Essential and Non-Essential Metals Profile in Blood of some Nigerian Pregnant Women

In this study, the concentrations of some essential (Ca, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Ni, and Zn) and non-essential metals (Cd and Pb) were determined in blood of pregnant women aged between 15 – 45 years and enrolled at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, Ile – Ife, Nigeria, for antenatal care. Fifty samples of whole blood were collected from the pregnant women and twenty five samples from non pregnant women as control. Levels of essential and non- essential metals were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The analyses were performed in order to assess the body burden of pregnant women with the metals and the health implications of the latter to pregnant women and their fetuses. Data analysis by descriptive and inferential statistics revealed that age, education, and profession correlate with the levels of the metals. The mean levels of the two non-essential metals obtained in this study were lower than the recommended limits for whole blood. While compared with other studies of pregnant women elsewhere results obtain were generally higher. Generally the values obtained in this study have indicated no serious body burden on the pregnant women. The importance of establishing factors that influence low human exposure concentrations is becoming critical in efforts to reduce exposures and hence the potential for adverse health effects.