Study the effect of cement dust exposure on the hematological variables in the workers of new badoosh cement factory in mosul city, Iraq

Abstract

The present study was carried in the New Badoosh Cement factory in Mosul city belonged to Ministry of Industry and Minerals/Iraq. The continuous exposure to cement dustleads to many respiratory and health problems. So the current study aimed to determine the negative effects of this dust and the continuous exposure to them in hematological variables in the blood of 150 workers of non-smoking males working, by 25 blood samples for each of the units and productive stages as following: The administrative unit (indirect exposure group), and the groups of the productive stages (direct exposure), which included stage of mechanical workshop, material milling, ovens, cement milling and packing. Their ages ranged between (23-59)years, exposure periods were divided according to the working years into (5-10), (11-20) and ( >20 ) years, then comparison with 30 healthy, non-smoking males of the same age as workers residents in the Rabea sub-district (Al-Owainat village) outside the city and were used as a control group. The results showed a significant decrease in the hemoglobin concentration (Hb), packed cell volume (PCV%)andred blood cells count (RBCs). Also the results showed a significant increase in count of white blood cells (WBCs), lymphocytes and granules in the blood of workers inadministrators (indirect exposure group) and indifferent productive stages (direct exposure group) during the three exposure periods, as these results showed that different exposure periods and special ( >20 ) years had a clear effect on these studied blood components. It is concluded from this study that exposure of workers in different productive stages and administrative unit to cement dusthas caused clear negative effects on the blood components with an increase in the exposure period and a disrupted in metabolic and physiological processes.