Plastic production is prominently increasing and its pollution is an emerging environmental global health concern. This study aimed to investigate the occurrence of pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) among nonsmoking plastic industry workers. Three hundred and forty volunteers male plastic industry workers were interviewed after medical history and examination; finally, 278 nonsmoking plastic industry workers were selected. The mean age for the participants was 38.03 ± 10.86 years and body mass index was 25.52 ± 3.15 (kg/m)2. The plastic industry workers had been exposed to plastic plant pollution for 8 hr daily, 6 days in a week. Subjects with glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) less than 5.7% were considered non-diabetics; HbA1c 5.7%-6.4% were pre-diabetics; and subjects with HbA1c greater than 6.4% were considered diabetics. In plastic industry workers, the prevalence of pre-diabetes was 176 (63.30%) and T2DM was 66 (23.74%); however, 36 (12.95%) plastic plant workers were normal. The prevalence of pre-diabetes and T2DM among plastic industry workers was significantly increased with duration of working exposure in plastic industry ( p = .0001). Exposure to plastic plant pollution is associated with the prevalence of pre-diabetes and T2DM among plastic industry workers. The prevalence was associated with the duration of working exposure in plastic industry. The occupational and environmental health executives must take priority steps to minimize the plastic plant pollution from plastic industries to reduce the occurrence of pre-diabetes and T2DM among the plastic industrial workers and save the men's health in industries.
Keywords: diabetes mellitus; occupational settings; plastic pollution; prevalence.