Cigarette smoking and lead levels in occupationally exposed lead workers

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Workers [111] at a secondary Pb smelter were surveyed to determine smoking and personal hygiene habits. Of the smokers 53% had blood Pb levels in excess of 60 .mu.g/dl, compared to 31% of nonsmokers (P = 0.02). Among smokers, 66% of heavy smokers (.gtoreq. 1 pack/day) had blood Pb levels over 60 .mu.g/dl, compared to 39% of the light smokers (P = 0.05). Those who kept their cigarettes on their person had a higher proportion of blood Pb > 60 .mu.g/dl than workers who kept their cigarettes elsewhere (63 vs. 36%, respectively; P = 0.08). The difference in blood Pb levels between smokers and nonsmokers may be due in part to direct environmental contamination of cigarettes or impaired lung clearance mechanisms, and could be important in workers with already elevated blood Pb levels.

This publication has 11 references indexed in Scilit: