Jafari Mohammad Javad, Rahimi Abolfazl, Omidi Leila, Behzadi Mohammad Hassan, Rajabi Mohammad Hassan
Occupational Health Engineering Department, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Department of Environment and Energy, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
Health Promot Perspect. 2016 Jan 30;5(4):296-303. doi: 10.15171/hpp.2015.035. eCollection 2015.
Occupational exposure to formaldehyde may decrease white blood cell counts and change blood concentration. In this study, the influences of occupational exposure to formaldehyde on the number of white blood cells and blood concentrations were studied.
This case-control study was conducted in June of 2012 at North Wood Factory, Golestan Province, Iran. The US-NIOSH method No. 2541 was used to determine the occupational exposure of 30 workers of the production line (case group) and 30 administrative staffs (control group) to formalde-hyde. The number of white blood cells and blood concentration were determined using the normal blood count method and related indices. Demographic features as well as the symptoms of being exposed to formaldehyde were collected using a standard questionnaire.
The occupational exposure of case group ranged from 0.50 ppm to 1.52 ppm. The prevalence of all studied symptoms from formaldehyde exposure in workers (2<median<5; range 1 to 5) was signifi-cantly different (P<0.001) towards the administrative staffs (median 1; range 1 to 4). The number of white blood cells in production line workers was not significantly different from those in administra-tive staff. The average blood concentration in the case group was significantly different from the con-trol group (mean difference= 0.9 [95% CI: 0.40-1.39];P=0.007).
Occupational exposure to formaldehyde changed the blood concentration of the studied workers but did not change the number of their white blood cells.
职业性接触甲醛可能会降低白细胞计数并改变血液浓度。在本研究中，探讨了职业性接触甲醛对白细胞数量和血液浓度的影响。
本病例对照研究于2012年6月在伊朗戈勒斯坦省的北木工厂进行。采用美国国家职业安全与健康研究所（NIOSH）第2541号方法，测定了30名生产线工人（病例组）和30名行政人员（对照组）的职业性甲醛接触情况。使用常规血细胞计数方法和相关指标测定白细胞数量和血液浓度。通过标准问卷收集人口统计学特征以及甲醛接触症状。
病例组的职业性接触范围为0.50 ppm至1.52 ppm。工人中所有研究的甲醛接触症状发生率（2<中位数<5；范围1至5）与行政人员（中位数1；范围1至4）相比有显著差异（P<0.001）。生产线工人的白细胞数量与行政人员相比无显著差异。病例组的平均血液浓度与对照组有显著差异（平均差值 = 0.9 [95% CI：0.40 - 1.39]；P = 0.007）。
职业性接触甲醛改变了所研究工人的血液浓度，但未改变他们的白细胞数量。
