SYMPTOMS AND SOME VITAL ORGANS BIOCHEMICAL EVALUATION AMONG SAWMILL OPERATORS IN AMASSOMA, BAYELSA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

Sawdust is produced from wood by a process called wood-sawing. This study is aimed at the signs and biochemical
evaluations of a few vital organs among sawmill workers. Each of the sixty apparently healthy participants had five
milliliters of blood taken into lithium heparin anti-coagulated bottles; thirty of them were in the control group and
thirty were in the experimental group. Then, using SPSS version 23.0 for statistical analysis, the levels of alanine
aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase and C-reactive protein (hepato-inflammatory
biomarkers), troponin-1, creatinekinase-MB (cardiac biomarkers), urea, and creatinine (renal biomarkers) were
quantitatively measured. The mean levels of the hepato-inflammatory biomarkers alanine aminotransferase (28.40)
U/I, aspartate aminotransferase (25.24) U/I, alkaline phosphatase (45.30) U/I, and C-reactive protein (28.92) mg/L in
the experimental group were considerably elevated (p<0.05) as compared to that of the control group alanine
aminotransferase (9.20) U/I, aspartate aminotransferase (8.10) U/I, alkaline phosphatase (21.42)U/I and C-reactive
protein (3.26)mg/L while troponin-1 (0.02) IU/L, creatinekinase-MB (8.00) IU/L, urea (5.73) mmol/L, and creatinine
(69.02) μmol/L(cardio-renal biomarkers) were not significantly altered (p>0.05) in the experimental group compared
with the control group troponin-1 (0.01) IU/L, creatinekinase-MB (7.96) IU/L, urea (5.70) mmol/L, creatinine (69.00)
μmol/L. Sneezing (77%), throat irritation (77%), and eye irritation (70%) were the symptoms that considerably
developed, whereas others were less than 50%. In conclusion, sneezing, throat irritation, eye irritation and hepato-
inflammatory diseases may be connected with sawmill operators having more than five years' worth of work.
Therefore, it is advised that sawmill operators in this group be periodically checked for hepato-inflammatory illnesses.