Investigation of hepatotoxic effect of cement-dust in occupationally exposed individuals at Malete, Kwara State, North Central Nigeria

Background: Cement is pivotal in advancing Nigeria's economic and infrastructural development amid rapid urbanization, where the demand for robust infrastructure underscores its integral contribution to meeting developmental requirements. While respiratory concerns have been extensively studied, the impact on the liver with the central role of detoxification remains a critical yet under explored dimension of occupational health.

Objective: Thus, this study investigated the hepatic effect of cement dust exposure among occupationally exposed individuals in North Central Nigeria.

Methods: A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted at Kwara State University Malete, Kwara State, North Central Nigeria, to compare the hepatic profiles of 60 individuals occupationally exposed to cement with 60 non-exposed who served as controls between June and October, 2022. Ethical approval was obtained from the Kwara State Ministry of Health, and informed consent was secured from each participant. Five (5) milliliters of blood were collected, and hepatic profiles were analyzed using standard spectrophotometric methods. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used to investigate the comparison and correlation between the duration of exposure to cement dust and hepatic profiles among the study participants.

Results: The study revealed a significant increase in alanine aminotransaminase (ALT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activities among individuals exposed to cement (ALT: 30.58 ± 11.54, ALP: 181.68 ± 26.25) compared to non-exposed controls (ALT: 19.90 ± 7.26; ALP: 163.68 ± 29.92) at a significance level of p < 0.05. Additionally, the duration of cement dust exposure demonstrated a significant positive correlation with gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) activity (r = 0.363; p = 0.004). Conversely, no significant positive correlation was observed between the duration of cement dust exposure and the activities of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (r = 0.190; p = 0.147), ALT (r = 0.016; p = 0.904), ALP (r = 0.178; p = 0.175), and direct bilirubin (r = 0.057; p = 0.664). Furthermore, the duration of cement dust exposure showed a negative and non-significant correlation with total protein (r = -0.098; p = 0.455), albumin (r = -0.097; p = 0.461), and total bilirubin (r = -0.156; p = 0.233).

Conclusion: The study suggests that occupational exposure to cement dust may pose a risk of developing hepatotoxicity in the future.