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

Details

• Personal Author:
  Barthel WF ; Landrigan, Philip J. ; Levine RJ ; McLaren GD ; Moore RM Jr.
• Description:
  Occupational lead (7439921) poisoning and environmental contamination were evaluated at a lead scrap smelter. Thirty of 37 employees (81 percent) had blood lead levels of over 80 micrograms per 100 milliliters, indicating unacceptable absorption, and 35 had free erythrocyte protoporphyrin levels over 60 micrograms per 100 milliliters packed red blood cells, indication 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 (1,800ppm) and vegetation (20,000ppm) 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. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Environmental Pollution Metals Metals, Heavy Metal Workers Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Biological Sampling Blood Lead Levels Environmental Contamination Heavy Metals Industrial Emission Sources Metal Scrap NIOSH-Author Smelters Smelting
• ISSN:
  0090-0036
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Maryland ; OSHA Region 3
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  OOHSB
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  66
• Issue:
  6
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:00058867
• Citation:
  Am J Public Health 1976 Jun; 66(6):548-552
• CAS Registry Number:
  Lead (CAS RN 7439-92-1)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1976
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  American Journal of Public Health
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:7f6d7af2216076eabc69acabe8a1aaeb5665dc25c2c89dd86dd01211f1224494beeffd4d22c7127408ab1007ea372499d70b676a02dc56b7eeb1f9fcc0bcebd6
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/184120/cdc_184120_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 785.74 KB ]