Investigation of the Potential Health Hazards of Petrol Station Attendants in Owerri Nigeria

Possible biochemical changes in hepatic and renal functions due to exposure of petrol vapour were assessed in twenty (20) petrol station attendants in Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria. A corresponding twenty healthy subjects who were not exposed to petrol or its vapour were used as controls. The results showed a significant increase in the (p<0.05) activities of alkaline phosphatase, alanine and aspartate aminotransferases for those exposed to petrol vapour from 6-10 years while the plasma bilirubin concentrations showed no significant change (p<0.05). Concentrations of serum urea, creatinine and urinary protein for those exposed to petrol vapour from 6-10 years were also significantly higher (p<0.05) when compared with the control. The results therefore indicate that exposure to petrol vapour increases the activities of some serum diagnostic liver enzymes and may also affect renal function indices. These effects, as seen from the study, are directly related to the duration of exposure and should be of interest to economic and environmental policy makers in Nigeria.