Abstract
This study was designed to assess the health impacts related to noninvasive carbon monoxide saturation (SPCO %) in the blood of respondents. For this purpose, 150 respondents from the labour community of Hattar Industrial Estate (testing site) and 100 respondents from Sultan Pur (control site) were selected. To achieve this objective, a Rad-57 Pulse CO-Oximeter was used for noninvasive carboxyhemoglobin measurement. Carbon monoxide saturation (SPCO%) in the blood of respondents from Hattar Industrial Estate, Haripur, Pakistan has been compared with the WHO’s standard concentration of SPCO% (5%). High saturation of carbon monoxide (carboxyhemoglobin SPCO) in the blood of respondents and disease association have been interpreted in graphs formed on the basis of statistical analysis in terms of frequencies, using statistical software (SPSS), based on demographic entries as well as exposure time of the employees in the processing, food and steel industries. The highest SPCO% measured was 17% in the steel industry and the lowest measured level was 4.2%. Frequencies and percentages of respiratory inflammation, dermatosis, asthma, breathing issues and eye inflammation among respondents were 29%, 35%, 16.7%, 23.5% and 9%, respectively. Prevalence of disease in three different groups of respondents (from three testing sites) was also analyzed on the basis of exposure time (hrs.) to carbon monoxide emissions. Prevalence of disease among the exposed and non-exposed groups was analyzed and showed comparatively lower disease prevalence in the group of respondents who were not exposed to high carbon monoxide emissions. The data of the current study was also subjected to statistical modelling to find the health risk of air pollutants (carbon monoxide) on population health by calculating attributable risk (AR) or attributable proportion (AP). Results indicated that attributable risk of carbon monoxide exposure for respiratory diseases, dermatosis and eye inflammation were 61.12%, 65.77% and 24.95% respectively. Findings of statistical modelling indicated that dermatosis and respiratory diseases were more prevalent in laborers of industrial units than those at control site.
Highlights
IntroductionAir pollution from the influence of anthropogenic factors in the modern world is becoming a global environmental problem, the consequences of which clearly negatively affect the health of people and the environment
Findings from statistical modelling in the current study indicated that dermatosis and respiratory diseases were more prevalent with a frequency and percentage of 35 and 23.3% and 25 and 16.7%, respectively, and with statistical modelling—attributable proportions—of 65.77% and 61.12%, respectively, in laborers of the Hattar industrial units who were exposed for a longer time to high concentrations of carbon monoxide as compared to the control site
Noninvasive carbon monoxide saturation (SPCO%) in 150 respondents of testing sites was comparatively much higher than that of the respondents of the control site (Sultan pur) who were not exposed to such high carbon monoxide concentrations
Summary
Air pollution from the influence of anthropogenic factors in the modern world is becoming a global environmental problem, the consequences of which clearly negatively affect the health of people and the environment. These problems are relevant today for the industrial city of Haripur, Hattar, where the mining, metallurgical and chemical industries are developing intensively [1]. Among anthropogenic sources of carbon monoxide emissions, air pollution from car emissions is a major source of carbon monoxide pollution present in the atmosphere Inhalation of this gas is considered to be potentially toxic to the body, resulting in a hemoglobin variant with reduced oxygen transport capacity, carboxyhaemoglobin (COHb). Laborers exposed for a longer time were adversely affected by carbon monoxide as it reversibly combines with hemoglobin, leading to hypoxemia and carbon monoxide poisoning [5]
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