Lead exposure of workers in the ceramics industry and relevant factors

To clarify lead exposure and factors relevant to it, an occupational health survey and air lead-concentration survey were conducted among 425 workers in the ceramics industry in the Seto region in Aichi Prefecture. As for biological monitoring, blood lead level was measured according to sex, job, product, factory size and duration of lead exposure. The following major findings were obtained in the present analysis. Workers making dolomite novelties showed higher blood lead levels than those making porcelain novelties, semi-porcelain novelties and tableware. The difference in blood lead level by job was statistically significant, but not that by factory size. In males, the highest blood lead level was found for spray painting work (28.7 micrograms/dl), followed by glazing work (28.0 micrograms/dl), kiln work (23.3 micrograms/dl) and painting work (22.3 micrograms/dl). In females, the blood lead level for painting work (13.5 micrograms/dl) was lower than those for glazing work (26.1 micrograms/dl) and kiln work (31.4 micrograms/dl). The blood lead level was significantly increased with the number of years of lead exposure in females (painting work). It was coincidentally clarified that the environmental lead concentration varied according to the job in which workers were engaged. As protective measures against lead exposure for workers in the ceramics industry, the development of nonlead paint and glaze and the introduction of more effective dust collectors at the workplace should be established.