Airborne particulate matter exposure in male sugarcane workers at risk for chronic kidney disease in Guatemala.

This article focuses on measuring personal breathing zone exposure to particulate matter smaller than 5 microns (PM5) among male sugarcane harvesters in Guatemala, a population at risk for chronic kidney disease of unknown cause (CKDu). The study found that median full-shift personal PM5 concentrations (449 µg/m³) were substantially higher—approximately 3.5 times—than concurrent ambient field concentrations (median 136 µg/m³), indicating that ambient measurements alone underestimate true personal exposure. These elevated exposures are primarily attributed to resuspended dust and ash from burned sugarcane during manual harvesting rather than ambient smoke plumes. The findings underscore the importance of personal monitoring to assess occupational particulate exposure and suggest further research on the toxic constituents of this particulate matter and its potential links to kidney injury and other health outcomes in agricultural workers.