Association between S-phenylmercapturic Acid Related to Environmental Benzene Exposure and Diabetes: 8th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2020~2021)

This study aimed to investigate the association between benzene exposure and the prevalence of diabetes using data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.S-phenylmercapturic acid (SPMA), a biomarker for benzene exposure, was measured in urine samples using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.The study found a significant association between higher SPMA levels and the prevalence of diabetes.In unadjusted models based on complex samples multiple logistic regression, the odds ratio for diabetes in the high SPMA group was 5.55 (95% confidence interval: 3.269.45)for males and 2.73 (95% confidence interval: 1.624.59)for females.Even after adjusting for confounding factors such as age, body mass index, total cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol ratio, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, physical activity, smoking status, drinking status, education level, and household income, the elevated risk remained significant, particularly in males.Moreover, a significant interaction effect between the SPMA levels and the sex (P for interaction 0.001) was observed, indicating that the relationship between SPMA and diabetes risk is stronger in males than in females.This study highlights the potential health risks of benzene exposure, particularly for males, in relation to metabolic diseases such as diabetes.