Evaluate the Work-Related Exposure of Vanadium on Scalp Hair Samples of Outdoor and Administrative Workers of Oil Drilling Field: Related Health Risks

Petrochemical facilities, including oil well drilling, are discharging resources of extensive noxious waste into the environment. The workers in different sections might be exposed to vanadium (V) through different routes (groundwater and soil), which is linked with extensive physiological disorders, hypertension, respiratory disorders, anemia, skin, and gastrointestinal disorders. This study determined the contents of V in a biological sample (scalp hair) of workers of different categories (outdoor and office workers) in an oil drilling field in Sindh, Pakistan. The environmental samples, groundwater, bottled mineral water, and soil samples were also analyzed for V. For comparative purposes, the scalp hair of age-matched male subjects residing in domestic areas of Hyderabad city, Pakistan, was also analyzed. Generally, the concentrations of V in groundwater near the oil drilling field and drilled soil illustrated significant variations. The results show that the vanadium concentration in the scalp hair of non-exposed referents (controls) and office workers (exposed referents) was 62% and 45% lower than those observed for outdoor drilling and cleaning mud workers. It was observed that high exposure to V in outdoor workers might be linked with different physiological disorders such as anemia, eye problems, and bronchial disorders. Graphical Abstract