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Title: Chelatable lead body burden (by calcium-disodium EDTA) and blood lead concentration in man

Journal Article · · J. Occup. Med.; (United States)

The chelatable part of lead body burden was measured in 32 workers and seven office workers after an infusion test with CaNa/sub 2/EDTA. The workers had been exposed to lead at a lead and zinc processing unit for one to three years (mean one year). There was good correlation (r = 0.87) between blood lead and chelatable urinary lead excretion described by the equation y = 0 07.10/sup 0.46 x/. From this equation it can be predicted that the generally accepted limit value for chelatable urinary lead excretion, 0.42 ..mu..mol/mmol CaNa/sub 2/EDTA administered per 24 hours (3.1 ..mu..mol/24 hours or 650 ..mu..g/24 hours), corresponds to a blood lead concentration (PbB) of 1.7 ..mu..mol/l (or 35 ..mu..g/100 ml), which is lower than the commonly accepted limit value of 2.9 ..mu..mol/1 (or 60..mu..g/100 ml) for occupationally lead-exposed persons. There was a better correlation between the chelatable lead excretion and the urinary ALA-excretion (r = 0.45; p < 0.001) than between PbB and the urinary ALA-excretion (r = 0.26; p > 0.05).

Research Organization:
Univ. of Copenhagen, Denmark
OSTI ID:
6597034
Journal Information:
J. Occup. Med.; (United States), Vol. 23:1
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English