Blood Serum Lead and Cadmium Level Among Pregnant Women in Gas Flaring Communities in Bayelsa State Nigeria

Abstract

This research study determines the serum lead and cadmium (ppm) level of pregnant women living in gas flaring communities in Bayelsa State, Nigeria. Two hundred apparently healthy pregnant women and one hundred non-pregnant as control were randomly selected as participants for this study. The prevalence of elevated serum lead (>0.1ppm) above the world health organization permissible range among the non-pregnant and pregnant subjects was (2%) and (5%) while that of cadmium (>0.0012ppm) was (11.33%) and (19.66%) respectively. However the total prevalence of elevated heavy metals in the blood of non-pregnant and pregnant subjects was (6.66%) and (12.33%).The study reveal a non-significant increased concentration of Lead level among the non-pregnant control group (0.07ppm) to that of the pregnant test (0.05ppm) with no difference in their cadmium (0.01ppm) level. The study reveal a non-significant slight increase in the level of Lead among the pregnant test group (0.06ppm) during their third trimester when compared with those in their first and second trimesters (0.05ppm) with a cadmium blood level of (0.02ppm) among those in their third trimester.