Interrelation between urinary delta-aminolevulinic acid (ALA), serum ALA, and blood lead in workers exposed to lead.
Using a fluorometric HPLC method, we determined delta-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) in sera and urine samples from 16 lead workers with blood lead levels ranging from 19 to 107 microG/100 ml. The concentration of ALA in serum correlated highly with the urinary ALA concentration (gamma = 0.957 for ALA mg/1; gamma = 0.967 for ALA mg/g creatinine). The ALA concentrations in the serum of lead workers ranged from 11 to 151 micrograms/1 with a mean of 51 micrograms/1. In addition, the concentrations of urinary ALA (mg/g creatinine) and serum ALA micrograms/1) had a strong correlation with blood lead concentrations (gamma = 0.838 and 0.892, respectively). These data indicate that the measurement of serum ALA, as well as urinary ALA, is very useful for the biological monitoring of occupational lead exposure.
Tomokuni
K
K
Department of Community Health Science, Saga Medical School, Japan.
Ichiba
M
M
Fujishiro
K
K
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000622:Aminolevulinic Acid / Q000097:blood*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007854:Lead / Q000009:adverse effects*; D007855:Lead Poisoning / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000175:diagnosis; D014896:Welding
D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D007854:Lead; D000622:Aminolevulinic Acid