Occupational exposure of vehicular emissions and cardiorespiratory risk among urban metropolitan bus drivers: A cross-sectional comparative study.

This article focuses on evaluating the cardiorespiratory risks associated with long-term exposure to vehicular emissions among urban metropolitan bus drivers in Ahmedabad, India. The study compared 254 bus drivers with over five years of service to 73 administrative staff engaged in indoor white-collar jobs, measuring exposure to particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), respiratory symptoms, pulmonary function, and cardiovascular risk using WHO/ISH risk prediction charts and QRISK3 scores. Results showed that bus drivers experienced significantly higher exposure to particulate matter, increased prevalence of respiratory symptoms and obstructive pulmonary function impairments, and elevated 10-year risk for ischemic heart disease compared to controls. The findings suggest that occupational exposure to traffic-related air pollution contributes to compromised respiratory health and increased cardiovascular risk among bus drivers, highlighting the need for targeted preventive and control measures.