[Asessment of occupational exposure to lead in Poland].

The aim of the study was to assess the current occupational exposure to lead in Poland and to evaluate the competence of laboratories responsible for biological monitoring and analysis of health risks in workers exposed to lead. According to the current data, 26,500 workers are employed in 517 factories, including 1895 persons working under condition of exposure exceeding the Polish MAC level of 0.050 mg/m3. The biological monitoring analysis includes measurements of blood lead (Pb-B). Levels and concentrations of one of the markers of early health effect are carried out only in 22% (112) of plants, covering only 76% (20,300) of all workers. Of the 18 laboratories performing this kind of determinations, only 2 are granted the analytical laboratory accreditation certificate. The obtained data indicate that occupational exposure to lead is still a problem in Polish industry. The proportion (76%) of the workers covered with biological monitoring analysis show that neither the recommendations laid down in the decree of 1996 issued by the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, and reinforced by the Minister of Health in 2004, nor the EU directive (98/24/EC) is universally observed. Both these documents provide for that Pb-B determinations in employees occupationally exposed to lead are compulsory. The competences of the majority of analytical laboratories are not sufficient to evaluate biological monitoring analysis in workers occupationally exposed to lead. They have not yet adopted the obligatory Polish versions of European standards of the quality assurance set in PN-EN ISO/IEC 17025. The Minister of Health issued another decree, dated 20 April 2005, according to which from 1 January 2008 every analytical laboratory will have to possess accreditation.