Original scientific paper
Environmental lead contamination and biological indices of increased lead absorption
Danica Prpić-Majić
; Institut za medicinska istraživanja i medicinu rada JAZU
Janko Sušnik
; Koroški zdravstveni dom, Ravne na Koroškem
Mirka Fugaš
; Institut za medicinska istraživanja i medicinu rada JAZU
Abstract
A group of inhabitants living near a lead smelting plant and a control group were examined for several biological parameters that can be changed under the effect of lead. The atmospheric lead concentration around the lead smelting plant was by one order of magnitude higher than in other communities. Among 71 subjects from the vicinity of the lead smelting plant, 37 had never been occupationally exposed to lead (Group I), while 34 subjects used to work in places with the increased lead exposure for a longer or shorter period (Group II). Compared with the control group, in the inhabitants living near the lead smelting plant the blood lead and the urine delta-aminolevulinic acid were significantly increased, while the blood delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase was significantly decreased. A statistically significant difference in the blood lead and D-DALK activity between group I and group II was recorded in accordance with the difference in lead exposure. The results obtained prove the usefulness of the analysis of the above parameters as an indication of environmental lead exposure.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
167991
URI
Publication date:
25.6.1974.
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