Evaluation of Haematological and Haemorrheological Changes in Street Cleaners in Benin City

Abstract

Aim/Objective: Occupational exposure to environmental pollutants poses significant health risks, particularly for street cleaners who are routinely exposed to dust, vehicle emissions, and other contaminants. This aim of this study was to evaluate the haematological and haemorrheological changes among street cleaners in selected environs of Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria. Methodology: A total of 100 participants, comprising 50 street cleaners and 50 age- and gender-matched controls, were recruited using a simple random sampling technique. Sociodemographic and occupational data were obtained via structured questionnaires. Venous blood samples were collected under aseptic conditions for analysis of complete blood count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and plasma fibrinogen concentration using automation, Westergren method and Clauss method respectively. Results : Findings indicated that street cleaners in Benin City were slightly older (35.84 ± 8.09 years) than controls (33.84 ± 4.21 years), with a predominance of males in both groups (88.0% vs. 80.0%). Most street cleaners had 1 - 5 years of work experience and worked 4 - 8 hours per day, 3 - 5 days per week. Use of personal protective equipment (PPE) varied, with only 36.0% always using PPE, although all participants had access to water and soap for hand hygiene. Haematological analysis revealed no significant difference between WBC counts in street cleaners (5.25 ± 0.18 × 10 3 /µL) and control (5.37 ± 0.19 × 10 3 /µL) (p 12 /L) relative to controls (5.26 ± 0.08 × 10 12 /L, p Conclusion: Street cleaning in Benin City is associated with significant hematological and haemorrheological alterations in street cleaners likely driven by chronic exposure to environmental pollutants, systemic inflammation, and oxidative stress.