Scoping review reveals pulmonary, cardiovascular, and systemic biomarker alterations in exposed workers, indicating urgent need for standardized occupational health monitoring.
Key Points
To synthesize published evidence regarding the pulmonary, cardiovascular, and systemic health effects associated with workplace exposure to nanomaterials, while highlighting early diagnostic strategies and evidence gaps.
Searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Web of Science databases from inception through April 2024 for peer-reviewed studies examining occupational exposure to nanomaterials or ultrafine particles without formal quality appraisal.
Identified 66 eligible studies out of 6,020 unique records, primarily consisting of cross-sectional (n = 37) and panel (n = 18) designs evaluating exposures to carbon nanotubes, titanium dioxide, and metal oxides.
Workplace nanoparticle exposure was associated with decreased lung function and elevated biomarkers of pulmonary inflammation and oxidative stress.
Cardiovascular and systemic findings included increased markers of endothelial dysfunction, cardiac autonomic dysregulation, hypercoagulation, vascular inflammation, DNA damage, and epigenetic modifications.