Lead Intoxication Associated with Chewing Plastic Wire Coating – Ohio

Details

• Journal Article:
  Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report
• Personal Author:
  Kelley, Michael ; Walson, P. ; Thorton, D. ; Halpin, T. J.
• Description:
  A venous blood lead (7439921) level of 50 micrograms/deciliter (microg/dl) was detected in a 46 year old man during a routine preemployment study. He reported no exposure to known sources of lead but he did report numbness of his fingers and palms, tinnitus, and a possible decrease in his skill at arithmetical calculations. He had been working for about 20 years as a microwave technician during military service and at a television station, but had no history of lead exposure. No activities or hobbies suggested any exposure either. His home had been built after the ban for lead paint was in place and although he drank well water, so did other members of his family and none of them had elevated lead levels. He was treated with dimercaptosuccinic-acid in March, and his blood lead level decreased to 13microg/dl on April 4. However, by May 15 his level was 49microg/dl and by July 23 it was 56microg/dl. He reported at this time that he had a habit of chewing on the plastic insulation that he stripped off the ends of electrical wires for about 20 years. The colored coatings on these wires were found to contain 10,000 to 39,000 micrograms of lead per gram of coating. He was told to break this habit and a neuropsychiatric test was planned. An editorial note discussed the use of lead compounds in colored plastic products and polyvinyl-chloride plastic products. Although ingestion of lead from plastic coatings may be an uncommon source of lead exposure, workers would be warned of the potential hazard. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Electricity Hematologic Tests Lead Lead Poisoning Metals, Heavy Occupational Health Plastics Safety
• Keywords:
  NIOSH-Author; Lead-poisoning; Blood-analysis; Heavy-metals; Electrical-workers; Plastics; Electrical-insulation; Humans
• Source:
  MMWR 1993 Jun; 42(24):465-467
• Series:
  Weekly Report: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)
• ISSN:
  0149-2195
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Ohio ; OSHA Region 5
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DSHEFS - Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  3 pdf pages
• Volume:
  42
• Issue:
  24
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:00235882
• Citation:
  MMWR 1993 Jun; 42(24):465-467
• CAS Registry Number:
  Lead (CAS RN 7439-92-1)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1993
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Collection(s):
  Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:c9d9f48a85e63fd830775094ea547a44591bf6f74d21d14d5160778f78732a45ca15c65f11ee36c5545220c9a4bd491b411285dc7b362d386eed3a3783a322c1
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/183164/cdc_183164_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 27.44 KB ]