Air Quality Criteria for Lead Volume II of II - (NEPIS)(EPA) - US ...

AX6-184
Table AX6-7.1 (cont’d). Recent Studies of Lead Exposure and Genotoxicity
Reference, Study
Location, and
Period Study Description Pb Measurement Findings and Interpretation
Europe
Palus et al. (2003)
Poland
Cross-sectional design.
Battery plant workers: 34 acid battery,
22 alkaline battery, and 52 plant
personnel from departments with no
known exposure to Pb or cadmium.
Lymphocytes isolated from whole blood.
SCE, MN, DNA damage (via comet)
assayed.
Means compared via ANOVA.
Workers considered Pb-exposed if
from acid battery department,
cadmium-exposed if from alkaline,
unexposed if from other department.
Mean blood Pb 504 µg/L for
Pb-exposed workers, 57 µg/L for
cadmium-exposed, and 56 µg/L for
other workers.
Mean (SD)
Pb exposed workers (all combined):
SCEs 7.48 (0.88)
MN 18.63 (5.01)
NDI 1.89 (no SD given)
Cadmium exposed workers (all combined):
SCEs 6.95 (0.79)
MN 15.86 (4.92)
NDI 1.96 (no SD given)
Other workers (all combined):
SCEs 6.28 (1.04)
MN 6.55 (3.88)
NDI 1.86 (no SD given)
Elevation of SCEs and MN vs. controls at p < 0.05 and
p < 0.01, respectively.
Both SCEs and MN elevated among Pb-exposed workers as well
as cadmium-exposed workers compared to controls. Differences
greatest for Pb-exposed workers.
Higher SCE and MN also occurred among Pb-exposed workers
after stratification by smoking status.
No direct control for potential coexposures, but mean blood
cadmium no higher in Pb-exposed than in other worker group.