Prevalence of lead disease among secondary lead smelter workers and biological indicators of lead exposure

Toxic effects of lead manifest themselves in a wide spectrum of disease. The medical and biochemical effects of chronic lead exposure are assessed, and the usefulness of various biological screening parameters is examined. A clinical survey of 158 workers employed in two secondary lead smelters revealed a high prevalence of lead disease, including central nervous system and gastrointestinal symptoms, muscle and joint pain, history of lead colic, repeated finding of elevated blood lead, and low hemoglobin values. Although chelatin therapy has been widely used to decrease the lead burden in workers with high blood lead levels, recent studies have shown that it is not an effective alternative to environmental control of lead exposure.