Assessment of Growth and Fertility Hormones of Albino Rats Exposed to Quarry Dust at a Quarry Industry

Aim: Growth and fertility hormones of albino rats exposed to quarry dust were evaluated to determine if the inhaled quarry dust and heavy metals contained in it have any effect on the fertility and growth of the rats.

Methods: Sixty (30 in each of wet and dry seasons) male albino rats were used in this study and were housed in six (6) sterilized plastic cages with five (5) rats in each cage at Ugwuele quarry industry Uturu. The control (group 1) was housed at a distance of 7.2km from the quarry site. Group 2 was housed at the administration block of the quarry industry while groups 3,4,5,6 were housed at the gate, plant house, drilling pit and crusher positions of the quarry industry respectively. Heavy metals; lead, chromium, cobalt, arsenic, zinc and cadmium from dust samples were analyzed with atomic absorption spectrophotometer while assay for hormones was also carried out using standard analytical methods.

Results: All the analyzed heavy metals were present in the dust. Concentrations of heavy metals in the quarry dust were significantly higher (p<0.05) than the control and higher in the dry season than in the wet season. Concentrations of prolactin, follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH) and growth hormone (GH) in the test samples were significantly lower (p<0.05) compared to the control while the concentrations of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) in the test samples were significantly higher (p<0.05) compared to the control. Results also show that the concentrations of prolactin, FSH, LH and GH were lower in the dry season than in the wet season whereas, the concentrations of TSH in the exposed rats were higher in the dry season than in the wet season.

Conclusion: Growth rate and fertility of the albino rats may have been compromised by the exposure to the quarry dust, since the growth and fertility hormones were all reduced.