[Concentration of serum vitamin C in workers exposed to selected physical and chemical risk factors]

Determination of the serum vitamin C levels may yield the information on the nutritional status of workers. Increasing community awareness of the health-enhancing nutrition patterns as an element of the promotion of lifestyles conducive to health among workers may limit a negative impact of risk factors on workers' health. The aim of this study was to analyse the levels of serum vitamin C in workers exposed to selected physical (noise, electromagnetic fields) and chemical risk factors present in the work environment. Two randomised groups of male workers, one exposed to physical factors (n = 43; mean age 39.5 +/- 8.6 yr.), and the other to chemical factors (n = 40; mean age 38.3 +/- 8.0 yr.) were included in the study. The control group was composed of male workers (n = 36; mean age 40.4 +/- 10.1 yr.) exposed neither to physical nor to chemical factors. In all subjects, the serum vitamin C levels were measured using the spectrophotometric method by Kyaw. The mean serum vitamin C levels in the workers exposed to physical and chemical factors were 30.1 (mumol/l) and 30.9 (mumol/l), respectively, and their statistical significance was lower (p < 0.01) as compared with the mean serum vitamin C levels of 39.7 (mumol/l) in the control group.