Saliu Abdulsalam, Adebayo Onajole, Kofoworola Odeyemi, Babatunde Ogunowo, Ismail Abdussalam
Department of Community Medicine, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Nigeria.
Department of Community Health and Primary Care, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Idi-Araba, Lagos, Nigeria.
J Environ Public Health. 2015;2015:976563. doi: 10.1155/2015/976563. Epub 2015 Feb 10.
Occupational exposure to lead is common among automobile technicians and constitutes 0.9% of total global health burden with a majority of cases in developing countries. The aim of this study was to determine and compare the blood lead levels of automobile technicians in roadside and organised garages in Lagos State, Nigeria. This was a comparative cross-sectional study. Data were collected using interviewer-administered questionnaires. Physical examinations were conducted and blood was analysed for lead using atomic spectrophotometery. Statistical analyses were performed to compare the median blood lead levels of each group using the independent sample (Mann-Whitney U) test. Seventy-three (40.3%) of the organised compared to 59 (34.3%) of the roadside groups had high blood lead levels. The organised group had statistically significant higher median blood lead levels of, 66.0 µg/dL than the roadside 43.5 µg/dL (P < 0.05). There was also statistically significant association between high blood lead levels and abnormal discolouration of the mucosa of the mouth in the organised group. Automobile technicians in organised garages in Lagos have higher prevalence of elevated blood lead levels and higher median levels than the roadside group. Preventive strategies against lead exposures should be instituted by the employers and further actions should be taken to minimize exposures, improve work practices, implement engineering controls (e.g., proper ventilation), and ensure the use of personal protective equipment.
汽车技术人员职业性铅接触很常见，占全球总健康负担的0.9%，大多数病例发生在发展中国家。本研究的目的是测定并比较尼日利亚拉各斯州路边和正规汽车维修厂汽车技术人员的血铅水平。这是一项比较性横断面研究。数据通过访谈式问卷收集。进行了体格检查，并使用原子吸收分光光度法分析血液中的铅含量。采用独立样本（曼-惠特尼U）检验进行统计分析，以比较每组的血铅水平中位数。正规汽车维修厂组中有73人（40.3%）血铅水平高，而路边组为59人（34.3%）。正规汽车维修厂组血铅水平中位数为66.0µg/dL，显著高于路边组的43.5µg/dL（P<0.05）。在正规汽车维修厂组中，血铅水平高与口腔黏膜异常变色之间也存在显著的统计学关联。拉各斯正规汽车维修厂的汽车技术人员血铅水平升高的患病率更高，且中位数水平高于路边组。雇主应制定预防铅接触的策略，并应采取进一步行动，以尽量减少接触、改善工作习惯、实施工程控制措施（如适当通风），并确保使用个人防护设备。
