Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2024 Oct 1;25(10):3439-3445.
doi: 10.31557/APJCP.2024.25.10.3439.

Recent Advances in Biomonitoring of Gas Station Workers: A Systematic Review

Simone Lima  1 , Fabio Santiago  1   2 , Rafaele Tavares Silvestre  1   3 , Stephanie Rocha Vieira Elexias  1 , Maria Helena Ornellas  1   4 , Marilza De Moura Ribeiro Carvalho  1   4
Affiliations

Recent Advances in Biomonitoring of Gas Station Workers: A Systematic Review

Simone Lima et al. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. .

Abstract

Background: In Brazil, gas stations are not self-service; attendants fill fuel tanks, leading to chronic exposure to BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes), which can cause bone marrow degeneration and immunosuppression. This systematic review highlights recent advances in biomonitoring gas station workers (GSW).

Methods: We searched PubMed, Medline, and Cochrane databases for articles in English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish from 2014 to April 30, 2024, using multiple search terms.

Results: A total of 1,086 articles were identified, 322 were analyzed, and 13 were included in the final review. We highlighted recent technologies in GSW biomonitoring, such as immunophenotyping, molecular cytogenetics (FISH), and measuring miRNAs and inflammatory markers via ELISA. We also explored the link between benzene exposure and immunosuppression and suggested a potential association with chronic inflammation. Conclusion: GSWs face significant health risks and require continuous clinical monitoring, even in the absence of overt disease. Effect biomarkers may indicate early biological responses to benzene toxicity and highlight potential health risks. However, there is no universally accepted gold standard for assessing these biomarkers.

Keywords: Benzene; Gas station employees; gas station attendants.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flow Diagram Depicting Article Selection Steps. Databases were searched for articles published from 2013 to July 1, 2023. Of the 1086 articles identified, 12 were considered eligible by 2 authors (F.S. and S.M.).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Decrease in the Number of Articles Published when We Included this Gas Station Attendant Group. In view of the previous data, we sought to direct our bibliographical review.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Proposed Mechanism of Benzene-Facilitated Carcinogenesis via Chronic Inflammation and Immunosuppression.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

References

    1. Giardini I, da Poça KS, da Silva PVB, Andrade Silva VJC, Cintra DS, Friedrich K, et al. Hematological changes in gas station workers. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023;20:10. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Monteiro LC, Marinho DA. Alterações biológicas em operadores de bomba de abastecimento expostos ao benzeno: uma revisão sistemática. RBAC. 2020;52(4):310–17.
    1. Ahmadi Z, Moradabadi A, Abdollahdokht D, Mehrabani M, Nematollahi MH. Association of environmental exposure with hematological and oxidative stress alteration in gasoline station attendants. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2019;26(20):20411–7. - PubMed
    1. Lu PCW, Shahbaz S, Winn LM. Benzene and its effects on cell signaling pathways related to hematopoiesis and leukemia. J Appl Toxicol. 2020;40(8):1018–32. - PubMed
    1. Dolgikh О V, Zaitseva NV, Nikonoshina NA. Conditions of aerogenic exposure to benzene and genetic status as factors of formation of immune profile features in men with autonomic regulation disturbances. Bull Exp Biol Med. 2021;171(2):226–9. - PubMed

Publication types

MeSH terms