Oxidative Stress and Chronic Exposure To Low Levels of Benzene | ||
| The International Conference on Chemical and Environmental Engineering | ||
| Article 11, Volume 7, 7th International Conference on Chemical & Environmental Engineering, May 2014, Pages 1-8 PDF (95.69 K) | ||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||
| DOI: 10.21608/iccee.2014.35431 | ||
| Authors | ||
| Kotb M A1; Ramadan H S1; Siam M E2; El-Bassiouni E A.3 | ||
| 1Dept. of Medical- Biophysics, Medical Research Institute, Alexandria University. | ||
| 2Research laboratory, Chemistry administration, Ministry of industry and foreign trade Alexandria, Egypt . | ||
| 3Dept. of Pharmacology, Medical Research Institute, Alexandria University, Egypt. | ||
| Abstract | ||
| Abstract Benzene is found in the environment as a contaminant from both human activities and natural processes posing serious bio-hazards from chronic exposure. To study the health hazards from chronic exposure to low levels of benzene, an all-male cohort of 390 individuals were recruited. This cohort study included 75 healthy individuals that served as a control group and 315 individuals occupationally chronically exposed to low-levels of benzene in their daily activity during routine work in some petroleum industries. Benzene itself was not detected in the blood or urine of all participants, but the levels of its metabolites; phenol and muconic acid were higher in the blood and urine samples of the group of benzene-exposed workers. Inspection of the results of the study clearly shows that the benzene-exposed workers are under oxidative stress, as judged by higher malondialdehyde, the end product of lipid peroxidation, and lower total antioxidant defense in the blood of exposed workers. This was confirmed by lowered total and reduced glutathione and elevated oxidized form. The effect on cellular membranes was reflected in increased breakage of red blood cells (RBCs) membranes causing higher degree of hemolysis. The data indicate, that chronic exposure to benzene, even at low variable levels, causes biochemical and biophysical alterations that are detrimental to the health and well-being of exposed workers. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| Benzene; glutathione; Muconic acid; Phenol; Malondialdehyde; Redox potential | ||
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