Occupational Stone Dust Exposure on Thyroid Function and Hormonal Regulation: An impactful study on Industrial Workers.

Silica and other harmful elements such as lead (Pb2+), manganese (Mn2+), cadmium (Cd2+), aluminium (Al3+), zinc (Zn2+), iron (Fe2+) are present in stone industries which include stone reshaping for different economical purposes. These toxicants cause serious diseases in workers in the industry and affect their endocrine system by unbalancing their hormonal concentration. Objective: This randomized case-control investigation was carried out to assess the deleterious effects of toxins and stone dust released from the stone industry, on thyroid (Tri-iodothyronine; T3 and tetra-iodothyronine; T4) and its regulatory hormone (Thyroid stimulating hormone; TSH) of the workers exposed to these fine dust particles daily during their work. Method: For this purpose, a comparison was made for hormones of the thyroid gland between workers exposed to dust toxins (experimental group) and the control group (never exposed to such pollutants daily). Blood samples for the experimental and control groups were collected from Marble Market, Ichra, Lahore and Quaid-e-Azam Campus, Punjab University, Lahore, respectively for the analysis of T3, T4, and TSH by using ELISA kits. Results: For statistical analysis of the results Unpaired t-test (Cl: 95%, P < 0.05) was used. A non-significant decrease in T3 and T4 concentration and a non-significant increase in TSH concentration were observed in the experimental group as compared to the control group. Conclusion: Current study concluded that people who are routinely exposed to stone dust and toxins are more likely to have changes in the endocrine system due to an imbalance in the hormonal system. Workers in such industries should always adopt protective measures to avoid inhalation of toxic particles.