Toxicologia Ambiental e Analítica

Evaluation of Comparative Effects of the Exposure of Gasoline Fumes/ Vapors on the Blood and Urine Picture of Gasoline Filling Workers of Multan City, a Populous City of Southern Punjab, Pakistan

Abstract

Sajid Hussain, Rubaida Mehmood, Farhatul-Ain Arshad, Saqib Khan and Alamgir Khan

Background: Gasoline workers are continuously exposed to many kinds of harmful fumes at their working places. These fumes contain terribly dangerous pollutants which can seriously alter the urinary and hematological profiles. This could be pathological in many conditions.

Aim and Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the effects (if any) of the exposure of gasoline station workers to the gasoline with special focus on CBC parameters and urinary pattern.

Results: In hematological examinations of group-I, WBC Counts, EO, BA, and platelets with indices PCT and MPV were significantly increased (p<0.05). In Group-II, WBC counts, LY, EO, BA and platelets with indices PCT and MPV were significantly increased, whereas RBCs and HGB with their indices HCT, MCV and were significantly decreased. Significant changes in specific gravity, PH-values, Nitrate, Protein, Ketone, UGB and Bilirubin were also investigated. Significant weak negative correlations were found among RBC (r=-0.3, p=0.003), HGB (r=-0.3, p=0.003), HCT (r=-0.3, p=0.003) and MCV (r=-0.22, p=0.03) with the exposure length. Significant weak positive correlation of MO (r=0.23, p=0.03), BA (r=0.22, p=0.04) were observed with the exposure length in gasoline filling workers.

Conclusion: The present study concluded that prolong exposure of gasoline fumes cause massive alteration in hematological parameters particularly WBC counts with differentials LY, EO, BA, RBC and HGB with their indices HCT, MCV, PLT, PCT and MPV as well as Nitrate, UGB and Bilirubin in urine. These alterations in hematology and urine composition due to toxicities of gasoline fume produce high levels of many serious abnormalities and illness in human health like bone marrow depression, immune depressing and lymphatic leukemia.