Coke Oven Emissions Linked to Biological Aging in Workers

Background: Biological aging poses significant health risks as it correlates with diseases and reduced tissue functionality, influenced by environmental factors such as coke oven emissions (COEs). This study explores the connection between COEs and accelerated biological aging in a cohort of workers, addressing an existing knowledge gap regarding environmental factors affecting aging.

Method: A prospective cohort design was employed, analyzing longitudinal data from 2015 to 2019, involving 505 workers aged 18 to 60 from a coking plant in central China. Workers' exposure to COEs was categorized into three groups based on occupational exposure concentrations: high (0.17 mg/m3), medium (0.09 mg/m3), and low (0.00 mg/m3). Biological age was assessed using the Klemera-Doubal method, which incorporates six clinical biomarkers. Statistical methods, including generalized estimating equations, were used to evaluate the relationship between COE exposure and biological aging.

Result: At baseline, participants exposed to COEs had a biological age that was 0.67 years older than their chronological age (P < 0.05), increasing to 1.01 years older by follow-up. The high-exposure group demonstrated a KDM-BA acceleration of β = 0.86 (95% CI: 0.55–1.18) compared to the low-exposure group. A dose-response relationship was identified, as KDM-BA acceleration increased with COE exposure levels.

Conclusion: The study concludes that occupational exposure to COEs is significantly linked with accelerated biological aging, suggesting the need for enhanced occupational health policies and surveillance measures to protect workers. Limitations include unmeasured confounding factors and a restricted timeline of exposure assessment, warranting future research on this significant public health issue.

Original citation address: https://www.besjournal.com/en/article/doi/10.3967/bes2025.170