BLOOD LEAD LEVELS OF TRAFFIC-EXPOSED AND GASOLINE-EXPOSED PROFESSIONALS IN THE CITY OF ATHENS

During the past 10 y, blood lead levels in the population of Athens, G reece, have decreased steadily. This decrease has paralleled the reduc tion of tetraethyl lead in gasoline and the introduction of unleaded f uel. Blood lead levels and other parameters were studied in 42 gas-sta tion employees, 47 taxi drivers, 47 bus drivers, and 36 controls, all of whom worked in Athens. The blood lead levels did not differ signifi cantly among the four groups (5.64 +/- 1.7 mu g/dl, 5.96 +/- 1.7 mu g/ dl, 5.88 +/- 1.3 mu g/dl, and 5.76 +/- 1.7 mu g/dl, respectively). Glu tamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (i.e., aspartate aminotransferase) and glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (i.e., alanine aminotransferase) were el evated in gas-station employees, and the former was elevated in taxi d rivers, Gas-station employees who smoked had higher blood lead levels than their nonsmoking counterparts. The absence of any difference in t he blood lead levels of individuals for whom physical examinations wer e either normal or abnormal suggests that either lead was not the caus e of increased blood lead levels or that its contribution may have bee n important in the past.