Comparative Study of Haematological Parameters in Exposed Fossil Fuel Bakery Workers and Administrative Officers of a Government Ministry in Benin City Nigeria

Abstract

Introduction: Most developing countries are dependent on fossil fuels for household and commercial cooking. Objectives: This study compared the haematological parameters of bakery workers exposed to fossil fuel (wood-burning, coal) with those of non-exposed, healthy workers in Benin-City, Nigeria. Method: Two hundred participants; one hundred bakery workers representing the case group and one hundred non-exposed, apparently healthy matched individuals representing the control group. A five-milliliter sample of venous blood was collected from all participants and placed into an ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) container. Full blood counts (FBC), red blood cells (RBC), packed cell volume (PCV), haemoglobin (Hb), platelets, total white blood cells (TWBC), eosinophils, and neutrophils were performed on the samples. Results: The results revealed that the mean Hb concentration (P = 0.001), RBC (P = 0.001), and PCV (P = 0.002) of exposed participants were significantly lower than in the non-exposed, while the platelet (P = 0.001), total white cell counts (TWBC) (P = 0.002), eosinophil (P = 0.005), and neutrophil (P = 0.004) counts were significantly higher in the exposed than in the non-exposed Conclusion: It was obvious that exposure to wood-burning smoke had an effect on the haematological values of the bakery workers. The findings are important in that they demonstrate the extensive need for preventive measures such as the use of appropriate personal protective devices.