Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons skin exposure among coke workers and skin cancer correlation: local data bank and case study

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a group of persistent environmental pollutants, recognized as carcinogens to the human body and associated with increased cancer risk, particularly in occupationally exposed workers. This study aims to collect a database and evaluate the dermal exposure to PAHs among workers at an Italian coke plant and investigate the possible correlation with the development of skin cancer. Epidermal pads were applied to the skin of 166 coke plant workers during a work shift and quantified the deposition of different PAHs using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Forehead and forearms were the anatomical regions with the highest PAHs exposure (p < 0.001). Fossil/furnace departments workers had the highest cutaneous exposure to total PAHs concentration (p < 0.001). No significant correlation was found with skin cancers. However, no significant correlation was observed between skin exposure to PAHs and the development of skin cancer among workers in the short term. Further control studies are needed to assess in the long term the risk of developing skin cancers among coke workers exposed to PAHs. These results suggest that coke factory workers are at risk of significant skin exposure to PAHs. Further long-term studies are needed to fully evaluate the potential health impacts of this occupational exposure.