[Gastrointestinal symptoms in lead workers].

A survey of gastrointestinal symptoms was performed on 109 male lead workers in a battery manufacturing factory six months after the start of its operation. Prevalence of gastrointestinal symptoms was analysed in relation to levels of lead absorption and other relevant factors including occupational history, work shift, smoking habits, alcohol intake, frequency of meals a day, housing and sleeping hours. Subjects who had experienced gastrointestinal diseases shortly before employment were excluded. Age, blood lead and urinary delta-ALA concentration of this population were 34.3 +/- 10.3 years, 30.9 +/- 13.6 micrograms/100 ml and 2.74 +/- 1.64 mg/l (Mean +/- S.D.), respectively. Mean blood lead and urinary delta-ALA concentrations of the subjects who complained loss of appetite were significantly higher than those who did not. However, there were no significant differences in the blood lead concentration between subjects who responded yes or no to other gastrointestinal symptoms. Of the 109 male workers, 49 (45.0%) complained at least one of the five gastrointestinal symptoms (nausea, abdominal discomfort, belching, heart burn and hunger pain) which are suspected to be associated with peptic ulcer. When the subjects complaining such symptoms were compared with the rest of the workers, there were no significant differences in blood lead, urinary delta-ALA, urinary coproporphyrin, smoking habits, alcohol intake, frequency of meals a day and housing. Means of age and sleeping hours on day-work were lower and proportions of the workers who were on shift duty at the time of the survey and who had not previously experienced shift work were higher in the subjects who complained such symptoms than in those who did not. It was suggested by these results that considerably high prevalences of the most of the symptoms in lead-exposed workers had been induced by the shift work or the change of jobs, although it was also suggested that the loss of appetite might have been related to lead exposure.