Ml. Bleecker et al., RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BONE LEAD AND OTHER INDEXES OF LEAD-EXPOSURE IN SMELTER WORKERS, Toxicology letters, 77(1-3), 1995, pp. 241-248
The relationship between blood lead (B-Pb) indices and bone lead was d
etermined in 81 smelter workers. Lead exposure had changed dramaticall
y since the smelter opened 27 years ago; therefore, workers were strat
ified by years employed. Seventy workers, hired prior to 1979 (Group 1
), had a mean (range) age of 46 years (35-64), mean years of employmen
t 23 (16-27), mean years of education 8 (0-13), mean B-Pb 26 mu g dl(-
1) (13-43), mean time-weighted average (TWA) B-Pb 44 mu g dl(-1) (23-5
7) and mean integrated blood lead index (IBL), 983 mu g Pb year dl(-1)
(537-1437). Eleven workers, hired after 1978 (Group 2), had a mean ag
e of 34 years (24-55), mean years of employment 11 (5-14), mean years
of education 11 (8-12), mean B-Pb 26 mu g dl(-1) (8-13), mean TWA 33 m
u g dl(-1) (17-44) and mean IBL 378 mu g year dl(-1) (81-555). Bone le
ad measured in the mid-tibia used K-X-ray fluorescence. Mean bone lead
in Group 1 and Group 2 was 45 (-7-90) and 11 (-12-33) mu g Pb (g bone
mineral)(-1), respectively. Linear regression analysis demonstrated a
significant relationship between bone lead and B-Pb indices. B-Pb acc
ounted for 10.8%, years employed 12.7%, TWA 31.4% and IBL 36% of the b
one lead variance. Using a previously established relationship, the me
an bone lead predicted a mean B-Pb content of approximately 8 mu g dl(
-1) in Group 1 as compared to 2 mu g dl(-1) in Group 2. The mean B-Pb
was 26 mu g dl(-1) in both groups despite differences in contribution
from bone stores. Differential contribution of ambient air lead to B-P
b in the two groups of current workers with similar job titles may ref
lect use of personal protective equipment.