title: Assessment of exposure to cadmium, lead, manganese, and nickel in workers from foundries.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In this study, biological exposure indicators were used to assess the exposure of workers to cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), manganese (Mn), and nickel (Ni) in nonferrous metal smelters.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 273 male participants (178 exposed and 95 nonexposed control group), working in nonferrous metal foundries located in southern Brazil, were evaluated based on biological indicators, environmental levels, and different types of work performed by the participants. Blood Pb (BPb), urinary Cd (UCd), urinary Mn (UMn), and urinary Ni (UNi) levels were quantified by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry with Zeeman background correction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant differences between the exposed and nonexposed groups were observed for all of the analyzed elements. The average levels of BPb were higher than the recommended occupational exposure level. Relatively low concentrations were found for UCd, UMn, and UNi.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although metal production is an important segment of the Brazilian economy, information related to employee health in this sector is scarce. The environmental levels are determinant in occupational exposure in foundries. In companies where air levels of Pb, Cd, and Mn were above the established limits, the different types of activity did not represent an important influence on the biological levels found among workers. In situations with low air levels of these metals, the workers from the "melting" sector were actually more vulnerable.
authors.affiliation: Toxicology Laboratory, Department of Pathology, Health Center Sciences, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil Graduate Program in Toxicology and Analytical Toxicology, Department of Clinical and Toxicological Analysis, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil claudia.regina@ufsc.br.
authors.forename: Claudia Regina
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Dos Santos
authors.affiliation: Hygiene Division, Ministry of Labor, Fundacentro, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Carlos Sérgio
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: da Silva
authors.affiliation: Graduate Program in Toxicology and Analytical Toxicology, Department of Clinical and Toxicological Analysis, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Elizabeth Souza
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Nascimento
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008669:Metallurgy; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D013054:Spectrophotometry, Atomic
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D019216:Metals, Heavy
keywords: Biomakers; cadmium; lead; manganese; nickel; occupational health