Occupational Lead Neurotoxicity: A Behavioural and Electrophysiological Evaluation. Study Design and Year One Results

Details

• Personal Author:
  Baker, Edward L. Jr. ; Berkey CS ; Dinse GE ; Feldman RG ; Harley JP ; Niles CA ; White RA
• Description:
  To evaluate the effects of chronic lead exposure on the nervous system in adults, a set of neurobehavioural and electrophysiological tests was administered to 99 lead exposed foundry employees and 61 unexposed workers. Current and past blood lead concentrations were used to estimate the degree of lead absorption; all previous blood lead concentrations had been less than or equal to 90 micrograms/100 ml. Characteristic signs (such as wrist extensor weakness) or symptoms (such as colic) of lead poisoning were not seen. Sensory conduction in the sural nerve was not affected. By contrast, various neurobehavioural functions deteriorated with increasing lead burden. Workers with blood lead concentrations between 40 and 60 micrograms/100 ml showed impaired performance on tests of verbal concept formation, visual/motor performance, memory, and mood. Thus impairment in central nervous system function in lead exposed adults occurred in the absence of peripheral nervous system derangement and increased in severity with increasing lead dose. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Behavior Lead Lead Poisoning Nervous System Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Poisoning Safety
• Keywords:
  Blood Lead Levels Lead Absorption Lead Poisoning Nervous System Function Neurological System Neurotoxicity Occupational Exposure
• ISSN:
  0007-1072
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Massachusetts ; OSHA Region 1
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  352-361
• Volume:
  41
• Issue:
  3
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20060609
• Citation:
  Br J Ind Med 1984 Aug; 41(3):352-361
• Contact Point Address:
  Dr Baker, Harvard School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115
• CAS Registry Number:
  Lead (CAS RN 7439-92-1)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1984
• Performing Organization:
  University Hospital (Boston), Boston, Massachusetts
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  19800401
• Source Full Name:
  British Journal of Industrial Medicine
• End Date:
  19830331
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:eb66001679343846f7c04d6dcd7acaa1c99b96df49f744e9a5fda2563809a5dcf9f1ae6d04d46fa5473944af9b3e7ab0d529d2a74a78b38dfd7a9db40ebef317
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/224466/cdc_224466_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 221.84 KB ]