LIP LEAD AS AN ALTERNATIVE MEASURE FOR LEAD EXPOSURE ASSESSMENT OF LEAD BATTERY ASSEMBLY WORKERS
Resource
AIHAJ v.61 n.6 pp.825-831
Journal
AIHAJ
Journal Volume
v.61
Journal Issue
n.6
Pages
825-831
Date Issued
2000
Date
2000
Author(s)
HWANG, YAW-HUEI
Abstract
This study investigated lead exposures of lead battery
assembly workers in Taiwan. A special attempt was made to
evaluate the use of lip lead as an alternative index for
occupational lead exposure. Ninety-six of 113 workers from a
lead battery plant were recruited as study subjects. Air
lead; lead loadings on workers' sleeves, gloves, hands,
cheeks, and lips, and blood lead were determined for
exposure assessment. A questionnaire also was administered
to collect information on work history, suspected exogenous
lead sources, and personal behavior and activities.
Geometric moans of total air lead at different subareas
ranged from 0.070 (2.5 geometric standard deviation [GSD])
to 0.159 (1.8 GSD) mg/m(3). Geometric means of respirable
air lead level for different subgroups of workers varied
from 0.009 (2.0 GSD) to 0.032 (1.9 GSD) mg/m(3), whereas
those of the blood lead level ranged from 22.4 (1.3 GSD) to
44.5 (1.3 GSD) mug/dL. The heaviest lead loadings were found
for plate-processing workers (e.g., 66.4 [1.5 GSD] on
gloves, 0.80 [3.7 GSD] on cheeks, and 0.79 [3.2 GSD] mug/cm(
2)) on bare-hands after washing. Blood lead level was
significantly correlated with lead levels in air, lead
loadings on lips, and bare hands after washing (r=0.24-0.30)
. Results of multiple regression analysis showed that only
lip lead had a significant effect on the blood lead, whereas
respirable air lead and personal behavior had only mild
effects in this model. It was concluded that lip lead level
may be used as an alternative index of lead exposure to
facilitate the estimation of lead uptake through ingestion.
Subjects
air
battery
body surface
lead
lips
Type
journal article