A cross-sectional study of over 400 kitchen workers in Lucknow and Coimbatore showed that almost 50% of them suffered from poor lung functions and microalbuminuria. They also noticed that Coimbatore workers had a higher risk of obstructive lung problems.
The study conducted by researchers from Indian Institute of Toxicology Research (CSIR- IITR) also examined the particulate matter pollution (PM2.5 and PM1) in the kitchen environment and found high concentrations of particulate matter of both sizes, volatile organic compounds, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide. The study was carried out among male workers in Lucknow and Coimbatore and a control group.
Urine and lungs
Though air pollution primarily affects the lungs, it can also affect other microvascular functions via systemic circulation. So the workers were first tested for microalbuminuria. This is a condition in which there is an excess amount of albumin in urine, and this can be used as a marker for kidney diseases. More workers from Lucknow (56%) had higher microalbuminuria than their counterparts in Coimbatore (42%). Fine particulate matter can reach the alveolar epithelium of the lungs, enter the circulatory system and increase the risk of kidney dysfunction.
“By conducting various lung function tests, we found that lung abnormalities were higher in south Indian workers. Apart from exposure to indoor air pollutants, ethnic differences may be the reason. Previous studies have shown south Indians have lower lung function,” explains Dr C.N. Kesavachandran from CSIR-IITR and corresponding author of the paper published in Environmental Health.
The researchers found significantly increased systolic blood pressure in the kitchen workers with microalbuminuria in both states. “But no association was observed between systolic blood pressure and microalbuminuria,” says Dr Vipin Bihari, former senior principal scientist and consultant at CSIR-IITR.
Air quality
“We found a cocktail of different elements like carbon, magnesium, calcium, aluminium, iron in its particulate form in the air,” says Amarnath Singh, a PhD scholar at CSIR-IITR and first author of the paper.
This study throws light on poor lung function and its inverse relationship with microalbuminuria. The authors say that a follow-up study is necessary to get a more precise measure of the association between the two.
