Evaluation of the Effect of Petrol Fumes on Calcium and Uric Acid Level of Petrol Attendants in Enugu State, Nigeria

Abstract

This work was carried out to evaluate the effect of petrol fumes on the calcium and uric acid concentration on petrol attendants in Enugu State, Nigeria. Total of seventy-nine (79) subjects were recruited voluntarily from some filling station (Total, NNPC, OANDO, JEZCO, AP, CONOIL) in Enugu state Nigeria. The study was made up of forty (40) petrol attendants and thirty-nine (39) subjects who are not petrol attendant (control). Blood sample were collected from all subjects who want to participate in the study and analyzed for calcium and uric acid concentration, using enzymatic spectrophotometric, O-Cresol Phthalin Complexone (O-CPC) method as described by Barnett et al., (1965), for calcium and uricase-POD enzymatic spectrophotometric method with 4-amino-antipyrine, described by Barhamet al., (1972), for uric acid. There was significant higher in  mean concentration of uric acid (5.92 ± 4.61mg/dL) in petrol attendant individual in male and female when compared to the mean concentration of uric acid in male and female (3.91 ± 0.35mg/dL) in control group respectively, P<0.05 as shown in table 4.1 below.  There was no significant higher in mean concentration of calcium (14.14 ± 2.83mg/dL) in petrol attendant individual in male and female when compared to the mean concentration of male and female control  (14.64 ± 2.03mg/dL) group, p>0.05. But there is increased value of calcium level in prolonged petrol fumes exposure when compared with unexposed subjects. Prolonged exposure to petrol fumes can leads to increased hyperuricemia and hypercalcemia. Thus, exposure to petrol fumes may contribute to increase risk of calcium and uric acid related-diseases and disorders, like lung, liver, and kidney failure.