Cross-sectional study reveals early kidney injury and oxidative stress in steel workers, suggesting occupational air pollution causes renal damage even within legal limits.
OBJECTIVES: The current study aimed to investigate the association between occupational exposure to air pollutants and renal function parameters, as well as oxidative stress. METHODS: In a cross-sectional comparative study, 88 participants were grouped into exposed workers and controls. Occupational air pollutant levels, renal function parameters, and oxidative stress markers were evaluated in an iron and steel facility. RESULTS: Although environmental pollutant concentrations were within recommended permissible limits, exposed workers demonstrated significantly elevated serum creatinine, kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1), and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, alongside a significant reduction in eGFR compared to the reference group. In addition, the duration of employment was positively correlated with serum creatinine and MDA while negatively correlated with eGFR. CONCLUSION: Occupational exposure to air pollutants may adversely affect renal function, even when exposure levels comply with established regulatory standards.
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Ramadan et al. (2026) studied this question.
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