Jul 2026· European Journal of Epidemiology· 0 citations· 56 references
Medicine
TL;DR
The increased risk after adjustment for smoking and the suggestion of a dose-response, are consistent with the hypothesis of an association between benzene exposure and lung cancer risk.
Abstract
Lung cancer is a major global health issue, especially among men. While smoking and occupational or environmental exposures are known risks, the role of benzene remains under investigation. We aimed to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the association between occupational benzene exposure and lung cancer incidence and mortality. We included cohort and case-control studies mentioned in the 2018 IARC Monograph on benzene and performed a systematic literature review to identify studies published up to 2024 by using PubMed, SCOPUS, and EMBASE databases. We constructed forest plots of relative risk (RR) to visualize and analyze the data. A random-effects model was used to address heterogeneity between studies. Stratified analyses were conducted to explore effect modification. We included 44 independent studies in our meta-analysis. The findings didn't reveal an association between total occupational benzene exposure and lung cancer overall (RR = 1.00, 95% CI 0.93-1.07, p-het ≤ 0.001, 45 risk estimates) or in major industries. Stratified analyses suggested an association in case controls studies (RR = 1.16, 95% CI 1.10-1.22: 7 risk estimates, p-het = 0.001), and in studies with results adjusted for smoking (RR = 1.17, 95% CI 1.11-1.24: 6 risk estimates, p-het = 0.001). There was also an association between high-level benzene exposure and lung cancer (p-trend = 0.03). Publication bias was excluded (p = 0.16). The increased risk after adjustment for smoking and the suggestion of a dose-response, are consistent with the hypothesis of an association between benzene exposure and lung cancer risk.
Occupational PAH exposure is modestly associated with upper gastrointestinal cancer risk, particularly esophageal cancer, with higher risk estimates observed in high-exposure occupations.
M. S. Seyyedsalehi, Anna Vrtev, M. Lanza et al.· European Journal of Cancer P...· 0 citations
Smoking exposure, occupational hazards, unhealthy indoor environments, and chronic pulmonary diseases are important determinants of lung cancer in North Sumatra and public health strategies focusing on tobacco control, improved workplace safety, and reduction of indoor air pollution may substantially reduce lung cancer burden.
Putri Aulia Anwar, Noni Novisari Soeroso, Setia Putra Tarigan et al.· Experimental oncology· 0 citations
The findings demonstrated a consistent association between NO₂ exposure and an increased risk of hypertension, particularly in poorly ventilated work environments, and underscore the importance of improving workplace air quality management, strengthening exposure monitoring, and implementing preventive occupational health strategies.
Ayudhia Rachmawati, Morrin Choirunnisa Thohira, M. Fitrah et al.· International Journal of Pub...· 0 citations
This study systematically evaluates the association between trace metal exposure and hypertension risk, explores dose-response patterns, and investigates underlying molecular mechanisms. A systematic review was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines, including 39 high-quality observational studies retrieved from PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and the Cochrane Library. Meta-analysis results showed a significant positive association between blood lead exposure and hypertension (OR = 1.16, 95% CI: 1.02-1.31) as well as gestational hypertension (OR = 1.56, 95% CI: 1.21-2.02). Conversely, blood manganese demonstrated a potential protective effect, showing a monotonically declining linear trend with hypertension risk and a significantly reduced risk of gestational hypertension (OR = 0.40, 95% CI: 0.25-0.65). Dose-response analysis based on restricted cubic splines revealed nonlinear patterns: blood cadmium exhibited a U-shaped dose-response relationship (P non-linear = 0.005) with risk rising markedly above 3.5 µg/L, and dietary zinc showed a J-shaped curve (P non-linear = 0.004) peaking around 22 mg/day. Urinary biomarkers (cadmium, lead, arsenic, zinc, vanadium, and cobalt) generally showed stronger associations with hypertension than blood biomarkers. However, for several metals - including vanadium, cobalt, chromium, and nickel - the available evidence was limited to one to three studies, and the corresponding risk estimates should therefore be interpreted with caution and require confirmation in future larger-scale studies. Bioinformatics analysis highlighted that trace metal exposure may promote hypertension through mechanisms such as oxidative stress, inflammatory responses (e.g., TNF signaling), and disruption of the AGE-RAGE pathway. The findings suggest that lead exhibits threshold-free linear toxicity, while manganese may have a protective effect. Pregnant women were identified as a particularly sensitive population to environmental metal exposure. This study provides epidemiological evidence and explores molecular mechanisms, supporting preventive strategies for environmentally induced hypertension. The image summary is shown in the Graphical Abstract.
Yunzhen Lei, J. Diao, Ming Xu et al.· Ecotoxicology and Environmen...· 0 citations
BACKGROUND
This study examines how mercury (Hg) levels may be linked to colorectal cancer (CRC) by reviewing and analyzing existing research. It is important to understand this connection because mercury may cause cancer.
METHODS
We searched PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science for studies published up to January 2026. We included observational studies evaluating mercury levels in patients with CRC compared with healthy controls or non-cancerous colorectal tissue, as well as studies assessing the association between mercury exposure and colorectal cancer. We analyzed the data using a random-effects model. Mercury levels were measured in subgroups within both the case and control groups to address differences in measurement methods. We assessed the quality of the included studies using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. All data were analyzed with STATA version 17.
RESULTS
This meta-analysis reviewed 8 studies selected from 1,099 database records. Four studies with 773 participants (355 cases and 418 controls) found no significant difference in mercury levels between people with colorectal cancer and healthy controls (SMD: 0.16 [-0.22, 0.54]; p = 0.42; I²: 82.25%). Subgroup analysis showed differences depending on study design, average age, percentage of male participants, and risk of bias score. Meta-regression found that participant age affected the results, while other factors did not. In two studies with 71 participants, there was also no significant difference in mercury levels between colorectal and healthy tissues in patients with colorectal cancer (SMD: -0.24 [-1.11, 0.64]; p = 0.60; I²: 76.68%), despite high variability across studies.
CONCLUSION
Our review found no significant link between mercury levels and CRC risk, underscoring the complexity of environmental toxins in cancer etiology and the need for further research on influencing factors.
Occupational wood dust exposure has been implicated in reduced lung function. Owing to varied estimates from studies, a systematic review was done to evaluate the association between occupational wood dust exposure and decline in lung function.
This systematic review has been conducted and reported according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The PubMed and Google Scholar databases were screened. Data were extracted from eligible studies and were considered for qualitative and quantitative synthesis.
The qualitative synthesis included 55 studies. Eligible studies were pooled using random-effects meta-analysis, and high heterogeneity was noted between studies with I
2
>95%. Workers exposed to wood dust showed significant reduction in lung function measures, including forced expiratory volume 1 percentage predicted (pooled mean difference [MD] –8.57; 95% CI –12.07 to –5.08; 16 studies), forced vital capacity (FVC) percentage predicted (pooled MD–7.43; 95% CI –11.35 to –3.51; 14 studies), and peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) percentage predicted (pooled MD –13.43; 95% CI –25.14 to –1.72; 9 studies). Funnel plot indicated greater chances for publication bias among studies included in the meta-analysis. Sawmill workers were likely to have obstructive lung function patterns compared to furniture industry workers, who present with a restrictive pattern.
Evidence from this review suggests that wood dust-exposed workers have a reduced FEV1, FVC, and PEFR, indicating obstructive and restrictive patterns. There is a need for workplace dust control measures and personal protective equipment to prevent lung function impairment among wood industry workers.
M. Srinivasan, Mohammed Shoyaib Khazi, Akshaya Kolangaredath et al.· National Medical Journal of...· 0 citations
