Severe lead poisoning in the plastics industry: a report of three cases.
BACKGROUND
Lead stabilizers (e.g., lead sulfate, lead stearate) are common additives in plastics used in electrical devices. In 1997, three plastics compounders at one California company were severely lead-poisoned.


METHODS
The poisonings were investigated by interviewing the workers, employer, and treating physician and reviewing medical records and environmental monitoring results. In addition to measuring blood lead levels (BLLs), noninvasive K X-ray fluorescence was used to measure bone lead concentration of the index case.


RESULTS
Blood lead concentrations of the three workers at time of diagnosis were 159, 114, and 108 microg/dl. The worker with highest exposure presented with clinical findings of crampy abdominal pain, constipation, normocytic anemia, fatigue, and reversible azotemia. Bone lead concentration in his tibia, calcaneous, and patella were 102, 219, and 182 ppm, respectively. The poisonings resulted from uncontrolled use of powdered lead sulfate stabilizer.


CONCLUSIONS
Clinicians should be aware of potential serious overexposure to lead in compounding of plastics.
Coyle
Patricia
P
Occupational Health Branch, California Department of Health Services, Oakland, California 94612, USA. pcoyle@dhs.ca.gov
Kosnett
Michael J
MJ
Hipkins
Karen
K
D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000139:chemically induced; D006801:Humans; D007854:Lead / Q000633:toxicity*; D007855:Lead Poisoning / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000517:prevention & control; D010969:Plastics / Q000737:chemistry*; D051437:Renal Insufficiency / Q000139:chemically induced
D010969:Plastics; D007854:Lead; C032722:lead sulfate