Biochemical and Haematological Abnormalities in Factory Workers Exposed to Hexavalent Chromium in Tanneries of Kasur District

The values of liver function tests of factory workers in tanneries of Kasur were found to be within the normal range in all age groups except for the albumin content and alkaline phosphatase activity, which were higher in younger age group. The total chromium content in the blood of workers of age group 1 - 20 years was significantly higher (24%), when compared with the same age group amongst the non-workers. The mean cell volume, packed cell volume and platelet counts in workers were generally lower, whereas the haemoglobin, mean corpuscular haemoglobin and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration values were higher in workers than in non-workers. The white blood cell counts decreased in workers up to the age of 40 years, whereas in older population it showed slight increase. The albumin, alkaline phosphatase, alanine aminotransferases, aspartate aminotransferases and total protein showed higher values, whereas the total bilirubin, direct bilirubin and blood serum glucose contents showed lower values in blood sera of factory workers, both male and female, when compared with those of the control population. The total chromium (569%) and hexavalent chromium (78%) were significantly higher in the blood of exposed male and female worker population as compared with the control population. No definite pattern was observed in different haematological and biochemical parameters, when comparing workers with non-workers, normal male with exposed males and normal females with exposed females. Slight variation may be due to multitude of factors in addition to possible effects of chromium toxicity.