The Effect of Benzene Exposure on Liver and Kidney Function in Human

Abstract

Background: Exposure to benzene in the workplace causes health issues for the workers, it has negative impacts on the blood, liver, and kidney. Also, it is classified as carcinogenic. Methods: This study is cross-sectional; it involved 32 participants; 16 exposed to benzene and 16 non-exposed. The sample was collected by filling out a questionnaire and taking blood samples to test liver and kidney functions. Results: This study found that the means of AST and ALT levels of exposed workers were lower than the control group, while the mean level of ALP was higher. Moreover, it did not find a relationship between qualification, years of experience, age, and level of liver enzymes of exposed participants, however, it reported a positive correlation between smoking and bilirubin level. On the other hand, there are no statistical differences between the two groups in the levels of urea and creatinine, but the mean of urea level was quite higher in the exposed group than non-exposed. Besides, there are no associations between urea and creatinine levels and age, qualification, smoking, and years of experience. Conclusion: This study demonstrated a clear association between exposure to benzene and its effect on the liver. Therefore, suitable precautions should be taken to protect the workers in the gas station.