Assessment of environmental pollutant exposure and cardiovascular risk in Mexican brick-making communities

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remain the leading cause of mortality worldwide and are strongly influenced by both environmental and socioeconomic determinants. Populations engaged in informal and hazardous occupations, such as brickmaking, may experience elevated cardiovascular risk due to chronic exposure to environmental pollutants, including heavy metals (arsenic and lead) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). This study aimed to assess occupational exposure to heavy metals and PAHs and to evaluate atherogenic indices as indicators of cardiovascular risk among brickmakers in the Bajío region of Mexico. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 113 male adults from brickmaking communities in San Luis Potosí (SLP), Guanajuato (GTO), and Querétaro (QRO). Urine and blood samples were analyzed to quantify heavy metals and PAHs, while lipid profiles were used to calculate Castelli's Risk Indices (CRI-I and CRI-II) and the Atherogenic Index of Plasma (AIP). GTO exhibited the highest urinary arsenic concentrations (42.5 µg/l), whereas SLP showed the highest blood lead levels (1.52 µg/dl). PAH exposure was also highest in GTO (2.25 µmol/mol creatinine). Correspondingly, the highest atherogenic index values were observed in GTO: CRI-I (4.28 ± 0.97), CRI-II (2.54 ± 0.64), and AIP (0.145 ± 0.28). A considerable proportion of participants presented moderate to high CVD risk profiles. Significant associations were found between arsenic and lead exposure and elevated CRI-II values, suggesting potential disruption of lipid metabolism. These findings confirm occupational exposure to environmental pollutants in brickmaking populations and indicate that chronic exposure to arsenic and lead may contribute to increased cardiovascular risk, as reflected by higher atherogenic indices.