Dykeman Ronald, Aguilar-Madrid Guadalupe, Smith Tom, Juárez-Pérez Cuauhtemoc Arturo, Piacitelli Gregory M, Hu Howard, Hernandez-Avila Mauricio
Occupational Health Program, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Am J Ind Med. 2002 Mar;41(3):179-87. doi: 10.1002/ajim.10044.
Lead exposure was investigated among 73 Mexican radiator repair workers (RRWs), 12 members of their family (4 children and 8 wives), and 36 working controls. RRWs were employed at 4 radiator repair shops in Mexico City and 27 shops in Cuernavaca and surrounding areas.
Exposure was assessed directly through the use of personal air sampling and hand wipe samples. In addition, industrial hygiene inspections were performed and detailed questionnaires were administered. Blood lead levels were measured by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS).
The mean (SD) values for blood lead of the RRWs, 35.5 (13.5) microg/dl, was significantly greater than the same values for the working controls, 13.6 (8.7) microg/dl; P < 001. After excluding a single outlier (247 microg/m(3)), air lead levels ranged from 0 to 99 microg/m(3) with a mean (SD) value of 19 (23) microg/m(3) (median = 7.9 microg/m(3)). In a final multivariate regression model of elevated blood lead levels, the strongest predictors were smoking (vs. non-smoking), the number of radiators repaired per day on average, and the use (vs. non-use) of a uniform while at work, which were associated with blood lead elevations of 11.4 microg/dl, 1.95 microg/dl/radiator/day, and 16.4 microg/dl, respectively (all P <.05). Uniform use was probably a risk factor because they were not laundered regularly and consequently served as reservoir of contamination on which RRWs frequently wiped their hands.
Lead exposure is a significant problem of radiator repair work, a small industry that is abundant in Mexico and other developing countries.
对73名墨西哥散热器修理工、其12名家庭成员（4名儿童和8名妻子）以及36名在职对照人员进行了铅暴露调查。散热器修理工受雇于墨西哥城的4家散热器修理店以及库埃纳瓦卡和周边地区的27家修理店。
通过使用个人空气采样和手部擦拭样本直接评估暴露情况。此外，还进行了工业卫生检查并发放了详细问卷。采用石墨炉原子吸收光谱法（AAS）测量血铅水平。
散热器修理工的血铅平均（标准差）值为35.5（13.5）μg/dl，显著高于在职对照人员的血铅平均（标准差）值13.6（8.7）μg/dl；P<0.01。排除一个异常值（247μg/m³）后，空气中铅水平范围为0至99μg/m³，平均（标准差）值为19（23）μg/m³（中位数=7.9μg/m³）。在血铅水平升高的最终多变量回归模型中，最强的预测因素为吸烟（与不吸烟相比）、平均每天修理的散热器数量以及工作时是否穿工作服（与不穿相比），它们分别与血铅升高11.4μg/dl、1.95μg/dl/散热器/天和16.4μg/dl相关（所有P<0.05）。穿工作服可能是一个风险因素，因为工作服未定期清洗，因此成为污染物的储存源，散热器修理工经常用手擦拭工作服。
铅暴露是散热器修理工作中的一个重要问题，散热器修理行业规模较小，在墨西哥和其他发展中国家大量存在。
