Occupational and environmental human lead exposure in Brazil.
The purpose of this paper is to present a review of data on assessment of exposure and adverse effects due to environmental and occupational lead exposure in Brazil. Epidemiological investigations on children lead exposure around industrial and mining areas have shown that lead contamination is an actual source of concern. Lead in gasoline has been phasing out since the 1980s, and it is now completely discontinued. The last lead mining and lead refining plant was closed in 1995, leaving residual environmental lead contamination which has recently been investigated using a multidisciplinary approach. Moreover, there are hundreds of small battery recycling plants and secondary smelting facilities all over the country, which produce focal urban areas of lead contamination. Current regulatory limits for workplace lead exposure have shown to be inadequate as safety limits according to a few studies carried out lately.
Paoliello
M M B
MM
Departamento de Patologia, Análises Clínicas e Toxicológicas, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Paraná, and Centro de Controle de Intoxicações, Hospital Universitário da UNICAMP, Brazil. monibas@sercomtel.com.br
De Capitani
E M
EM
D001822:Body Burden; D001938:Brazil; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood / Q000633:toxicity; D005742:Gasoline / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007854:Lead / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood / Q000633:toxicity; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis; D000623:Porphobilinogen Synthase / Q000378:metabolism
D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D005742:Gasoline; D007854:Lead; D000623:Porphobilinogen Synthase