Abstract

Background: Cement is a dark grey colored powdery substance made with calcined lime and clay as major ingredients. Cement is an essential component of the construction industry. Cement dust is the major pollution problem in cement factories. Cement dust can cause ill health through skin contact, eye contact or inhalation.
Objective: The aim is to estimate serum aminotransferase levels (ALT and AST) among subjects exposed to cement dust. Methodology: This is a case-control study conducted in Berber city during the period from December to February 2024, at Almkaylab health center in Berber locality. A total of seventy blood samples were collected for the study, forty of them were exposed to cement dust as the case group and thirty healthy individuals were not exposed to cement dust as the control group, 25 from the exposed group were factory workers and 15 of them were subjects in areas adjacent to factory. To measure AST and ALT by using a spectrophotometer.
Result: The result showed that the mean of ALT in case group was 19.08U/L and in control group was 15.13U/L and the mean of AST in case group was 24.45U/L and in control group was 18.93U/L with P-value (0.036) and (0.006) respectively that means statistically significant increase of ALT and AST in the exposed group when compared to control group. The result also showed that mean of ALT in highly exposure group was 18.92U/L and in low exposure group was 19.33U/L and the mean of AST in highly exposure group was 25.40U/L and in low exposure group was 22.87U/L with P-value (0.873) and (0.414) respectively that means statistically insignificant variation in ALT and AST in highly exposure group when compared with low exposure group.
Conclusion: According to the results of this study, we can conclude that the serum levels of AST and ALT were increased in subjects exposed to cement dust in comparison with the control group. While longterm exposure reduces peak expiratory flow rate, inhaling cement dust may be linked to changes in serum element levels as well as changes in lung and liver functioning.

Keywords:Cement dust; LFT; AST; ALT; Hazard; Workers; Exposure; Berber; Pollution; Evaluation