Lead exposure in battery-factory workers is not associated with anemia

Anemia is a manifestation of lead toxicity. However, there are conflicting reports of its prevalence among lead-exposed workers, and it is uncertain w hether they should be;monitored by periodic hemoglobin (Hb) examinations. T o explore the relationship between Hb and lead exposure, we examined the co rrelation between Hb, blood lead (PbB), and zinc protoporphyrin (ZPP) level s in 961 blood samples obtained from 94 workers in a lead-acid battery plan t in. Israel between 1980 and 1993. Blood lead levels exceeded 60 mu g/dL ( 2.90 mu mol/L) in 105 (14%) of the blood samples. The correlation between P bB and logZPP was 0.594. Hb levels did not correlate with PbB or ZPP. We co nclude that (a) periodic Hb determinations ns are not a useful indicator of lean exposure in Israeli industrial workers; (b) the discrepancies between the reported correlation between PbB and Hb levels;remain unexplained and in need of further study; and (c) a finding of anemia in a person with PbB levels of up to 80 mu g/dL should be considered to be due to lend toxicity only after other causes for anemia have been excluded.