Lead concentration and delta - aminolevulinic acid dehydratase activity in the blood of non-occupationally exposed Jordanian men

To determine the lead level [Pb-B] and Aminolevulinic Acid Dehydratase [ALAD] activity in the blood of non-occupationally exposed men as a baseline for comparative studies. Blood samples were collected from 88 Jordanian men without occupational exposure, where Pb-B was determined by fameless atomic absorption spectrophotometry. ALAD activity was determined using the European standardized method. Pb-B level ranged from 0.3-10.8 [micro]g/dl with a mean of 2.64f.[micro]/dl. The mean ALAD activity was 47 units per liter with a range of 34-61 U/L. The Pb-B and ALAD activity indicate lower levels of exposure to lead in non-occupationally exposed men in the study group than in other countries

Prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen in Jordan

To determine the prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen among the Jordanian population. A total of 1066 healthy individuals were randomly selected using clustering, systematic and simple random sampling methods. The overall response rate was 75% and 775 individuals were actually included in the study. The study revealed a prevalence rate of hepatitis B surface antigen [HbsAg] of 1.7% among the study population. A higher prevalence rate was found among males than females. The history of hospital admission was the most important risk factor for acquisition of hepatitis B. Further studies are needed to determine the prevalence of hepatitis B by determining hepatitis B antibody markers in addition to HbsAg