Pedroza Carrillo Paula Karolina, Salazar-Gómez Anuar, Jimenez Alcala Ana Mariela, Nilo Olmos Daniela Del Rocío, Perez Perez Blanca, Rocha Villa Valeria Guadalupe, Martínez-Rodríguez Ana Laura, Thébault Stéphanie C, Hernández-Zimbrón Luis Fernando
Laboratorio de Investigación interdisciplinaria, Área de Optometría, Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores, Unidad León, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Guanajuato, Mexico.
Clínica de Optometría, Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores, Unidad León, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Guanajuato, Mexico.
Front Psychiatry. 2025 Jun 13;16:1554101. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1554101. eCollection 2025.
León, Guanajuato, Mexico, like many other places in the world, faces significant air pollution due to emissions from artisanal brick kilns. If prolonged exposure to these pollutants has been associated with neurotoxicity symptoms and potential risks of neurodegenerative diseases, their effects on ocular health remain poorly understood. Therefore, this study evaluated the visual health, prevalence of neurotoxicity symptoms and mental health conditions, as well as potential associations in residents near the Refugio Brickmaking Region, in León, Guanajuato, Mexico. A cross-sectional study was conducted on thirteen participants working or living in brick kilns and thirteen control participants. Clinical evaluations included vital signs, uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA), and refraction test. A Likert scale modified version of the Q16 neurotoxicity questionnaire was used to evaluate neurotoxic symptoms and mental health conditions were identified through the clinical history. Neurotoxicity scores were compared between groups using the Mann Whitney U test, while the Chi-square test was used to assess the association between working or living in brick kilns and the prevalence of ocular and neurotoxic symptoms. The groups were paired in age (44.64 ± 16.4 vs. 52.38 ± 18.4 years-old for exposed and control groups, respectively), The alleged exposed group had an average age of 44.64 years, compared to 52.38 years in the controls). Six ocular symptoms were prevalent among participants working or living in brick kilns: foreign body sensation, blurred vision, itchy eyes, watery eyes, photophobia, and decreased visual acuity. These participants also had diminished binocular uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA ≥ 0.3 logMAR), and increased prevalence of myopia. Also, a positive association was found between working or living in brick kilns and reported anxiety/depression, irritability, and insomnia. These data clearly demonstrated a deterioration in eye health, in addition to an increased prevalence of neurotoxicity symptoms, in relation to working or living in brick kilns, which highlights the need for stricter regulations to safeguard workers and residents in high-risk areas.
墨西哥瓜纳华托州莱昂市与世界上许多其他地方一样，由于手工砖窑排放，面临着严重的空气污染问题。如果长期接触这些污染物与神经毒性症状以及神经退行性疾病的潜在风险有关，那么它们对眼部健康的影响仍知之甚少。因此，本研究评估了墨西哥瓜纳华托州莱昂市雷富希奥制砖区附近居民的视觉健康、神经毒性症状患病率和心理健康状况，以及潜在关联。对13名在砖窑工作或生活的参与者和13名对照参与者进行了一项横断面研究。临床评估包括生命体征、未矫正远视力（UDVA）和验光测试。使用Q16神经毒性问卷的李克特量表修改版来评估神经毒性症状，并通过临床病史确定心理健康状况。使用曼-惠特尼U检验比较组间神经毒性评分，而卡方检验用于评估在砖窑工作或生活与眼部和神经毒性症状患病率之间的关联。两组在年龄上配对（暴露组和对照组分别为44.64±16.4岁和52.38±18.4岁，所谓的暴露组平均年龄为44.64岁，对照组为52.38岁）。在砖窑工作或生活的参与者中，有六种眼部症状较为普遍：异物感、视力模糊、眼睛瘙痒、流泪、畏光和视力下降。这些参与者的双眼未矫正远视力也有所下降（UDVA≥0.3 logMAR），近视患病率增加。此外，发现在砖窑工作或生活与报告的焦虑/抑郁、易怒和失眠之间存在正相关。这些数据清楚地表明，与在砖窑工作或生活相关的眼部健康恶化，以及神经毒性症状患病率增加，这凸显了需要更严格的法规来保护高风险地区的工人和居民。
