Underground salt and potash workers exposed to nitrogen oxides and diesel exhaust: assessment of specific effect biomarkers

PURPOSE: Occupational exposure limits (OEL) for nitrogen oxides (NO, NO(2)) and diesel exhaust (EC-DPM) were reassessed by the German authorities in 2016/2017. We performed a clinical cross-sectional study among salt and potash underground workers exposed to these substances at relatively high levels to examine possible indicators of acute effects on workers’ health. METHODS: We measured post- versus pre-shift differences in cardiovascular, inflammatory, immune, and respiratory effect biomarkers and assessed their associations with personal exposures measured during the same shift. We also compared post- versus pre-shift differences in biomarker levels between exposure groups defined based on work site and job type. RESULTS: None of the above-ground workers exceeded the OEL for NO(2) and only 5% exceeded the OEL for EC-DPM exposure. Among underground workers, 33% of miners and 7% underground maintenance workers exceeded the OEL for NO(2); the OEL for EC-DPM was exceeded by 56% of miners and 17% of maintenance workers. Some effect biomarkers (thrombocytes, neutrophils, MPO, TNF-α, IgE, FeNO) showed statistically significant differences between pre- versus post-shift measurements; however, there were no consistent associations between pre- and post-shift differences and exposure group or personal exposure measurements during the shift. CONCLUSIONS: We did not find evidence of associations between workplace exposure to NO, NO(2) or EC-DPM and clinically relevant indicators of acute cardiovascular, inflammatory and immune, or respiratory effects among salt and potash underground workers in Germany. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00420-022-01876-2.