Air and Blood Lead Levels in Lead Acid Battery Recycling and Manufacturing Plants in Kenya

The concentration of airborne and blood lead (Pb) was assessed in a Pb acid battery recycling plant and in a Pb acid battery manufacturing plant in Kenya. In the recycling plant, full-shift area samples taken across 5 days in several production sections showed a mean value +/- standard deviation (SD) of 427 +/- 124 mu g/m(3), while area samples in the office area had a mean +/- SD of 59.2 +/- 22.7 mu g/m(3). In the battery manufacturing plant, full-shift area samples taken across 5 days in several production areas showed a mean value +/- SD of 349 +/- 107 mu g/m(3), while area samples in the office area had a mean +/- SD of 55.2 +/- 33.2 mu g/m(3). All these mean values exceed the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration's permissible exposure limit of 50 mu g/m(3) as an 8-hr time-weighted average. In the battery recycling plant, production workers had a mean blood Pb level +/- SD of 62.2 +/- 12.7 mu g/dL, and office workers had a mean blood Pb level +/- SD of 43.4 +/- 6.6 mu g/dL. In the battery manufacturing plant, production workers had a mean blood Pb level +/- SD of 59.5 +/- 10.1 mu g/dL, and office workers had a mean blood Pb level +/- SD of 41.6 +/- 7.4 mu g/dL. All the measured blood Pb levels exceeded 30 mu g/dL, which is the maximum blood Pb level recommended by the ACGIH (R). Observations made in these facilities revealed numerous sources of Pb exposure due to inadequacies in engineering controls, work practices, respirator use, and personal hygiene.