title: Blood lead levels in young newspaper vendors.
abstract: Young newspaper vendors spend long hours working in high-traffic areas and may be at risk of lead toxicity. Two groups of these vendors working in areas with different atmospheric lead levels were compared with a control group. Vendors in central Cape Town (mean ambient lead level of 2.1 mg/m3) had a mean blood lead level of 19.5 micrograms/dl, whereas vendors in Bellville (mean ambient lead level of 0.65 mg/m3) had a mean blood lead level of 15.4 micrograms/dl. The mean blood lead level of the control group was 11.0 micrograms/dl. These differences were statistically significant and lend support to the view that direct absorption of atmospheric lead can make a considerable contribution to lead load.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Cape Town.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Kibel
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Kibel
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Little
authors.forename: F H
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Pocock
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D006801:Humans; D007854:Lead / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D009524:Newspapers as Topic; D009790:Occupations; D014505:Urban Population
chemical_list: D007854:Lead