Safety and Health at Work最新文献

{"title":"Evaluation of Health Hazards in Secondary Battery Industry Workers Focusing on Chemical Burns","authors":"Dong-Hee Koh,&nbsp;Yong Lim Won,&nbsp;Hwa Yeon Lee,&nbsp;Sang-Gil Lee","doi":"10.1016/j.shaw.2026.02.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.shaw.2026.02.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The rapid growth of the secondary battery industry for electric vehicles has introduced underexplored occupational hazards. This study investigated the characteristics and causes of skin disorders among workers in lithium production and battery recycling facilities to identify preventive measures. In 2024, walkthrough surveys and health interviews were conducted with 127 male workers at two newly established plants selected based on visible symptoms or involvement in high-risk processes. Skin lesions were reported by 38.8% of workers in the lithium production plant, mainly chemical burns caused by lithium hydroxide dust reacting with sweat to form a strong alkali, with the wrist being the most frequently affected site. In the recycling plant, 35.0% experienced skin lesions, predominantly contact dermatitis associated with exposure to metal dusts and acids. These findings indicate substantial risks of chemical burns and contact dermatitis, highlighting the need for improved protective equipment, ventilation, and safety management in this expanding industry.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56149,"journal":{"name":"Safety and Health at Work","volume":"17 2","pages":"Pages 294-298"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13316005/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148364161","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Carcinogens in Petroleum-derived Products: Evaluation of Benzene, Ethylbenzene, and Other Carcinogens Under High Temperatures","authors":"Dongwon Kim,&nbsp;Jimin Kim,&nbsp;Nahyun Lee,&nbsp;Taeyeon Kim","doi":"10.1016/j.shaw.2026.01.005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.shaw.2026.01.005","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Petroleum-derived products (PDPs) often contain carcinogens such as benzene and ethylbenzene. However, exposure risks significantly increase during high-temperature workplace processes (120°C-180°C). We evaluated the thermal release of various carcinogens in PDPs, focusing on benzene, ethylbenzene, and other European Union Regulation on Classification, Labelling, and Packaging 1A/1B compounds under elevated temperatures.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Thirty PDPs were categorized into four groups: viscous liquid of lubricant (VL), aerosol of lubricant, semisolid of grease, and aerosol of remover. Qualitative and quantitative analyses were performed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Headspace analysis was conducted at temperatures from 30°C to 180°C to evaluate volatile carcinogens.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The number of carcinogens increased systematically with temperature. At 180°C, European Union Regulation on Classification, Labelling, and Packaging 1A/1B compounds were found in 40–75% of samples. Benzene was detected in 13 products (43.33%) and ethylbenzene in 29 products (96.67%). Increasing temperature enhanced benzene concentrations in 20-50% of products and ethylbenzene concentrations in 17-80% of products, with VL products showing the highest concentrations. Notably, several carcinogens not listed on standard Safety Data Sheets (SDSs) were detected at temperatures exceeding 120°C.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Benzene and ethylbenzene should be removed from PDPs when possible. Elevated temperatures release additional “hidden” carcinogens not listed on SDSs. VL products should be avoided in high-temperature environments, and adequate ventilation and worker education are essential when using these products in confined spaces.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56149,"journal":{"name":"Safety and Health at Work","volume":"17 2","pages":"Pages 279-285"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13315979/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148364164","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders Among Machinery Manufacturing Factory Workers in a Chinese Factory","authors":"Fengtao Cui,&nbsp;Yucheng Sun,&nbsp;Yingge Duan,&nbsp;Hanyun Wang,&nbsp;Ye Xin,&nbsp;Lifei Li,&nbsp;Li Chen,&nbsp;Piye Niu,&nbsp;Junxiang Ma","doi":"10.1016/j.shaw.2026.03.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.shaw.2026.03.004","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>The prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) is high among workers in the machinery manufacturing industry yet effective prevention and control measures are currently lacking.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>This study recruited 226 workers from a machinery manufacturing factory in Huaibei City. The prevalence of WMSDs was investigated by a modified Chinese version of the questionnaire based on the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire and the Dutch Musculoskeletal Questionnaire. The risk factors of WMSDs were explored by structural equation modeling and multiplicative interaction models based on logistic regression.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The prevalence of WMSDs among workers from a machinery manufacturing factory was 86.28%, with the highest prevalence of lower back pain (62.38%) and the lowest prevalence of thigh/hip joint (26.99%) among the nine affected areas. The structural equation models indicated a negative correlation between body postures in work and musculoskeletal health, regardless of static, dynamic, or combined static-dynamic work. The multiplicative interaction model showed that the duration and frequency of lateral head bending were negatively associated with neck health (odds ratio [OR]: 0.071, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.018–0.281) and shoulder health (OR: 0.028, 95%CI: 0.001–0.692).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>The survey revealed the prevalence of WMSDs in a machinery equipment manufacturing factory reached 80%. This study combined structural equation modeling with multiplicative interaction to explore the relationships between WMSDs and poor ergonomic postures under dynamic, static, and combined dynamic-static working conditions. The results demonstrated a negative association between poor ergonomic postures and musculoskeletal health. In the future, intervention studies targeting poor ergonomic postures will be critical for the prevention of WMSDs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56149,"journal":{"name":"Safety and Health at Work","volume":"17 2","pages":"Pages 214-222"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13315987/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148364208","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Joint Effect of Workplace Gender Discrimination and Gender Composition on the Mental Well-Being in Korean Workers","authors":"Yeseo Lee,&nbsp;Jongin Lee","doi":"10.1016/j.shaw.2026.04.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.shaw.2026.04.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Despite growing evidence on the effects of workplace gender discrimination (WGD) and gender composition on workers’ mental well-being, little is known about how these two factors interact to shape overall well-being. This study aims to investigate the joint effect of WGD and gender composition on the risk of poor well-being among Korean workers.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We used data from the 6th (2020) and 7th (2023) waves of the Korean Working Conditions Survey (<em>n</em>= 62,642). We assessed both multiplicative and additive interactions between WGD (no vs. yes) and gender composition (gender balanced vs. gender imbalanced) in relation to mental well-being (good vs. poor). Interaction on the multiplicative scale was evaluated using the multiplicative measure along with <em>p</em> value, whereas interaction on the additive scale was assessed using the relative excess risk due to interaction, the attributable proportion, and the synergy index.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>WGD was strongly associated with poor well-being, with a higher risk observed among workers in gender-imbalanced workplaces [odds ratio = 2.96, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.38 to 3.69] than among those in gender-balanced workplaces (odds ratio = 1.38, 95% CI: 0.92 to 2.05). Evidence of both supramultiplicative (multiplicative measure = 2.09, 95% CI: 1.33 to 3.28, <em>p</em> value&lt;0.01) and supra-additive effects (relative excess risk due to interaction = 1.56, attributable proportion = 0.53, S = 4.82) was found. These statistically significant effects remained among women, whereas no significance was observed among men.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>The interaction between WGD and gender-imbalanced workplace environments was associated with poorer worker well-being. These findings underscore the importance of addressing both discriminatory practices and structural gender composition to address worker well-being.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56149,"journal":{"name":"Safety and Health at Work","volume":"17 2","pages":"Pages 240-245"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13316010/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148364134","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Development of a First-tier Risk Assessment Tool for Occupational Hazards Among Public Officials","authors":"Sangjun Choi,&nbsp;Hayoung Lee,&nbsp;Juhyeon Jeong,&nbsp;Seonjin Lim,&nbsp;Soo-Young Lee,&nbsp;Jaehyun Park","doi":"10.1016/j.shaw.2026.04.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.shaw.2026.04.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Public officials face diverse job-related hazards, yet systematic approaches to identify risk factors are limited in the Republic of Korea. This study developed a risk assessment tool to evaluate occupational risk factors among public officials and describes its development process and practical use.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We conducted text analysis of injury/illness narratives from 25,317 approved compensation claims (2019–2023) to extract and classify key risk factors. The tool was designed as a first-tier self-assessment in which respondents rate the frequency and intensity of exposure to each risk factor on a 4-point Likert scale. The product of the two scores yields a four-level risk rating. The tool was developed in Microsoft Excel and consists of six worksheets.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Text analysis of the claim narratives identified 24 risk factors (psychological 5, organizational 2, ergonomic 5, physical 7, chemical 3, and biological 2); collision/fall risk was the most common (54.7%). In the Excel-based tool, users rate frequency and intensity for each item, which automatically generates a four-level risk rating. Items rated as high/very high prompt entry of detailed work situations. The tool also allows the addition of extra risk factors and provides guidance on second-tier in-depth assessments for high-risk results.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>This tool may help public officials across diverse job types easily screen job-related risk factors. Further studies should evaluate its usability and applicability across public service occupations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56149,"journal":{"name":"Safety and Health at Work","volume":"17 2","pages":"Pages 286-293"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13316000/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148364143","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Job Strain Profiles in Pharmacy Workforce: Evidence from the Job Demand, Control, and Support Model in Ghana","authors":"Godwin Dogbey,&nbsp;Adriana-Maria Hiller,&nbsp;Awaanu-lah Zinale,&nbsp;Seth Atta Baiden,&nbsp;Marta A. Kisiel","doi":"10.1016/j.shaw.2026.03.007","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.shaw.2026.03.007","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>The Job Demand–Control–Support (JD-C-S) model evaluates how psychosocial work factors affect health and performance. We examined how demographics, job title, and experience influence demand, control, and support among Ghanaian pharmacy staff.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A cross-sectional survey of pharmacy personnel from Tamale and Sagnarigu was conducted using the JD-C-S questionnaire. Demand and control items were scored on a five-point Likert scale. For the main analyses, demand and control scores were dichotomized using sample median cutoffs (demand = 3.0; control/support = 3.5) and combined to classify participants into four job-strain categories: high strain, low strain, active, and passive. Associations were estimated using logistic regression and reported as odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Sensitivity analyses using linear regression with continuous JD-C-S scale scores were performed.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>There were 117 pharmacy personnel (mean age: 26.7; 42% female). Passive (43.6%) and active jobs (29.1%) were the most common, followed by high-strain (18.8%) and low-strain (8.5%) jobs. Job demand means were significantly higher in participants aged ≤30 years than in younger participants (3.16 vs<em>.</em> 2.55, <em>p</em> &lt; 0.001), as was job control means (3.50 vs. 2.82, <em>p</em> &lt; 0.001). Medicine counter assistants had significantly higher odds of high-strain jobs than pharmacists (OR: 2.80, 95% CI: 1.01–7.77). Sensitivity analyses indicated that medicine counter assistants experienced lower job control than pharmacists (β-coefficient: −0.38, 95% CI: −0.71 to −0.05).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Job title, experience, age, and sex shape the psychosocial work profiles of pharmacy personnel, underscoring the need for targeted interventions to reduce stress and support well-being.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56149,"journal":{"name":"Safety and Health at Work","volume":"17 2","pages":"Pages 223-230"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13315993/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148364159","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Dryness Response of the Ocular Surface With Use of Wearable Ventilation for Improving Air Quality and Comfort","authors":"Xiaobin Wei,&nbsp;Huijuan Yin,&nbsp;Yiqun Hu,&nbsp;Guozhen Niu,&nbsp;Hetang Wang,&nbsp;Jun Gao","doi":"10.1016/j.shaw.2026.02.005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.shaw.2026.02.005","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Wearable ventilation paradigms have been increasingly proposed for various polluted workplaces due to its effectiveness in improving air quality and comfort but the impact of air movement on eye dryness has not been adequately addressed.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>This study investigated the subjective perceptions and objective ocular surface dryness responses of 12 participants in a wearable ventilation environment. Experiments were conducted under three thermal conditions: isothermal air supply at 26°C, isothermal air supply at 32°C, and cool air supply at 32°C.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The perceived air quality improved continuously with increasing air supply time. Thermal acceptability in hot environments was significantly enhanced after ventilation. Participants found the experimental air velocity range of 1.0–1.6 m/s and the associated eye dryness to be acceptable. However, objective measurements revealed that after air supply, blinking frequency increased by 25–60%, tear film break-up time decreased by 30–43%, and the ocular surface discomfort index increased. Ophthalmologists indicated these changes signify a health risk for dry eye syndrome.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>The results highlight potential health risks under current wearable ventilation environments and subjective assessments method for air movement acceptability. These findings have important implications for the design and implementation of wearable ventilation systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56149,"journal":{"name":"Safety and Health at Work","volume":"17 2","pages":"Pages 206-213"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13315986/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148364136","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Artificial Intelligence and Occupational Health: Global Umbrella Review of Applications and Limitations","authors":"Alexis Descatha,&nbsp;Devan Hawkins,&nbsp;Grace Sembajwe,&nbsp;Saber Aloui,&nbsp;Eric Fadel,&nbsp;Diana Gagliardi,&nbsp;Francesco S. Violante,&nbsp;Malcom R. Sim,&nbsp;Marc Fadel,&nbsp;Seong-Kyu Kang","doi":"10.1016/j.shaw.2026.02.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.shaw.2026.02.004","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Artificial Intelligence (AI) and information processing are technologies that will likely be the transformational for Occupational Health and Safety (OHS). We aim to provide a global umbrella review of the application of AI in occupational health, highlighting its strengths, limitations, and perspectives regarding its application.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>In PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus, we identified reviews published in peer-reviewed journals, as well as reports in the gray literature, dealing with the application of AI in OHS. Data extraction from these publications focused on applications of the technologies, strengths, and limitations of their utilization.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>From 1,884 initial hits, 33 reviews were included in this review, with only 4 systematic and 12 other systematized reviews. Many diverse AI applications in occupational health were found. Studies were identified from all continents and were mostly published in the last 15 years. The findings suggested that AI might have positive applications (risk prevention and monitoring, diagnosis, health, and well-being, training and skills development, automation and robotics, sector-specific applications, and organizational efficiency). Data and security, reliability, and limitations of AI systems, impacts on workers, governance and ethics, and scientific and methodological limitations were noted. However, the level of evidence is low and further specific studies will be needed, especially worker-centered studies with a health equity perspective.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>The application of AI to OHS requires proactive policy, worker participation, and evidence-informed risk management, with rigorous impact assessments and ongoing research.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56149,"journal":{"name":"Safety and Health at Work","volume":"17 2","pages":"Pages 155-171"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13315994/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148364166","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Adverse Impact of Nonstandard Working Hours on Mental Health: An Analysis Using Two-way Fixed Effects Model","authors":"Nahyun Kim,&nbsp;Woo Chul Jeong,&nbsp;Hyunjoo Kim,&nbsp;Rangkyoung Ha,&nbsp;Kyunghee Jung-Choi","doi":"10.1016/j.shaw.2026.02.006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.shaw.2026.02.006","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Although several studies have demonstrated the adverse impacts of both longer and shorter working hours on workers' mental health, findings remain inconsistent. This study aimed to analyze the impacts of working hours on mental health and investigate how this relationship varies across subgroups.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Using the 12th to 18th waves of the Republic of Korea Welfare Panel Study, we analyzed 29,025 observations from 7,415 individuals. Working hours were categorized as “&lt;35 hours,” “35–40 hours (standard),” “41–52 hours,” and “&gt;52 hours.” Mental health outcomes included depressive symptoms, self-esteem, and subjective well-being. Two-way fixed effects models were used to analyze the causal associations between working hours, with subgroup analyses by gender, age, and employment type.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Compared to standard working hours, both reduced (&lt;35 hours) and extended working hours (41–52 hours and &gt;52 hours) were associated with adverse mental health outcomes. Depressive symptoms increased with reduced (estimate = 0.301) and extended hours (41–52 hours: estimate = 0.238; &gt;52 hours: estimate = 0.283). Self-esteem decreased across all nonstandard categories (&lt;35 hours: estimate = -0.266; 41–52 hours: estimate = -0.200; &gt;52 hours: estimate = -0.214). Subjective well-being decreased with extended hours (41–52 hours: estimate = -0.054; &gt;52 hours: estimate = -0.125). Extended hours were associated with adverse mental health across all groups, with stronger associations among women and younger adults. Women, older adults, and casual or fixed-term workers exhibited high vulnerability to the effects of reduced working hours.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Our findings indicate a nonlinear relationship between working hours and mental health, with standard working hours demonstrating the most favorable outcomes. Differential impacts across demographic groups underscore the necessity for tailored policies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56149,"journal":{"name":"Safety and Health at Work","volume":"17 2","pages":"Pages 262-269"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13315991/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148364195","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Interactive Effects of Occupational Hearing Loss and Glutathion S-Transferase M1 Genotype on Tinnitus Among Noise-exposed Steelworkers","authors":"I-Fan Lin,&nbsp;Perng-Jy Tsai,&nbsp;Jiunn-Liang Wu,&nbsp;Cheng-Yu Lin,&nbsp;Yue Leon Guo","doi":"10.1016/j.shaw.2026.03.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.shaw.2026.03.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Tinnitus is a known long-term health effect of noise exposure. Whether susceptible genotypes predispose noise-exposed workers to tinnitus remains unclear. This study investigated the interactive effects of noise exposure, auditory function, and glutathione S-transferase (GST) gene polymorphisms on tinnitus risk.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We conducted a cross-sectional study among steelworkers. Participants underwent audiological testing to assess hearing levels and were surveyed for tinnitus. Blood samples were genotyped for <em>GSTM1</em> and <em>GSTT1</em> deletion polymorphisms using polymerase chain reaction. Multivariable logistic regression was used to evaluate associations between tinnitus and pure-tone audiometry (PTA), distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE), and <em>GST</em> genotypes while controlling for age and other covariates.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Among 239 male steelworkers (mean age ± SD: 48.29 ± 7.6 years), 27% reported tinnitus. Cumulative noise exposure and thresholds at low- and high-frequency PTA were significantly associated with tinnitus (adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 1.03, 1.06, and 1.04, 95% confidence interval (CI) = [1.00,1.06], [1.02,1.11], and [1.02,1.06], <em>p</em> = 0.045, 0.002, &lt;0.001, respectively). Although neither DPOAE nor <em>GSTM1</em> nor <em>GSTT1</em> genotypes showed a significant effect on tinnitus, we observed a significant interaction between low-frequency PTA and the <em>GSTM1</em> genotype (<em>p</em> = 0.03). Specifically, compared with workers with non-null <em>GSTM1</em> genes, workers with the <em>GSTM1</em>-null genotype were significantly more susceptible to low-frequency PTA-associated tinnitus (OR = 1.02 and 1.13, 95% CI = [0.96,1.08] and [1.06,1.22], respectively).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>The interactive effect of auditory functional status and antioxidant gene polymorphisms suggests that hair cell damage and oxidative stress in the cochlea both contribute to tinnitus development<strong>.</strong></div></div>","PeriodicalId":56149,"journal":{"name":"Safety and Health at Work","volume":"17 2","pages":"Pages 270-278"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13316012/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148364200","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}