Early clinical symptoms associated with occupational lead toxicity

ABSTRACT

An epidemiological study of occupation hazard of exposure to lead was made in 184 workers in a Printing press, Benghazi, Libya. The subjects were divided into three group I [32] working close to source of fumes and/or dust, group II [108] working a little distance a way but breathing in the same hall atmoshere, group III [44] clerks in the neighbouring administrative building. They were compared with group IV [145] workers of a Pepsi-Cola factory, Their history and clinical symptomatology relating to gastrointestinal, muscoloskeletal and neurological systems were obtained. Blood lead [Pb B] levels were estimated from randomly selected workers of each group using atomic absorpion spectrophotometry. They mean Pb.B. levels of the exposed groups I and II were 26.16 and 25.60 micro g/dl respectively. Group III and IV showed 15.69 and 21.85 micro g/dl respectively, which are lower than the accepted toxic levels. There was preponderance of gastrointestinal symptoms in group I workers in comparison with other groups. The relative frequencies of muscoloskeletal and neurological symptoms are discussed. There appears to be no correlation between the blood lead level measured and the degree of morbidity observed in the cases studied. Taking early clinical symptoms as a guide of lead toxicity, possible preventive measures to minimize this hazard are suggested