Industrial blood lead levels in the South Island during 1988 and 1989: trends and follow up patterns.
OBJECTIVE
to assess trends in industrial lead exposure and the monitoring programmes in the South Island of New Zealand.


METHODS
during the period 1 January 1988 to 31 December 1989, industrial lead exposure was analysed in 1425 workers in at risk occupations and the efficiency of retesting programmes was determined.


RESULTS
forty-four percent of these workers had red cell lead levels above 1.9 mumol/L, the top of the reference range for an unexposed population, and 71 individuals had levels exceeding the recommended action limits (males greater than 5.0 mumol/L, and females greater than 3.8 mumol/L). Although most occupational groups showed a small decline in mean red cell lead levels, the pattern of exposure was similar to previous reports. On average, only 43% of exposed workers were retested within the recommended period and 32% of these workers were not retested within 2 years of having a raised blood lead level.


CONCLUSIONS
retesting was inefficient but was most reliable when industrial health nurses were employed for monitoring. Not all lead poisoning comes from the traditional lead based industries and significant decreases were found in workers whose primary exposure is to lead from petrol.
Grant
S
S
Biochemistry Department, Princess Margaret Hospital, Christchurch.
Walmsley
T A
TA
George
P M
PM
D000359:Aftercare / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends; D002985:Clinical Protocols / Q000592:standards; D004526:Efficiency; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D062665:Epidemiological Monitoring; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006400:Hematocrit; D006801:Humans; D007854:Lead / Q000097:blood; D007855:Lead Poisoning / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000451:nursing; D008297:Male; D009520:New Zealand / Q000453:epidemiology; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000451:nursing; D009785:Occupational Health Nursing / Q000592:standards; D009790:Occupations / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013997:Time Factors
D007854:Lead