Exposed level of workers in the factory next to a led recycling factory

Kim, Jin Ha; Lee, Duk Hee; Lee, Yong Hwan

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine whether workers at a factory next to a lead recycling factory in Pusan, were affected by lead contamination. The mean air lead concentration of lead recycling factory was 0.21mg/m3(TWA=0.05mg/m3). Thirty-nine male workers of Factory A, Cr. plating factory next to the lead recycling factory were exposed group and a comparison group, 62 male workers of Factory B were selected from another Cr. plating factory about 8.5km away from lead recycling factory. Air lead concentration of each workplace was checked for 4 times from August 5 to August 20 in 1995 by low volume air sampler. Each subject was interviewed about age, life-style, smoking, work history, and residence etc, and venous blood was drawn for lead measurement by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. We have observed that air lead concentration and blood lead concentration of Factory A was higher than Factory B(2.6 +/- 1.6 Vs. 1.2 +/- 0.2 microgram/m3, 14.9 +/- 1.6 Vs. 12.2 +/- 1.6 microgram/dl). We believe that other environmental lead sources such as transportation and residence did not affect air lead and blood lead concentration differences of both factory. We concluded that high air lead and blood lead concentration of Factory A were caused by lead contamination generated by the neighboring lead recycling factory.