Lead Exposure in Mexican Radiator Repair Workers

Details

• Personal Author:
  Aguilar-Madrid G ; Dykeman, Ronald W. ; Hernandez-Avila M ; Hu H ; Juarez-Perez CA ; Piacitelli, Gregory M. ; Smith T
• Description:
  Lead exposure was investigated among 73 Mexican radiator repair workers (RRWs), 12 members of their family (4 children and 8 wives), and 36 working controls. RRWs were employed at 4 radiator repair shops in Mexico City and 27 shops in Cuernavaca and surrounding areas. Exposure was assessed directly through the use of personal air sampling and hand wipe samples. In addition, industrial hygiene inspections were performed and detailed questionnaires were administered. Blood lead levels were measured by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS). The mean (SD) values for blood lead of the RRWs, 35.5 (13.5) microg/dl, was significantly greater than the same values for the working controls, 13.6 (8.7) microg/dl; P < 001. After excluding a single outlier (247 microg/m(3)), air lead levels ranged from 0 to 99 microg/m(3) with a mean (SD) value of 19 (23) microg/m(3) (median = 7.9 microg/m(3)). In a final multivariate regression model of elevated blood lead levels, the strongest predictors were smoking (vs. non-smoking), the number of radiators repaired per day on average, and the use (vs. non-use) of a uniform while at work, which were associated with blood lead elevations of 11.4 microg/dl, 1.95 microg/dl/radiator/day, and 16.4 microg/dl, respectively (all P <.05). Uniform use was probably a risk factor because they were not laundered regularly and consequently served as reservoir of contamination on which RRWs frequently wiped their hands. Lead exposure is a significant problem of radiator repair work, a small industry that is abundant in Mexico and other developing countries. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Automobiles Dust Lead Occupational Diseases Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Lead Automobile-repair-shops Humans Industrial Hygiene Lead-compounds Lead-dust Lead-fumes Occupational-diseases Occupational-exposure Occupational Disease Radiator Repair

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• ISSN:
  0271-3586
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Georgia ; Massachusetts ; Ohio ; OSHA Region 1 ; OSHA Region 4 ; 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:
  179-187
• Volume:
  41
• Issue:
  3
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20022456
• Citation:
  Am J Ind Med 2002 Mar; 41(3):179-187
• Contact Point Address:
  Howard Hu, Channing Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 181 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115
• Email:
  howard.hu@channing.harvard.edu
• CAS Registry Number:
  Lead (CAS RN 7439-92-1)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2002
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  American Journal of Industrial Medicine
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:aca1bd493044b1c680841b6a40d04d5a76fc048e3c31ae73f91ef8d0dcc5e2df64d4c6ac711e45a6420df3e6060887ae329fc12d4544e0bc74cd59b7c24a0c60
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/199227/cdc_199227_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 119.03 KB ]