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PubMed1997

Comparison of methods for personal sampling of inhalable and total lead and cadmium-containing aerosols in a primary lead smelter.

It has been proposed that future occupational aerosol exposure standards be based on particle size-selective sampling criteria that more accurately reflect worker exposure. In relation to methods currently used for determining individual workers' lead exposures, the widely used 37-mm, closed-face, plastic sampling cassette is known from laboratory wind tunnel studies to undersample significantly compared with estimations of aerosol actually inhaled, especially for large particles. The present study investigated the degree to which this is borne out in field sampling by using side-by-side sampling in selected work sites in a primary lead smelter. Exposures to "total" airborne lead and cadmium as measured using the 37-mm sampler (E37) were compared with exposure measurements using the institute of Occupational Medicine (IOM) personal inhalable aerosol sampler (EIOM). There were 166 good sample pairs for lead and 55 for cadmium. The ratio (reflecting the fractional undersampling of the 37-mm sampler, as represented by the ratio EIOM/E37) was consistently greater than unity, by factors obtained by regression analysis ranging (for different parts of the plant) from 1.39 to 2.14 for lead and 1.29 to 2.12 for cadmium. The factor tended to be greater for parts of the plant characterized by coarser aerosol, consistent with the physical sampling characteristics of the two instruments. This research is important (1) in assessing the impact of implementation of new standards for lead- and cadmium-containing aerosols in the primary lead production industry, and (2) in the development of new occupational exposure limits based on the inhalable aerosol fraction.

Aerosols↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Cutaneous resorption of lead after external use of lead-containing ointments in volunteers with healthy skin.

Lead-containing ointments are frequently used in anthroposophic medicine. In a prospective, open-label phase 1 study, 33 volunteers at the Ambulatory Clinic for Complementary and Alternative Medicine at the Free University of Berlin, aged 18-65 years, were exposed to 100 g Plumbum metallicum 0.4% ointment (Weleda, Germany) over a 4-week period. The lead-containing ointment was regularly applied to the cubital side of the forearm. Regular measurements of lead concentrations in whole blood, urine, and scalp hair were determined. None of the 33 volunteers showed an increase in lead concentrations in the 3 investigated compartments after 4 and 8 weeks. Blood lead levels (average value) decreased significantly from baseline to the first week (P < 0.05). Average values in the following investigations (weeks 3, 4, and 8) were significantly lower than at baseline (P < 0.05). There was no increase in lead levels in the scalp hair after 8 weeks (P < 0.05). The results show that the commonly prescribed lead-containing ointment Plumbum metallicum 0.4% in humans with an intact skin does not present a toxic risk.

Administration, Cutaneous↗
PubMed1997

Indicators of possible lead exposure among children attending public lead screening clinics: implications for primary prevention.

Because lead exposure is a health-related condition that precedes elevated blood lead levels, the aims of this study were to examine the prevalence of lead exposure among children attending lead screening clinics in two Wisconsin counties and to explore its relationship to demographic variables. Based on data obtained from parents, significant relationships were found between the history of possible exposure and the demographic variables of rural or urban home location, rented or owned dwelling, and family income. About 90% of the children were being exposed to at least one possible lead source. The rationale for intensive study of lead exposure's demographic context was validated, and the need for primary prevention of lead exposure was affirmed.

Child↗
PubMed1982

Assessment of the body burden of chelatable lead: a model and its application to lead workers.

A hypothetical model was introduced to estimate the body burden of chelatable lead from the mobilisation yield of lead by calcium disodium ethylenediamine tetra-acetate (CaEDTA). It was estimated that, on average, 14 and 19% of the body burden was mobilised into the urine during the 24 hours after an injection of 53.4 mumol (20 mg) and 107 mumol (40 mg) CaEDTA per kg bodyweight, respectively. The body burden of chelatable lead ranged from 4 mumol (0.8 mg) to 120 mumol (24.9 mg) (mean 37 mumol (7.7 mg) in lead workers with blood lead concentrations of 0.3-2.9 mumol/kg (6-60 microgram/100 g) (mean 1.4 mumol/kg (29 microgram/100 g)). There were linear relationships between blood lead concentrations and body burden of chelatable lead on a log scale.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Lead induced increase of blood pressure in female lead workers.

AIMS: Although lead exposure has, in the absence of mathematical modelling, been believed to elevate blood pressure in females, it is necessary to clarify the relation between lead and blood pressure by eliminating confounding factors in the analysis. METHODS: Blood lead was measured in 193 female workers, including 123 lead exposed workers. Possible confounding factors were controlled by multiple regression analyses. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Blood lead above 40 micro g/dl was found to be the most potent factor for elevating systolic/diastolic blood pressure. Aging, urine protein, and plasma triglyceride also contributed to systolic/diastolic/pulse pressure increase, but hypertensive heredity did not. Data suggested that lead induced changes in lipoprotein metabolism may play an important role in the lead induced blood pressure increase in female workers.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Yearly measurements of blood lead in Swedish children since 1978: an update focusing on the petrol lead free period 1995-2001.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: To assess blood lead concentrations (B-Pb) in children not exposed to petrol lead. In a previous paper we reported the results for the period 1978-94 (2441 children measured). A substantial decrease of B-Pb was found, which reflected a beneficial effect of gradual banning of petrol lead. Since 1994, petrol sold in Sweden has not contained lead. METHODS: In the south of Sweden, each year from 1995 to 2001, B-Pb was measured in 329 boys and 345 girls, aged 7-11 years. RESULTS: The geometric mean (GM) of B-Pb was 21 (range 6-80) microg/l. There was no consistent change of B-Pb from 1995 to 2001. Children living near a lead smelter had raised B-Pb (GM 24 microg/l, range 11-80). Passive smoking, but not age and sex, influenced B-Pb significantly. CONCLUSIONS: B-Pb in Swedish children, no longer exposed to petrol lead, seems to have stabilised at an average level close to 20 microg/l (provided there is no nearby industrial lead emission).

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Lead effects on offspring depend on when mouse mothers were exposed to lead.

Target mice were nursed by mothers given lead starting (1) when target mice were born; (2) after conception of target mice, or (3) during the mothers' own pre-weaning age. These target mice are called, respectively, POSTNATAL, GESTATIONAL, and PRE-MATING. Compared to developments in control mice, postnatal lead slowed brain weight development, lowered asymptotic brain weight, decreased DNA per brain somewhat, but had no effect on protein per brain. Gestational lead similarly slowed brain weight development, lowered asymptotic brain weight, greatly decreased DNA per brain, but had no effect on protein per brain. In contrast, pre-mating lead significantly increased brain weight and protein per brain and lowered DNA per brain substantially. These effects of pre-mating lead on brain weight and protein per brain could be due to the effects of lead on developing maternal reproductive systems or to lead's presence during the rarely studied ovulation-to-fertilization period.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Concentrations of lead, magnesium, calcium, zinc and cadmium in twenty rabbit tissues after exposure to low lead doses and atherogenic diet.

Four groups of 6 rabbits were subjected to the following diets for 25 weeks: I (controls), II (water with 9.66 mumol/l of lead), III (atherogenic) and IV (atherogenic + 9.66 mumol/l of lead). Lead, magnesium, calcium, zinc and cadmium were then analyzed in 20 dry tissues. At the level of the arteries, veins and skin a tendency was observed toward increased lead concentration in rabbits of groups II and IV, elevated calcium levels in groups III and IV (a tenfold increase of calcium in the aortas), and a higher concentration of cadmium in animals of group II. There was a significant reduction in lead and magnesium concentrations in the liver of animals in groups III and IV because of fibrosis and overabundance of fatty liver cells. The lead level in the liver of animals in group II had slightly increased. Lead concentrations were higher in the kidneys and spleen in groups II and IV. Cadmium levels were significantly lower in the liver, kidneys, adrenal glands and spleen of animals in groups III and IV, whereas in group II they were particularly increased in the liver and kidneys. Very little significant interaction between the two diets was noted. Rabbits in groups III and IV showed notable histopathological alterations in aorta, carotid and femoral arteries, left ventricle and liver. Extrapolation from rabbit to man would be inadvisable.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Lead poisoning from retained lead projectiles. A critical review of case reports.

Case reports demonstrate that embedded lead projectiles (bullets, pellets) have the potential to cause lead poisoning. They also show that the relationship between blood lead concentration and lead poisoning is the same as in lead poisonings of occupational origin and that latent periods between lodgement and the onset of lead poisoning varies from less than a half year to several decades. Nevertheless neither the quantitative relationships between projectiles and blood concentrations nor the number at risk and the number affected are known. The aim of this review is to show the limitations of case studies through the analysis of negative and positive case reports, diagnostic and monitoring methods, differences between bullets and pellets, and factors affecting the disintegration of projectiles and the distribution of released lead.

Female↗
PubMed1990

The cultural parameters of lead poisoning: a medical anthropologist's view of intervention in environmental lead exposure.

This article identifies four culturally shaped sources of lead exposure in human societies: modern and historic technological sources: food habits; culturally defined health beliefs; and beauty practices. Examples of these potential sources of lead poisoning are presented from current cultures. They include the use of lead-glazed cooking pottery in Mexican-American households; folk medical use of lead in Hispanic, Arabic, South Asian, Chinese, and Hmong communities; as well as the use of lead as a cosmetic in the Near East, Southeast Asia, and South Asia. Four interacting cultural conditions that create barriers to the reduction of lead exposure and lead poisoning are identified and discussed. These are knowledge deficiencies, communication resistance, cultural reinterpretations, and incongruity of explanatory models.

Anthropology, Cultural↗
PubMed1981

[Studies on the biological effects of low level lead exposures. Part 1. Estimation of usefulness of some biochemical tests as parameters for occupational lead exposures (author's transl)].

Male painters of ceramic works were examined for parameters of biochemical lead poisoning such as erythrocyte ALAD, free erythrocyte protoporphyrin (FEP), and coproporphyrin (CP) in urine as well as parameters of lead absorption such as lead concentration in blood and urine (PbB & PbU) in order to estimate the usefulness of those biochemical tests for occupational lead exposures. Under the lead exposure level of these painters (PbB 5-50 microgram/l), log ALAD and log FEP showed good linear correlations with PbB, while ALAU and CPU showed significant but lesser correlations with it. The log ALAD showed a good linear correlation with log PbU, log FEP, and ALAU fairly good ones, CPU a significant but lesser correlation with it. ALAD and FEP were equally the most sensitive tests for increasing PbB or PbU. ALAU was the next most sensitive test and CPU was the least sensitive. From the view point of sensitiveness and obvious meaning as a test for lead poisoning, FEP is the most desirable test for occupational lead exposures.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

A study on the relationship between blood lead levels and anemia indicators in workers exposed to low levels of lead.

The workers were classified into two groups according to their median value of blood and urine lead levels and urine ALA levels. The group of workers whose blood lead levels were in a lower range (1-15 micrograms/dl) exhibited significantly lower hematocrit, hemoglobin and erythrocytes than the group of the workers whose blood lead levels were in a higher range (16-39 micrograms/dl) (P < 0.001). However, there were no significant differences in the mean values of hematocrit, hemoglobin and erythrocyte counts between the workers whose urine lead or ALA levels were below the median value and those whose urine lead or ALA levels were above the median value. Because the bulk of blood lead is reported to exist in the soluble fraction of erythrocytes, low levels of blood lead are believed to exhibit low levels of anemia indicators.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Mobilized plasma lead as an index of lead body burden and its relation to the heme-related indices.

Plasma lead (Pb-P) from workers were distributed in two main fractions: a protein bound fraction and low molecular weight fractions. Lead mobilized into plasma by CaEDTA was mainly observed in the low molecular weight fraction corresponding to lead disodium ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (PbEDTA). The peak levels of Pb-P was attained around 1.5 and 2.5 hours after the start of CaEDTA injection. Pb-P and blood lead levels (Pb-B) at 2 h after the injection were 4.26 (+/- 2.84) and 0.96 (+/- 0.27) fold of the initial levels just before the injection. Pb-P concentrations at 2 hours after the start of CaEDTA injection (MPb-P) were well correlated (r = 0.740) with amounts of lead excreted in urine for 24 h thereafter (MPb-U). log MPb-P as well as log MPb-U were correlated with Pb-B (r = 0.765 and 0.817, respectively). Correlation coefficients of lead body burden (MPb-P or MPb-U) vs the logarithms of the effect indices (delta-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) dehydratase, ALA in urine, coproporphyrin in urine, and erythrocyte zinc protoporphyrin) were higher than the correlation coefficients of exposure indices (Pb-B or Pb-U) vs the logarithms of the effect indices. Thus the biological effect monitoring is significant and reliable for evaluating the functional components of lead body burden (MPb-P or MPb-U).

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Blood lead concentrations of Swedish preschool children in a community with high lead levels from mine waste in soil and dust.

The lead concentration in capillary blood was investigated in 49 preschool children (0.7-7.4 years of age) visiting a day-care center in a Swedish community with high lead contamination from mining and milling in soil and dust in populated areas [up to 1400 and 14,000 micrograms.g-1 (6.76 and 67.63 mumol.g-1) of dry weight, respectively]. The blood lead levels were examined twice (in April and in September) in 33 of the children. The lead levels were low on both sampling occasions [arithmetic mean 31 (SD 13, median 30, range 13-79) micrograms.l-1, ie, arithmetic mean 0.15, (SD 0.06, median 0.14, range 0.06-0.38) mumol.l-1]. Whereas children up to four years of age showed significantly increased levels from April to September, a significant decrease was seen in older children. The level of lead in soil at home, gender, smoking habits at home, and estimated level of hand-to-mouth activity did not appear as strong determinants of lead in blood. The results indicate that lead from mine waste in soil and dust fallout does not constitute a significant health hazard for preschool children in Falun.

Child↗
PubMed1980

Enhancement by lead acetate of body weight-decreasing activity of endotoxin: quantitative comparisons of some administration methods of lead acetate.

The body weight-decreasing effect of sublethal doses of endotoxin was enhanced in mice administered with such an amount of lead acetate that had no effect by itself on body weight. The enhancing effects of administration of lead acetate prior to, simultaneously with and after endotoxin administration were analyzed and compared by statistical methods. Linear dose-response relation between logarithmic doses of endotoxin and body weight-decreasing responses was obtained over a wide range of endotoxin doses with a constant dose of lead acetate. The non-parallelism between two dose-response lines obtained in lead acetate-treated and control mice was not denied. The relation of the two lines indicated that the more minute the dose of endotoxin, the more intense the enhancing effect of lead acetate appearing in the treated mice within certain limits of minute doses of endotoxin. These results were common in the three administration methods of lead acetate and can be applied to detection of minute doses of endotoxin. It was suggested that the pre-administration method of lead acetate was more suitable for detection of endotoxin than the other methods.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health; occupational exposure to inorganic lead: request for comments and information; republication--NIOSH. Request for comments and information relevant to occupational exposure to inorganic lead.

NIOSH is reviewing its recommendations contained in the document Criteria for a Recommended Standard.... Occupational Exposure to Inorganic Lead, Revised Criteria--1978 [NIOSH 1978]. The evaluation of recent literature indicates that the NIOSH recommended exposure limit [REL] of 100 micrograms/m3 as an 8-hour time-weighted average [TWA] in that document does not sufficiently protect workers from the adverse effects of exposure to inorganic lead. NIOSH is requesting comments and information relevant to the evaluation of the potential health risks associated with occupational exposure to inorganic lead, as well as case reports or other data that demonstrate adverse health effects in workers exposed to inorganic lead at or below the OSHA permissible exposure limit [PEL] of 50 micrograms/m3 as an 8-hour TWA and any information pertinent to evaluating the technical feasibility of establishing a more protective REL for inorganic lead. NIOSH is also soliciting information on worker blood lead levels [BLLs] including data on methodologies used in measuring BLLs in the workplace and information that can be used for comparing airborne inorganic lead concentrations to observed BLLs. NIOSH intends to analyze the feasibility of developing preventive measures including an REL that would provide better protection for workers. In the interim, NIOSH plans to adopt the more protective current OSHA PEL as its REL.

Humans↗
PubMed2003

[The blood lead level and pregnant outcome in pregnant women with non-occupational lead exposure].

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to find out the relations between maternal blood lead and pregnancy complications, neonatal physical and neurobehavioral development respectively. METHODS: 1,151 samples of maternal venous blood and 434 samples of umbilical cord blood were collected. Graphite stove atomic absorption spectrophotometer was used to detect the lead concentration. Neonatal physical indexes were measured within 24 hours of age, including weight, length, head circumference, chest circumference and abdomen circumference. The neurobehavioral developments were scored at 42 days of age. Meanwhile, the pregnancy complications were obtained from the medical records. RESULTS: (1) the mean lead concentration of maternal blood is 43.4 microg/L while 44.5 microg/L of first trimester, 37.4 microg/L of second trimester and 45.1 microg/L of third trimester. The mean lead concentration of cord blood is 26.4 microg/L. (2) In this study, the blood lead level is not correlated with pregnancy complications and neonatal physical and neurobehavioral development, but it is positively correlated with maternal haemoglobin concentration. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, the situation of maternal blood lead level is acceptable. At such level, the lead concentration of pregnant women blood can't influence the incidence of pregnancy complications, neonatal physical and neurobehavioral development.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Elevated lead burden in Chinese patients without occupational lead exposure.

Studies were conducted in 10 healthy Chinese controls, 10 patients with chronic renal failure without gout, 8 patients with gout complicated with chronic renal failure and in 6 patients with chronic renal failure who subsequently developed gout. All the subjects had no history of occupational or accidental lead exposure. Total body lead burden was assessed by 24-hour urine collection measurements over a 72-hour period after intravenous administration of 1 g of calcium disodium EDTA. The postinfusion urinary lead excretion of the healthy controls (90.2, range 57.2-161.5 micrograms/3 days/1.73 m2) was higher than the values recently reported for healthy German controls. Similar to earlier studies, we failed to find elevated urinary lead excretion in patients with chronic renal failure without gout. Nevertheless, the EDTA mobilization test identified 2 patients with occult plumbism in this group of patients. Our study also clearly demonstrated that 4 of 6 patients with renal failure who developed gout de novo had underlying plumbism. The high prevalence of increased lead body burden in patients with chronic renal failure, in particular those associated with gout, indicates that lead may contribute to a significant portion of chronic renal disease in our patients. In addition, our data suggest that chronic low-level environmental lead exposure may subtly affect renal function.

Adult↗