Blood lead levels of traffic- and gasoline-exposed professionals in the city of Athens.
During the past 10 y, blood lead levels in the population of Athens, Greece, have decreased steadily. This decrease has paralleled the reduction of tetraethyl lead in gasoline and the introduction of unleaded fuel. Blood lead levels and other parameters were studied in 42 gas-station employees, 47 taxi drivers, 47 bus drivers, and 36 controls, all of whom worked in Athens. The blood lead levels did not differ significantly among the four groups (5.64+/-1.7 microg/dl, 5.96+/-1.7 microg/dl, 5.88+/-1.3 microg/dl, and 5.76+/-1.7 microg/dl, respectively). Glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (i.e., aspartate aminotransferase) and glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (i.e., alanine aminotransferase) were elevated in gas-station employees, and the former was elevated in taxi drivers. Gas-station employees who smoked had higher blood lead levels than their nonsmoking counterparts. The absence of any difference in the blood lead levels of individuals for whom physical examinations were either normal or abnormal suggests that either lead was not the cause of increased blood lead levels or that its contribution may have been important in the past.
Kapaki
E N
EN
Department of Neurology, Athens University School of Medicine, Aeginition Hospital, Greece.
Varelas
P N
PN
Syrigou
A I
AI
Spanaki
M V
MV
Andreadou
E
E
Kakami
A E
AE
Papageorgiou
C T
CT
D000328:Adult; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005742:Gasoline; D006115:Greece; D006801:Humans; D007854:Lead / Q000097:blood; D007855:Lead Poisoning / Q000097:blood* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000209:etiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000209:etiology; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D013756:Tetraethyl Lead / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014186:Transportation; D014504:Urban Health
D000393:Air Pollutants; D005742:Gasoline; D013756:Tetraethyl Lead; D007854:Lead; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase