ABSTRACT

Occupational exposure to bronze-borne toxicants is entirely unregulated in many countries. The foundry industry is known to contain a lot of toxic metals and the exposure of foundry workers to these metals may result in pro-oxidant/antioxidant imbalance and can act as an intermediate in the formation of an oxidative stress state. This aim of this study was to investigate the levels of Total Antioxidant Capacity, Malondialdehyde and C-Reactive protein among bronze foundry workers in Benin city, South-South Nigeria. A total of eighty (80) consenting participants were recruited for this study; They included foundry workers (bronze casters), randomly selected individuals around the foundry site (environmental) and apparently healthy unexposed individuals (control) which were age and sex matched in a comparative cross-sectional study. Occupational activities and anthropometric data of participants were collected using a questionnaire. MDA and TAC levels were evaluated using colorimetric methods while CRP levels was evaluated using Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). Data were analysed using ANOVA and a p-value < 0.05 was considered significant. Only MDA (Malondialdehyde) levels showed no significant difference within the groups. TAC levels in bronze casters (18.18±1.00) were found to be lower when compared to the environmental (36.7± 5.73) and control (22.21±1.10). CRP levels was found to be higher in control (16.39±1.10) and environmental (11.21±0.91) compared to the bronze casters (8.38±0.61). However continuous exposure leading to accumulation of these bronze associated toxicants can induce the production of increased levels of free radicals which may reduce TAC levels and increase CRP levels.