title: Chewing electric wire coatings: an unusual source of lead poisoning.
abstract: This report describes a case of lead poisoning occurring in an electrician as the result of an unusual personal habit, namely, the chewing of lead-containing coatings of electric wires. A coating chewing test showed that a few minutes after beginning chewing, saliva lead concentration increased from 10 micrograms/l to several milligrams per liter. This case is an example of poisoning caused by an occupationally related source (coatings containing lead) as a consequence of a singular and unconventional worker's habit.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Medicina Preventiva, Occupazionale e di comunità dell'Università di Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Franco
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cottica
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Minoia
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D004560:Electricity; D006801:Humans; D007854:Lead / Q000032:analysis; D007855:Lead Poisoning / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D008409:Mastication; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D007854:Lead