The Influence of Occupational Lead Exposure on Haematological Indices among Petrol Station Attendants and Automobile Mechanics in Nnewi, South-East Nigeria

Background: Lead adversely affects a number of organ systems in the body, especially in at risk occupational groups. Objective: To evaluate the influence of serum lead levels on heamatological parameters among petrol station attendants (PSAs) and auto mobile mechanics in Nnewi, South-east Nigeria. Subjects and Methods: One hundred subjects (including 25 PSAs, 25 auto mobile mechanics and 50 normal controls) were prospectively recruited. Five mililiter of blood was collected for full blood count (FBC) and serum lead estimation, FBC was done using haematology auto-analyzer (SYSMEX PE 6800), while lead estimation was done with atomic absorption spectrophotometer ((AAS model: 240FSAA). Results were expressed as means ±SD, while associations between variable were explored using student t-test and analysis of variance. Ethical clearance was sought and obtained from our institutional review board and all participants gave informed consent. Results: Serum lead and white blood cell count (WBC) were significantly higher in auto mechanics compared with PSAs and controls (P values < 0.001), while haemoglobin concentration, haematocrit, mean cell haemoglobin concentration (MCHC), mean cell volume (MCV), mean cell haemoglobin (MCH) and platelet count were significantly higher in controls, compared to PSAs and auto mechanics (P values