Occupational lead poisoning, animal deaths, and environmental contamination at a scrap smelter

Journal Article · Tue Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1976 · Am. J. Public Health; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.66.6.548· OSTI ID:7118318

Levine, R J; Moore, Jr, R M; LcLaren, G D; Barthel, W F; Landrigan, P J

Occupational lead poisoning and environmental contamination were evaluated at a lead scrap smelter. Thirty of 37 employees (81 percent) had blood lead levels of greater than or equal to 80 ..mu..g/100 ml, indicating unacceptable absorption, and 35 had free erythrocyte protoporphyrin (FEP) levels greater than 60 ..mu..g/100 ml rbc, indicating toxicity of lead on heme metabolism in red blood cells; eight current and previous employees had been hospitalized with lead colic, and another with encephalopathy. Levels of lead in surface soil (1,800 ppM) and vegetation (20,000 ppM) at the smelter were high and decreased with distance. Animals on nearby pasture had died, and lead levels in the blood, milk, and hair of large and small animals were elevated. Adults living within 100 meters of the smelter had higher blood and hair lead levels than controls, who lived at greater distances, but there was no evidence in them of lead toxicity.

• Research Organization: Center for Disease Control, Atlanta
• OSTI ID: 7118318
• Journal Information: Am. J. Public Health; (United States), Journal Name: Am. J. Public Health; (United States) Vol. 66:6; ISSN AJPEA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS
ADULTS
ANIMALS
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
BIOMASS
BLOOD
BLOOD CELLS
BODY
BODY FLUIDS
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
CATS
CATTLE
CONTAMINATION
DEATH
DISEASES
DOGS
DOMESTIC ANIMALS
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
ERYTHROCYTES
HAIR
HEME
HETEROCYCLIC ACIDS
HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
LAND POLLUTION
LEAD
MAMMALS
MAN
METABOLISM
METALS
OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
ORGANS
PERSONNEL
PIGMENTS
PLANTS
POLLUTION
PORPHYRINS
PRIMATES
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
RUMINANTS
SKIN
SMELTING
SOILS
TOXICITY
UPTAKE
VERTEBRATES