Associations of Exposure to Lead with Hematological Change among Petrol Station Workers in Sana'a City- Yemen

Abstract

Lead is a toxic element and has become a growing health concern in different countries which causes acute, subacute, or chronic poisoning through environmental and occupational exposure.  Up to now, no report is available on the assessment and evaluation of the health effects of lead exposure in petrol station workers. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the changes in hematological parameters associated with occupational lead exposure among petrol station workers in Sana'a city -Yemen. A comparative descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from January to June 2020 among petrol station workers in Sana' a city. A total of 50 blood specimens were randomly collected from 38 workers and 12 control groups aged between 18 to 66 years. The hematological parameters and level of blood lead were measured by using fully automated Hematology and atomic absorption spectrophotometer, respectively. Also, the required information and associated risk factors were gathered by a standard questionnaire. The result revealed mean blood Lead levels are significantly higher among petrol station workers (17.80 ± 8.06 µg/dl) when compared to control groups (5.00 ± 2.34) (P =0.003). Also, a higher rate of blood Lead level was found among the age group of ≤ 20 years old, uneducated individuals working for 6-10 years, and working more than 12 h per day. The means of RBCs, HBG, HCT, and WBC in petrol station workers were insignificantly lower than those in control groups (P>0.05). There is a positive relationship between reticulocyte count and blood Lead level (r= 0.526; P=0.001). It can be concluded that high levels of blood Lead among petrol station workers consider seriously affect workers' health resulting from lack of personal protective equipment. The level of workers’ education seems to influence their practices of using personal protective equipment. Therefore, a clear educational and protection policy is required for those who are occupationally exposed to Lead.