Correlations between the levels of elements in the blood and some physiological / biochemical parameters in female roadside workers in Ile-Ife, Nigeria

This work determined the levels of As, Cd, Cu, Hg, Pb, Se and Zn in the blood of sixty-two Nigerian women roadside workers in Ile-Ife using Inductively-Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry and Direct Mercury Analyzer and investigated the toxic metal correlation with some physiological / biochemical parameters. Body fat was estimated using bioelectrical impedance and isotope dilution methods. The results showed that arsenate correlated (p ≤ 0.05) with total cholesterol (TC) and plasma creatinine (P.Cr) in underweight subjects, P.Cr in obese subjects and with creatinine clearance and urinary creatinine in all the subjects. Cd correlated with low density lipid–cholesterol (LDL-C) and TC in underweight, waist and waist/hip ratio in overweight and packed cell volume in obese subjects while Hg had a high correlation factor with LDL-C in overweight and triglycerides and TC in obese subjects. Pb correlated highly with age and total body water in obese subjects. These indicated that interactions between trace elements and the physiological / biochemical parameters are influenced by the nutritional status of the individual subjects and possibly provide a basis for determining the effects of these toxic elements on the exposed subjects. Keywords: Correlation, Blood Trace Elements, Nutritional Status