BLOOD LEAD LEVELS IN RABAT (MOROCCO)

OBJECTIVES: No current data is available on plumbism in Morocco, We co nducted this work to evaluate blood lead levels in inhabitants oi the Rabat region. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study included 385 subjects, 3 00 men and 85 women, age range 18-55 years, who were volunteer blood d onors at the Rabat blood bank Ali subjects responded to a short questi onnaire cancerning type of lodging, cigarette smoking, occupation. Blo od lead levels were assayed by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectro metry (ICPMS). RESULTS: Mean blood lead levels for all subjects was 86 .9 +/- 42.1 mu g/l (92.9 +/- 51.7 mu g/l for men and 80.9 +/- 32.6 mu g/l for women). Blood lead levels increased more rapidly with age in w omen than in men. levels in subjects who lived in residential urban ar eas were lower than those living in the old Arab center. Levels were h igher in smokers than in non-smokers and in subjects with an employmen t than in those without. CONCLUSION: Mean blood lead levels in the Rab at region are similar to those currently observed in other countries w here this same type of study has been conducted. Similar factors are a ssociated with high mean blood lead levels. (C) 1997, Masson, Paris.