Arsenic and peripheral blood count in workers exposed to urban stressors

OBJECTIVES: Previous studies have shown that arsenic at high doses can alter the hematopoietic system. The purpose of the present study is to see whether the same problems may be caused by chronic exposure to low doses. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A sample of 349 policemen of a big urban city was divided into 3 groups according to levels of urinary arsenic. The subjects were further divided according to gender, smoking habits, and work task. We calculated indices of correlation (r) and multiple linear regression (β), between urinary arsenic, RBC, WBC, HB, HT, MCV, MCH, MCHC, platelets, reticulocytes and leukocyte formula (percentage of lymphocytes, monocytes, neutrophils, eosinophils and basophils). It was also calculated Student's t and chi-square test between the various groups to check for any differences. RESULTS: We found several statistically significant indices of correlation and regression (p(two-tailed) <0.05) between urinary arsenic, red blood cells, white blood cells, hemoglobin, hematocrit, reticulocytes, and all the cell lines of the white series. CONCLUSIONS: Chronic exposure to low doses of arsenic seems to cause decrease in red blood cells, hematocrit and hemoglobin. However, this response is dependent on the amount of absorbed dose, according to an ormetic mechanism. With regard to the white series, arsenic seems to provoke an inflammatory response; the scarcity of literature" available, and the great variety of results, however, not allow us to definitely characterize the damage caused by this metal on white series.