Effect of combined exposure to low-concentration benzene mixture and noise on fatty liver prevalence in workers

Objective To investigate the effect of co-exposure to benzene mixture and noise on the prevalence of fatty liver in workers.Methods Totally 634 workers were enrolled and divided into four groups according to their exposures to air benzene mixture and noise in workplace.Serum alamine aminotransferase(ALT),triglyceride(TG) measurement and liver B-ultrasonic examination were carried out.Results Compared with the control group,the workers with combined exposure of benzene mixture and noise had higher prevalences of fatty liver(33.3% vs. 18.0%) and higher ALT(23.8% vs. 14.0%)(both P <0.05).The results of logistic regression analyses showed that the workers with combined exposure to benzene mixture and noise had a higher risk of fatty liver(adjusted odds ratioOR=2.629,95% confidence interval95%CI:1.412-4.898) and the workers with increased TG or higher body mass index(BMI) also had a higher risk of fatty liver,with the OR of 1.602(95%CI=1.320-1.946) and OR of 1.292(95%CI=1.187-1.406),respectively.Conclusion The occupational co-exposure of benzene mixture and noise,increased serum TG and BMI may increase the risk of the fatty liver among workers.