Occupational exposure to Polyaromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) constitutes an important health hazard. PAH may lead to the increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) causing oxidative stress. In the present study, the effect of PAH was investigated on 77 charcoal workers and 79 control population by quantifying antioxidant enzymes such as Catalase (CAT), Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) and Glutathione Peroxidase (GPX) after recording the demographic characteristics (age of the subject), lifestyle (smoking habit, alcohol and tobacco consumption), and occupational features (lifetime exposure to wood smoke, use of personal protective equipment). Level of urinary 1-hydroxypyrene which is a marker of PAH and 8-OHdG which is a marker of oxidative stress were significantly higher in charcoal workers (0.25µg/ml) as compared with control workers (0.065µg/ml). Mean of SOD and CAT activity in charcoal workers was significantly higher, while GPX activity was lower than control workers. These results suggest that occupational exposure to PAH increase oxidative stress levels as a response to elevated ROS generation. Elevated levels of ROS has been known to causes health hazards as they possess high reactivity with biomolecules i.e. DNA, RNA and proteins. So, it is evident that preventive changes in work conditions and lifestyle are necessary to improve the quality of life of charcoal workers who are exposed to PAH.
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