Haematological Changes in Benzene Exposed Workers in Sudan

Abstract Background: Exposure to benzene leads to toxicity and influences bone marrow leads to cancer, anaemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma, leukaemia, aplastic anaemia, and other types of cancer. The current study aims to report haematological changes in workers exposed to benzene exposure <1 ppm compared with the participants of non-exposed to benzene. Methods: Analytical cross-sectional study design applied at Kosti city, Sudan, during the year 2018. According to inclusion criteria, eighty-seven benzene stations workers chosen randomly to participate as a study group and another eighty-seven apparent healthy non-exposed to benzene, age matched, chosen as a comparative group. Blood samples (2.5ml) collected from all participants in EDTA anticoagulant containers for Complete Blood Cells analysis. Results: The means of the lymphocyte, RBCs count, and MCHC significantly increased in the benzene stations workers compared with the non-exposed group. The lymphocyte mean (44.61±8.41% vs, 29.19±3.98%; P<0.001), RBCs mean (5.30±0.75 ×1012 vs, 4.97±0.59 × 1012; P=0.002), and HCHC mean (32.67±2.12% vs, 31.71±1.37%; P<0.001). The means of PCV, Hb, MCH, MCV, PLTs count, Monocyte counts, and the Neutrophil counts significantly decreased in the exposed group. The PCV mean (43.83±2.47 l/l vs, 44.95±1.15 l/l; P<0.001), Hb mean (13.11±2.28 g/dl vs, 14.33±1.48 g/dl; P<0.001), MCH mean (26.35±2.01pg vs, 29.88±1.98pg; P<0.001), MCV mean (78.69±4.66 fl vs, 85.93±6.73 fl; P<0.001), PLTs mean (240.78±71.37×103/l vs, 262.54±70.77×103/l; P=0.046), Monocyte mean (4.44±2.39%vs. 5.64±1.92%; P=0.001), and Neutrophil mean (36.98±14.93% vs, 47.99±14.54%; P<0.001). The Eosinophil counts and TWBCs count showed no statistically significant difference between the two groups. Conclusion: The exposure to benzene has a significant haematological change in most of the complete blood count parameters among the benzene stations workers.