title: Use of bone mineral content determination by X-ray absorptiometry in the evaluation of osteodystrophy among workers exposed to aluminium powders.
abstract: Within the framework of a cross-sectional study, we investigated 61 employees in an aluminium powder factory to see if aluminium had an influence on bone mineral content using the non-invasive method of bone density measurement. Thirty-two workers had been employed for, on average, 151 months in the area of aluminium powder production. Twenty-nine employees in the same factory, who had not been engaged in the production of aluminium powder, served as controls. The groups differed significantly in the concentrations of aluminium in urine and plasma. The bone mineral content, which was determined in the lumbar spine by means of photon absorptiometry showed no significant difference between the groups. The bone density value amounted to 1.00 g/cm2 for those exposed and 1.02 g/cm2 for the control group (median values). No correlation could be determined between the values obtained from the biological monitoring of the plasma or the duration of exposure and the bone density values. To summarise, using osteodensitometry as the method of investigation here, no influence could be detected for an occupational exposure to aluminium powders on the mineral salt content of the skeletal system in the area of the lumbar spine.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Occupational and Social Medicine, University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Federal Republic of Germany.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Schmid
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Angerer
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Letzel
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sturm
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lehnert
mesh_terms: D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D000328:Adult; D000535:Aluminum / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000652:urine; D015519:Bone Density / Q000187:drug effects*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006801:Humans; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000535:Aluminum