Evaluating PAH exposure and occupational health in petrochemical sector: a focus on POL depot workers.

This investigation delineates occupational health concerns related to petroleum products handling at Petroleum Oil and Lubricant (POL) depots. The cohort included 117 workers from depots in Sihala, Risalpur and Lahore, alongside 69 controls. A strong correlation was found between specific job-related tasks, such as direct fuel handling, equipment maintenance, and tanker offloading, and urinary Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) metabolites in exposed workers. Labourers and firemen displayed significantly higher (p < 0.01) urinary 1-hydroxypyrene (6.9 ± 1.7 and 5.8 ± 2.2 ng g-1 creatinine) concentration than watchmen (2.2 ± 1.2 ng g-1 creatinine) and controls (0.79 ± 0.3 ng g-1 creatinine). Logistic regression analysis linked exposure to increased likelihood of anxiety (OR = 4.6, 95% CI = 1.85-11.7), post-meal acidity (OR = 2.1, 95% CI = 1.05-4.5), dermal lesions (OR = 3.4, 95% CI = 1.8-6.4), and abdominal pain (OR = 1.9, 95% CI = 1.02-3.5). Principal component analysis (PCA) identified a collective impact of escalating serum pyrene and benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P), and job type on insomnia, thoracic discomfort, fatigue, and headache. Gastrointestinal symptoms correlated strongly with urinary 1-hydroxypyrene and 9-hydroxyphenanthrene while urinary 2/3-OH-Flu was associated with dermatological and neurasthenic symptoms. Cigarette smoking and a sedentary lifestyle further worsened health outcomes. In conclusion, robust measures are needed to reduce PAH exposure and mitigate its neuro-metabolic and psychological impacts on the health of petrochemical workers.