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Assessment of liver function in two groups of outdoor workers exposed to arsenic

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Abstract

Purpose

To evaluate whether the exposure to arsenic (As) causes alterations of liver enzymes in two groups of outdoor workers.

Methods

Total urinary As and the levels of AST/GOT, ALT/GPT, and GGT were measured on 80 traffic policemen and 50 police drivers. Personal air samples were obtained for assessing the exposure to As on a subgroup of 20 traffic policemen and 20 police drivers.

Results

Mean values of personal exposure to As, urinary As, AST/GOT, and ALT/GPT were significantly higher in traffic policemen than in the police drivers. Multiple linear regression models showed associations between urinary As and airborne As, ALT/GPT and the job variables, and BMI and urinary As.

Conclusions

These findings contribute toward the evaluation of the hepatic effects of exposure to As in the urban workers.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Correspondence to Teodorico Casale.

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Casale, T., Rosati, M.V., Ciarrocca, M. et al. Assessment of liver function in two groups of outdoor workers exposed to arsenic. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 87, 745–752 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-013-0914-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-013-0914-5

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