Role of Environmental Pollutants in Liver Physiology: Special References to Peoples Living in the Oil Drilling Sites of Assam

Abstract

The populations residing near polluted sites are more prone to various types of diseases. The important causes of air pollution are the suspended particulate matter, respirable suspended particulate matter, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide. As limited information is available enumerating the effect of these pollutants on liver physiology of the population living near the polluted sites; in the present study, we tried to investigate their effect on liver of the population residing near the oil drilling sites since birth. In this study, a randomly selected 105 subjects (46 subjects from oil drilling site and 61 subjects from control site) aged above 30 years were taken under consideration. The particulate matter as well as the gaseous pollutants, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide, were analyzed through a respirable dust sampler. The level of alkaline phosphatase, alanine transaminase and aspartate transaminase enzymes in serum were measured by spectrophotometer. The generalized regression model studies suggests a higher concentration of respirable suspended particulate matter, suspended particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide lowers the alkaline phosphatase level (p<0.0001) by 3.5 times (95% CI 3.1-3.9), 1.5 times (95% CI 1.4 - 1.6) and 12 times (95% CI 10.74 -13.804), respectively in the exposed group. The higher concentration of respirable suspended particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide in air was associated with increase in alanine transaminase level (p<0.0001) by 0.8 times (95% CI 0.589-1.049) and by 2.8 times (95% CI 2.067-3.681) respectively in the exposed group. The increase in nitrogen dioxide level was also associated with increase in aspartate transaminase level (p<0.0001) by 2.5 times (95% CI 1.862 – 3.313) in the exposed group as compared to control group. Thus, the study reveals that long-term exposure to the environmental pollutants may lead to liver abnormality or injury of populations living in polluted sites.

Association of Ambient Air Pollution with Increased Liver Enzymes in Korean Adults

“…Previous studies have found relationships between short-term and long-term exposure to ambient air pollution and liver enzyme levels such as ALT, AST, and GGT [12,15,22]. In a 2013 study of 5,892 adults in southern Germany, Markevych et al identified a strong effect of PM 2.5 on elevated GGT level as well as an effect on patients with CVD [12].…”

Impact of upstream oil extraction and environmental public health: A review of the evidence

“…A study of a New Mexico community near an oil drilling site and an oil waste pit identified elevated prevalence of rheumatic disease, lupus, neurological and respiratory symptoms, and cardiovascular problems compared to a community farther away (Dahlgren et al 2007). Multiple studies have found suggested evidence of alteration of immunological function in communities near oil extraction which may explain higher rates of lupus (Dahlgren et al 2007), liver abnormality (Dey et al 2015) and allergic disease (Yermukhanova et al 2017). Adults living within 5 km of an oil field had significantly lower levels of 3 liver enzymes-alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, and alkaline phosphatase-as measured in blood when compared to adults living in a non-industrial region without oil drilling sites (Dey et al 2015).…”

“…Multiple studies have found suggested evidence of alteration of immunological function in communities near oil extraction which may explain higher rates of lupus (Dahlgren et al 2007), liver abnormality (Dey et al 2015) and allergic disease (Yermukhanova et al 2017). Adults living within 5 km of an oil field had significantly lower levels of 3 liver enzymes-alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, and alkaline phosphatase-as measured in blood when compared to adults living in a non-industrial region without oil drilling sites (Dey et al 2015). School-age children (ages 7-11) in the oil-producing region in Kazakhstan found significant enlargement of thyroid volume in children living in the oil-producing regions, compared to those living in agricultural regions (Kudabayeva et al 2014) and presence of allergic disease decreased with distance from the oil fields (Yermukhanova et al 2017).…”

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

“…There are about 1.00 billion tons coal reserves estimated in this coal bearing zone of North-East (NE) India, which is 0.5% of the country's total reserve of about 200 billion tones. The generation of mine tailings in an opencast coalmine as waste rock to coal is approximately 1:14, which is a peculiar character of NE coals [6]. The environmental degradation as a result of the dumping of mine tailings known as overburden (OB) is enormous.…”