Exhaust-Related Lead Exposure in Traffic Policemen Working at Intersections

Authors: Nesrin KOCABIYIK

Abstract: Lead is a well-known toxin, and the spectrum of lead-induced disease has been well described. Chronic excessive exposure to lead is widespread in industrialized societies. For this reason, we investigated whether policeman working at intersections have high blood lead levels or not. Lead levels in the blood of 59 policeman working at cross roads with traffic jams were measured by atomic aborption spectrophotometry in 1992. Thirty housewives and thirty healthy male volunteers away from dense traffic were also enrollled in the study with confirmed consent as a control group. Mean blood lead level with standard deviation of the policeman and valunteers were 20.3±1.4 µg/dl and 12.2±1.0 µg/dl, respectively. Student t-test and Chi-square were used for statistical analysis. According to the results, lead levels in the policemenÕs blood were significantly higher than those of the control group. Years of police work and smoking habits had no effect on lead levels. Much attention should be paid to prevent chronic lead intoxication due to occuplational exposure in adults.

Keywords: Serum lead levels, occupational exposure.