
format Conference or Workshop Item
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institution Universiti Malaysia Pahang
institution_category Local University
language English
last_indexed 2025-11-15T04:00:51Z
publishDate 2025
publisher AIP Publishing
recordtype eprints
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spelling ump-455452025-09-10T02:17:22Z https://umpir.ump.edu.my/id/eprint/45545/ Assessing the impact of respirable dust and heavy metals on mechanics’ health in automobile workshops Nor Ashikin, Sopian Nik Muhammad Danish Haikal, Nik Hasrul Hisham Muhamad Aiman, Saharin Sah Zarifah, Shahri Noor Haziqah, Kamaludin Q Science (General) TJ Mechanical engineering and machinery TP Chemical technology Prolonged exposure to air pollutants and heavy metals may increase the risk of developing cancer and multiple acute respiratory illnesses in any polluted workplace. This study aimed to evaluate heavy metal exposure and its impact on mechanics’ health in the selected automobile workshops. A validated questionnaire on socio-demographic information, working experience, work practice, and workshop environment has been distributed to mechanics at six workshops in Kuantan and Gambang, Pahang. The respirable dust was collected for a full working period of 6 hours using active sampling. Meanwhile, the assessment of heavy metals exposure has been performed following the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Manual of Analytical Method 7302. The prediction of the incremental lifetime cancer risk of heavy metals exposure was based on the inhalation route of exposure and according to the USEPA approach. The range of respirable dust for the workshops in Kuantan is between 2.77 to 4.86 mg/m3. Meanwhile, the concentration of respirable dust for workshops in Gambang ranges from 1.47 to 4.93 mg/m3. The mechanics in Gambang are exposed to a higher concentration of Fe and Ag as compared to the mechanics in Kuantan. The cumulative cancer risk for all mechanics for Cr exceeded the safe limit. This finding highlighted the necessity for workshop management to take a proactive approach to reducing respirable dust and heavy metals exposures, especially through the improvement of safe work practices and providing adequate ventilation at the workplace. AIP Publishing 2025-08-27 Conference or Workshop Item PeerReviewed pdf en https://umpir.ump.edu.my/id/eprint/45545/1/Esche%201.pdf Nor Ashikin, Sopian and Nik Muhammad Danish Haikal, Nik Hasrul Hisham and Muhamad Aiman, Saharin Sah and Zarifah, Shahri and Noor Haziqah, Kamaludin (2025) Assessing the impact of respirable dust and heavy metals on mechanics’ health in automobile workshops. In: AIP Conference Proceedings. 3rd Energy Security And Chemical Engineering Congress (ESChE 2023) , 28 - 30 August 2023 , Langkawi, Malaysia. pp. 1-8., 3225 (090010). ISSN 1551-7616 (Published) https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0264962 https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0264962 https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0264962
spellingShingle Q Science (General)
TJ Mechanical engineering and machinery
TP Chemical technology
Nor Ashikin, Sopian
Nik Muhammad Danish Haikal, Nik Hasrul Hisham
Muhamad Aiman, Saharin Sah
Zarifah, Shahri
Noor Haziqah, Kamaludin
Assessing the impact of respirable dust and heavy metals on mechanics’ health in automobile workshops
title Assessing the impact of respirable dust and heavy metals on mechanics’ health in automobile workshops
title_full Assessing the impact of respirable dust and heavy metals on mechanics’ health in automobile workshops
title_fullStr Assessing the impact of respirable dust and heavy metals on mechanics’ health in automobile workshops
title_full_unstemmed Assessing the impact of respirable dust and heavy metals on mechanics’ health in automobile workshops
title_short Assessing the impact of respirable dust and heavy metals on mechanics’ health in automobile workshops
title_sort assessing the impact of respirable dust and heavy metals on mechanics’ health in automobile workshops
topic Q Science (General)
TJ Mechanical engineering and machinery
TP Chemical technology
url https://umpir.ump.edu.my/id/eprint/45545/
https://umpir.ump.edu.my/id/eprint/45545/
https://umpir.ump.edu.my/id/eprint/45545/