Abstract
The study aimed to assess the level of lead present in serum samples obtained from workers in various industrial sectors in Karbala governorate, Iraq. Its objective was to investigate the potential association between environmental exposure to lead and hematological parameters, while also evaluating the risk of disease in relation to elevated lead levels observed in the serum of adult patients.
At Karbala University's Medicine College in Iraq, the levels of lead concentration in serum samples were assessed. Both occupational workers and healthy controls were included in the study. The Flam atomic absorption spectroscope method was used for this assessment. A total of 75 serum samples were collected and divided into two groups. The first group consisted of 25 control samples, while the second group included 50 individuals who were exposed to lead in their occupations. The data collected was analyzed using SPSS to examine the participants'
The results show that people who were exposed to materials with lead experienced a slight increase in lead levels. Moreover, their blood tests showed a decrease in red blood cell count, hemoglobin concentration, packed cell volume, and neutrophil count. On the other hand, there was a significant increase in the number of white blood cells.
Finally, there was a slight rise in the percentage of Eosinophil, Basophilem, Lymphocyte, and monocyte, but it was not significant. The level of lead in the workers' serum increased, which is similar to various conditions that can lead to diseases like weakened immunity, diabetes, cancer, and anemia.