Burnt sugarcane harvesting work: effects on pulmonary and systemic inflammatory markers

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the effects of burnt sugarcane harvesting on the plasmatic and urinary concentrations of the club cell secretory protein (CC16) and inflammatory systemic biomarkers in a group of sugarcane cutters.

Methods: Seventy-eight sugar cane workers were evaluated. The plasmatic and urinary concentrations of CC16, a pulmonary damage marker and inflammatory systemic biomarkers were collected at three time points: before, three months after and six months after the onset of the burnt sugarcane harvesting period. All evaluations were performed at ∼7 am, before the daily work shift. In the three-month evaluation, a post-work shift assessment (acute effect) was also performed.

Results: The age of the workers was 37.9 ± 11.0 years. The PM_2.5 concentrations were 27.0 (23.0–33.0) and 101.0 (31.0–139.5) µg/m³ in the pre harvest and harvest periods, respectively (p < .001). Burnt sugarcane harvesting was associated with a reduction, throughout the work during burnt sugarcane harvesting (subchronic effect), in plasmatic and urinary CC16 concentrations. Acutely, there was a decrease in plasmatic concentrations. There were acute and subchronic increases in inflammatory markers (neutrophils, monocytes) and muscle damage markers (CK and LDH) and a decrease in red blood cells.

Conclusions: Harvesting of burnt sugarcane was associated with acute and subchronic reductions in the plasmatic and urinary concentrations of CC16 protein and changes in systemic inflammatory markers.

Keywords:

• Sugarcane harvest
• sugarcane workers
• CC16
• inflammatory markers

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) [Grant number: 2014/19286-4].