<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To analyze the urinary
cadmium,
blood cadmium and urinary beta2-MG of
workers in a
zinc powder processing
plant before and after the
cadmium dust control, and to explore the effects of
dust control on the prevention and
treatment of
cadmium hazards.</p><p><b>
METHODS</b>The on-site occupational
hazard survey was used to investigate the changes of
urine cadmium,
blood cadmium and beta3-MG of 84
workers exposed to
cadmium before and after the
treatment by
self-control
analysis for evaluating the effects of
dust control
measures in a
zinc powder processing
plant.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>
After treatment of the
cadmium dust, the geometric mean of
zinc dust in the
workplace significantly decreased from 3.38 mg/m3 to 2.22 mg/m3 (P < 0.01). The geometric mean concentration of
blood cadmium [(2.19 +/- 1.19) microg/L] and
urine cadmium [(1.96 +/- 0.74) microg/g Cr] before
treatment were significantly higher than those of one year [(1.63 +/- 0.83) microg/L] and [(1.25 +/- 0.83) microg/g Cr] and two years [(1.36 +/- 0.95) microg/L] and [(0.94 +/- 0.72) microg/g Cr] after the
cadmium dust control (P < 0.01), respectively. The positive correlations
analysis between
urine cadmium and
blood cadmium concentration of one and two years before and after the
cadmium dust treatment implied that there was significant difference (r = 0.466, P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>
Dust treatment could reduce the impact of low concentration
cadmium on the
urine cadmium and
blood cadmium concentrations of the
workers exposed to
cadmium, and effectively prevent the
cadmium poisoning.</p>