White Blood Cell Indices and Health Parameters of Workers in Industrial and Urban Areas

Background. Working far from urban domains exposes workers to harshenvironmental hazards like air pollutants and harmful byproduct emissions. Siteworkers often are exposed to harmful agents and may suffer from dangerous healthdisorders. The aim of this study is to estimate the hazard level posed by theseconditions through clinical examination of assays taken at the State Company ofFertilizers, Southern Region, in the Basra governorate of the city of Iraq.Methods. A study was conducted on 35 workers from both the State Company ofFertilizers (Southern Region) and Basrah University. The study involved an inquiryinto the occupational history, chronic illnesses, and smoking habits of participants,along with a physical examination of arterial blood pressure, heart rate, bodytemperature, and oxygen saturation (SpO2). A complete blood picture (CBP) testwas given to all study participants to obtain WBCs, while serum was assessed forliver (ALT) and (AST).Results. The study showed a higher incidence of hypertension and diabetes amongurban workers than among industrial workers, while 14% more industrial workersunderwent surgical operations and 29% had fillings of dental caries and showed anon-significant rise in body temperature when compared with urban workers.Industrial employees had a highly significant increase (P≤0.001) in systolic bloodpressure. Both groups of workers had uniformly decreased monocyte levels, whiletotal WBCs and granulocytes were non-uniformly distributed, except forlymphocytes. Data showed a highly significant decrease (p≤0.005) in the monocytesof industrial workers, while a general decrease was present in all other WBCparameters, though with no statistical significance (P≥0.05). Liver function testsshowed abnormalities in 42% of the industrial workers (ALT 36 U/L), while 92.8%were suggestive of chronic hepatitis or steatosis due to a ratio of less than 1 in AST :ALT levels.Conclusion. Decreased WBCs (leukopenia) and health problems, along withmarkers of liver dysfunction, are potential health hazards faced by workers in thefertilizer industry. Maintenance and site equipment engineers had recurrent longterm exposure to ammonia gases and toxic environmental agents. The findings ofthis clinical surveillance are significant; however, studying the etiological factorsand subsequent pathogenicity remains necessary.Keywords: White blood cell indices, industrial, urban