Evaluation of the Level of Exposure to Benzene and the State of Health of the Workers of “ORYX-BENIN SA”

Aikou Nicolas*, Serge ADE, RA Lapo, Coulibaly Founzégué Amadou, Ahoyo Angèle Théodora, Gominan Moutawakilou, Aikou Nadine Lucrèce Mirèze, Aikou Arielle Nadège Emérentienne, Lydie Zannou and Ibrahim Alkoare

Published: February 01, 2022

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Abstract  

Aim: To evaluate the level of exposure to benzene and the state of health of the workers of “ORYX-BENIN SA”. It is a descriptive and analytical cross-sectional study aimed at evaluating the level of exposure to benzene in 18 workers of ‘’ ORYX- BENIN SA ‘’. 
Materials and Methods: It was carried out with their informed consent and after they had completed a questionnaire. The data collection was carried out by questionnaire, a direct observation grid, a summary clinical examination of the workers and a composite biological assessment: Blood count and leucocyte count by the Culter method and the determination of urinary phenol by the nitro-4-aniline spectrophotometric method.
Results: 55.55% of the workers are between 26 and 40 years old. They are all male. 61.11% of the workers have less than one year of experience and 22.22% have at least three years of experience. All the workers, grouped in three shifts, work 8 hours a day. None of the workers wear a mask while working. The only means of protection used by all workers are gloves, gowns and safety shoes. No agent of this company works with his back to the wind. The clinical manifestations recorded during the survey are 50% nausea, 38.89% asthenia and 16.16% eye irritation. A total of three chargers show hematological signs of benzene intoxication. The rate of urinary phenol is largely higher than 250 mg/g. of creatinine at the end of the shift.
Conclusion: It is observed that the inversion of the leucocyte formula is moderate in only one charger while it is severe in five and very severe in six. All of the loaders involved in this study were exposed to benzene at more than 25 ppm per working day.
Keywords: benzene; urinary phenol; exposure level; loading activity