Exposure to dust and pollutants at work may increase the risk of chronic kidney disease, a new study from the University of Gothenburg in Sweden has found. The study found that Swedish construction workers, who had been followed since the 1970s and were exposed to these particles, were more likely to develop chronic kidney disease.
Dust and the risk of injury
Chronic kidney disease is the most common form of kidney disease, and involves a slow and gradual deterioration in the kidneys’ ability to purify the body, in which case harmful substances and fluids that were supposed to be excreted in urine remain in the body.
Research in recent years has suggested that outdoor air pollution from industry, vehicle exhaust, and heating may increase the risk of chronic kidney disease. The current study shows that this also applies to occupational exposure to particles in the construction industry.
“We see a clear link between working in construction environments with high levels of dust and the risk of developing chronic kidney disease before the age of 65,” says the study’s first author, Karl Kjellbo Edlon, a doctoral student in occupational and environmental medicine at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, according to EurekAlert. “But further studies are needed to prove a causal relationship and to identify the biological mechanisms.”
The importance of prevention
The study, published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine on August 24, is based on data from more than 280,000 construction workers who participated in health surveys between 1971 and 1993.
The results showed that construction workers exposed to dust and pollutants were 15% more likely to be diagnosed with chronic kidney disease and require dialysis. However, the increased risk did not persist after retirement age.
“Chronic kidney disease is a serious disease that greatly affects an individual’s quality of life, increases the risk of secondary diseases and leads to high healthcare costs. Primary prevention is therefore very important,” says project leader Dr Leo Stockfeldt, associate professor of occupational and environmental medicine at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg.
Improvements in workplace pollutant emissions and the use of personal protective equipment reduced construction workers’ exposure to pollutants during the study period, from the 1970s to the 1990s.
This is believed to have contributed to a reduction in kidney disease, but more needs to be done to improve the working environment in the construction industry, according to the researchers.
This is the first study to investigate the risk of kidney disease in construction workers, using data from previous health records as a basis. The data, managed by Umeå University, has been used in several previous studies on the working environment and health in the construction industry.
The next step for the research team is to study the relationship between dust and pollutant exposure and kidney disease in other groups, to see if the findings can be confirmed and the mechanisms better defined.