Influence of Occupational Exposure to Hydrocarbons and Automobile Exhaust on the Health of Automobile Workshop Workers

Abstract

The effect of hydrocarbons and automobile exhaust exposure on the 
hematological, cardiovascular, and hepatic parameters of the workers of 
automobile workshops was studied. The blood samples collected from five groups 
of workers with different duration of exposure (6-10, 11-15, 16-20, 21-25, and >25 
years) and a control group including university students were analyzed for 
hematological and clinical parameters. An exposure-dependent statistically 
significant linear increase was observed in hemoglobin level (p=0.041, 
R2=0.8132) and serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (p=0.000, 
R2=0.9604) and creatine kinase (CK) (p=0.000, R2=0.9759) of the workers. 
However, the parameters of blood count and serum levels of aspartate 
aminotransferase, alkaline phosphate, lactate dehydrogenase, and total bilirubin 
levels remained unaffected. The long-term exposure to hydrocarbons resulted in a 
significant time-dependent increase in the hemoglobin, ALT, and CK levels of the 
workers. The findings indicate a risk of developing hematological, cardiovascular, 
and hepatic disorders in the automobile workshop workers.