Evaluation of oxidative stress biomarkers and liver enzyme activity in workers occupationally exposed to respirable free crystalline silica

Introduction: In various mining activities, workers are exposed to free Crystalline Silica (CS), which can cause the constant production of reactive oxygen species and silicosis. This research was conducted to evaluate oxidative stress biomarkers and liver tissue function in workers occupationally exposed to CS during their activities. Materials and methods: In this study, the biomarkers of oxidative stress were evaluated in 40 workers in silica mines of Azandarian region (Hamadan province, Iran) with occupational exposure to CS, as the case group and 40 workers without any silica-exposure as controls. Results: A significant higher serum levels of Malondialdehyde (MDA), Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) and Alanine Transaminase (ALT) were observed in the silica-exposed group compared to the controls. Moreover, in the serum of the silica-exposed cases, the total antioxidant capacity was lower than that of the control group. Based on findings chronic exposure to CS can obviously affect the serum levels of oxidative stress biomarker and liver tissue function in the exposed workers. Conclusion: Therefore, the use of suitable face mask and different dietary antioxidants are recommended in the silica-exposed workers for the reduction of oxidative stress production and prevention of liver tissue disorders.