Investigating hepatic condition among workers chronically exposed to ammonia in an Egyptian nitrate fertilizers industry

ABSTRACT

This work aimed to estimate the prevalence of acute and chronic liver diseases among workers chronically exposed to ammonia in a nitrate fertilizers industry. Also, the possible interaction between the occupational exposure to ammonia and the other endemic diseases in this area, mainly schistosomiasis and viral hepatitis was studied. Clinical and biochemical studies as well as hepatitis markers were conducted on 109 male workers occupationally exposed to ammonia as well as nitrogenous compounds during manufacture of nitrate fertilizers. About 21% of the studied workers had enlarged liver and splenic enlargement was elicited in about 29.4% of the workers. More than 3/4 of the studied workers had positive past bilharzial history. Past history of infective hepatitis was elicited in 16 workers. Workers who were employed for longer durations were affected than those who were employed for less than 20 years. In this series, all liver biochemical parameters [except for albumin] were more affected in the group with bilharzial and viral affection [together], followed by those with viral hepatitis and lastly those with bilharzial liver. The difference proved to be statistically significant. Such findings raised the assumption that chemical insult, in the fertilizer industry, had less role on the state of liver enzymes and other biochemical parameters than the biological insults [viral and/or schistosomal] elicited in other workers. Again, this supported the great influence of the rural area in which studied workers are living as a principal source of liver affection despite the possible chemical exposure