Construction dust exposure may cause kidney disease: Study

August 22, 2024

Exposure to dust and other particles may put construction workers at an increased risk of developing chronic kidney disease, according to a study publicized on Wednesday.

Researchers at the University of Gothenburg found that Swedish construction workers studied over five decades had a 15% higher risk of developing chronic kidney disease.

The researchers noted that other recent expert studies showed that outdoor air pollution particles from sources such as industry and vehicle exhaust also increased the odds of developing chronic kidney disease.

The study, which was published in the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine, examined data from more than 280,000 construction workers who participated in health surveys between 1971 and 1993.

The researchers said that the risk could be mitigated by developing improvements to workplace emissions and emphasizing to construction workers the importance of using personal protective equipment.

“Considering the substantial disease burden and costly treatment of CKD, this has large implications for public health and warrants further efforts to reduce occupational and ambient particle exposure,” the researchers wrote.

They next plan to study the link between dust and particle exposure and chronic kidney disease in other professional groups.