Influence of task-based airborne lead exposures on blood lead levels: a case study of informal automobile repair artisans in Nakuru town, Kenya
| Autor: | Wilkister N. Moturi, Owino Alfred Odongo, Meshack Obonyo |
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| Rok vydání: | 2019 |
| Předmět: |
medicine.medical_specialty
Permissible exposure limit Environmental Engineering 010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences business.industry Public health Medical screening General Medicine 010501 environmental sciences medicine.disease 01 natural sciences Lead poisoning Intervention measures Geochemistry and Petrology Adverse health effect Environmental health medicine Environmental Chemistry Population study business Lead (electronics) 0105 earth and related environmental sciences General Environmental Science Water Science and Technology |
| Zdroj: | Environmental Geochemistry and Health. 42:1893-1903 |
| ISSN: | 1573-2983 0269-4042 |
| Popis: | Lead poisoning is an emerging worldwide public health concern, especially in the developing countries. Occupational tasks such as spray painting and welding in informal automobile repair enterprises present risks of exposures to lead generally through inhalation and ingestion. The artisans therefore risk high blood lead (BPb) levels, which is critical to chronic adverse health effects of lead. The study aimed at assessing the influence of occupational tasks on personal airborne lead exposures and to evaluate the association between these exposures with blood lead (BPb) levels among the artisans. A cross-sectional study was conducted in ten informal automobile repair workshops. Task-specific personal inhalable air samples and blood samples were collected concurrently for 20 participants performing five distinct occupational tasks. Lead levels were analysed using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy and data analysed by analysis of variance, simple and multiple linear regressions. The results indicated significant differences in airborne lead (PbA) exposure levels in different occupational tasks (p = 0.000). Lead–acid battery repairs recorded mean PbA exposure level of [76.11 ± (10.81 SE) µg/m3] exceeding the WHO 50 µg/m3 airborne lead permissible exposure limit. The average (PbA) exposure level was 22.55 ± (5.05 SE) µg/m3, while the mean (BPb) level was 25.08 ± (3.48 SE) µg/dl. A significant positive correlation between task-based airborne lead with blood lead levels was observed (r = 0.68, p = 0.001). In conclusion, the occupational tasks influenced personal airborne lead exposure levels, which in turn was an important predictor of blood lead levels. The study recommends lead exposure assessments, medical screening and intervention measures to minimize the risk and consequences of occupational exposures to lead among the study population. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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