Blood Concentrations of Methaemoglobin, Carboxyhaemoglobin and some Haematological parameters in Petrol Station Attendants in Enugu Metropolis

Concentration of methaemoglobin and carboxyhaemoglobin in blood and some haematological parameters wee studied in fifty petroleum attendants in Enugu metropolis. The age range of the subjects (30 males and 20 females) and controls (12 males and 10 females) was 23-60 years. The purpose of the study was to determine if exposure to petrol fumes has any adverse effect on haemoglobin metabolism and haematological parameter. Methaemoglobin and carboxy-haemoglobin were determined by the method of Dacie and Lewis (1994) while the method of Bain (1994) was adopted for haemoglobin parameters. The mean results showed no significant difference in methaemoglobin, haemoglobin, packed cell volume and reticulocyte count (P>0.05) while a significant difference (P>0.05) was recorded in carboxyhaemoglobin of test and control subjects. The results suggest that exposure to petrol fumes may increase blood concentration of carboxyhaemoglobin but may affect methaemoglobin and haematological parameters. Key words: Methaemoglobin, carboxyhaemoglobin, haematological parameters [Mary Slessor Jnl of Medicine Vol.3(1) 2003: 65-68