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KMID : 0378019690120020059
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New Medical Journal
1969 Volume.12 No. 2 p.59 ~ p.66
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A Study on Health Status of Lead Workers
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Abstract
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In order to compare the health status of lead workers engaging in different lead industries, 217 workers who are exposed to inorganic lead at smelting and refining of lead, battery manufacturing, lead mining, printing, ceramics and other manufacturing industries, and 47 workers who are exposed to organic lead, tetraethyl lead (T.E.L.) are examined on their clinical signs and symptoms, urinary lead, together with hemoglobin, blood specific gravity, hematocrit determinations and red blood cell count.
1. Variable as the lead concentrartions of air in lead industries are, smelting and refining of lead, battery manufacturing, lead mining, printing, and ceramics and other manufacturing industries in order showed high concentrations on the average. The lead concentration of air in smelting and refining of lead and battery manufacturing industries far exceed the threshold limit of 0.2mg/m3.
2. Clinical signs and symptoms complained of by the lead workers are more frequent among those who are working in industries where the lead concentration of air is higher, with an exception of the high rate in printing industry showing 52.4%. Workers exposed to the organic lead are complaining chiefly of neuropsychiatric symptoms.
3. Contrary to the lower values of hemoglobin, blood specific gravity and hematocrit determinations and red blood cell count, blood and urinary lead estimations show higher values among workers in smelting and refining of lead and battery manufacturing industries.
4. Health hazards caused by the exposure to lead is dependent on the concentration of lead in working environment and not on the duration of working years.
5. In large proportion of workers in the smelting and refining of lead and battery manufacturing industries, the urinary coproporphyrin determination, punctate basophilia count, and blood and urinary lead estimations exceed their safe levels. There, however, is little difference between industries of abnormal cases on hemoglobin, blood specific gravity and hematocrit determinations, and red blood cell count.
6. Unhealthy lead workers found by the first screening tests amount to 48.7 % in smelting and refining of lead and 60.0 % in battery manufacturing industry, and proved by the second screening tests that 41.00/6, and 50.0010 of workers in respective industry are unhealthy.
7. In summary, prevalence of unhealthy lead workers become greater when the atmospheric lead concentration in working environment exceeds the 0.2mg/m´.
For the early detection of the unhealthy lead workers, the diagnosis should be based on the results of a few tests applicable to each examination and that the examination should be repeated periodically.
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