I. Meyer et al., Factors affecting lead and cadmium levels in house dust in industrial areas of eastern Germany, SCI TOTAL E, 234(1-3), 1999, pp. 25-36
The indoor exposure of 381 women (52-59 years old) to lead and cadmium was
assessed by measuring the levels of the contaminants in sedimented house du
st. The study was conducted in the areas surrounding the towns of Hettstedt
, a region of mining and smelting of non-ferrous ores, of Bitterfeld, a cen
tre of chemical production and coal mining, and of Zerbst, a primarily agri
cultural area. Factors that were significantly associated with lead and cad
mium surface loading rates included the city area of residence, urban envir
onment of dwelling, ventilation behaviour, type of heating, year of constru
ction of building and crowding in the sampling room. In metal-contaminated
areas, the transport of heavy metals into the home from external sources an
d their subsequent resuspension into the air due to normal household activi
ties are significant factors in the exposure to heavy metals, whereas in un
polluted areas indoor sources play the major role. (C) 1999 Elsevier Scienc
e B.V. All rights reserved.