LACK OF RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HAIR LEAD LEVELS AND SOME USUAL MARKERS (BLOOD LEAD LEVELS, ZPP, URINARY ALA-D) IN OCCUPATIONALLY EXPOSED WORKERS

Blood and hair samples collected from 54 male workers occupationally exposed to lead were assayed for this metal by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Blood ZPP and urinary ALA-D were also determined for most subjects tested. Blood and hair lead concentrations (PbB and PbH) ranged from 100 to 770 ng/ml (10 to 77 mu g/100 ml) (mean +/- SD : 384.6 +/- 143.4 ng/ml (38.46 +/- 14.34 mu g/100 ml)), and from 3 to 243 ng/mg (mean +/- SD : 102.4 +/- 72.6 ng/mg), respectively. No correlation was observed between the PbH and PbB values, nor between PbH and ZPP or ALA-D values. Neither hair coloration nor subjects' age were related to PbH levels. Results are discussed in the light of the existing literature.