Haematological profiles of Sudanese Traditional Bakery workers exposed to biomass burning hazards

Abstract

Background and Aim: Approximately one-third of the world’s population in the developing countries are still dependent on Solid Biomass Fuel for cooking, heating and other household activities. This study aims to determine the Haematological profiles of Sudanese Traditional Bakeries workers exposed to wood-burning and compared with the non-exposed. Methods: A case-control study conducted at Kosti, Rabak, and Kenana, during the middle of 2017. Two hundred participants recruited in this study. One hundred traditional bakeries workers represented the case group and another hundred non-exposed apparent healthy matching individuals were chosen as a control group. 2.5 ml venous blood was collected into an EDTA container and the two groups were exposed to full blood counts (FBC). Results: The mean of Haemoglobin, Haematocrit, Mean Cell Volume, Mean Cell Haemoglobin Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin Concentration, Platelet counts, and Neutrophil count values among bakeries group compared to control group were statistically significantly decreased :12.58 g/dl (±2.15) vs. 15.5 g/dl (±0.95); 42.71 l/l (±6.14) vs. 44.72l/l (±4.15);83.49 fl (±6.43) vs. 89.18 fl (±7.15); 27.72 pg (2.83) vs. 29.41 pg (±1.88); 30.75% (±2.64) vs. 32.33% (±2.26); 205.29×103/l (±51.49) vs. 238.11×103/l (±59.56); 49.59% (±16.43) vs. 57.36% (±13.93) respectively. The mean of TWBC counts 6.77×103/l (±1.71) vs. 6.17×103/l (±1.50) and Lymphocyte counts 36.21% (±13.52) vs. 29.98% (±5.70) were statistically significantly increased in bakeries. No significant differences were observed in the RBC counts between the study group and control group. Conclusions: There was a clear and significant effect of exposure to wood-burning smoke on most of the haematological values, among workers of the traditional bakeries.