Effects of exposure to cement particles on selected respiratory and cardiovascular parameters among cement depot workers in Delta State, South-South, Nigeria

The incidence of occupational disease such as diseases of the cardiopulmonary system, arising from exposure to cement is increasing throughout the world. Hence this study is aimed at evaluating the effect of exposure to cement particles on selected cardiovascular and respiratory parameters of cement depot workers in Delta State, Nigeria. This is a cross sectional study that adopted observational and recording method. Four hundred (400) participants were used to carry out this research. Two hundred exposed workers that have been working in the cement depot for 0-> 10 years and two hundred people as unexposed group as control who are matched with socio economic class with workers from the cement depot (exposed group). The research was carried out on workers in sawmill factories across Delta State that have been exposed to sawdust for different period of time. Parameters reviewed were, blood pressure (mmHg), pulse rate, oxygen saturation rate (percentage), peak expiratory flow rate (meter) and inspiratory reserve volume (meter). The parameters collected were compared statistically using SPSS software for the analysis. The result showed that for workers with >5 years of exposure, there was a significant increase in systolic blood pressure (140.29 ± 8.42), diastolic blood pressure (97.45 ± 4.03), expiration rate (357.21 ± 369.05) and inspiration rate (1392.3 ± 421.23), and a significant decrease in pulse rate (53.69 ± 2.213) and SPO₂ (89.08 ± 3.012) of cement workers when compared to the control group (cement workers) (p<0.05). For worker with 0 – 5 years of exposure, There was a significant increase in systolic blood pressure (144.2 ± 10.8), diastolic blood pressure (82.25 ± 6.14), expiration rate (243.60 ± 30.60) and inspiration rate (235.0  ± 63.9), and a significant decrease in pulse rate (77.7 ± 7.44) and SPO₂ (92.5 ± 8.2) of  cement workers when compared to the control group (cement workers) (p<0.05). The findings of these study shows that exposure to cement dust has deleterious effect on cardiopulmonary parameters.