Short-term exposure to dimethylformamide and the impact on digestive system disease: An outdoor study for volatile organic compound

Occupational and experimental studies have revealed the organs most affected by dimethylformamide (DMF) are liver and gastrointestinal tract. However, few studies have focused on the potential effect of outdoor pollution of DMF. This study examined the health risk of hospitalization due to digestive system disease by time series studies in a case city Longwan, China. The urine metabolite of DMF was correlated well with DMF exposure concentration (EC). A 101.0-μg/m3 (interquartile range) increase in the two-day moving average of DMF EC was associated with a 1.10 (1.01 ˜ 1.20), 1.22 (1.10 ˜ 1.35), and 1.05 (0.90 ˜ 1.22) increase in hospitalization for total digestive system diseases, liver disease, and gastrointestinal tract disease, respectively. The exposure-dose response between DMF and the relative risk of liver disease was linear only below 350 μg/m3. These findings highlight a previously unrecognized health problem related to VOCs released into the outdoor environment. •The risk of hospitalization of liver disease was increased after DMF exposure.•Concentration of urine-NMF correlated well with the simulated concentration of DMF.•A 101.0 μg/m3 increase in DMF dose resulted in 1.22 risk increase of liver disease.•Correlation between DMF and The risk of hospitalization of liver disease was linear. Outdoor contamination with dimethylformamide was associated with hospitalization for liver disease but not gastrointestinal tract disease for local residents.