Occupational and Environmental Lead and PCB Exposure at a Scrap Metal Dealer

Details

• Personal Author:
  Malkin, Robert
• Description:
  Blood testing for lead (7439921) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) was conducted in workers at two adjacent scrap metal companies in New Jersey. The site was contaminated with lead and PCBs, and had been placed on the EPA National Priorities List for cleanup. A questionnaire about work history and risk factors for lead exposure was completed by workers, and blood samples were collected at the work site. Seventeen workers participated. Blood lead levels ranged from 4.0 to 39.8 micrograms/deciliter, with a mean of 19.9 micrograms/deciliter. Blood levels in four (24%) of workers exceeded 25 micrograms/deciliter. PCB levels ranged from less than 1.0 to 65.3 parts per billion. Blood lead levels were correlated with age and number of cigarettes smoked at work. Workers involved in sorting tasks had the highest blood lead levels, and workers who operated press machines had the highest PCB levels. Eating lunch in the lunchroom was associated with lower lead and PCB levels. The authors conclude that worker blood lead levels indicate increased lead exposure, and further research is needed to determine the extent of lead exposure in this occupation. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Environmental Pollution Hematologic Tests Metals, Heavy Metal Workers Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Polychlorinated Biphenyls Safety Smokers Tobacco Products Workplace

  More +
• Keywords:
  Blood-analysis Cigarette-smoking Environmental-contamination Heavy-metals Humans Metal-workers NIOSH-Author Occupational-exposure Polychlorinated-biphenyls Workplace-studies
• ISSN:
  0013-9351
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  New Jersey ; Ohio ; OSHA Region 2 ; 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:
  20-23
• Volume:
  70
• Issue:
  1
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:00234760
• Citation:
  Environ Res 1995 Jul; 70(1):20-23
• CAS Registry Number:
  Lead (CAS RN 7439-92-1)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1995
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  Environmental Research
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:9a6f1ec4ebbec31182e15d7ca93d1fc9540b5d331c10ed1fb7189228c970eca0558d92d00495f76788857758e3fb7e399e9174e118e7f1f64466022cdf034699
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/197739/cdc_197739_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 394.07 KB ]