Evaluation of Selected Publications on Reference Values for Lead in Blood

• Published in: Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment ＆ Health Vol. 22; no. 5; pp. 325 - 331+ii
• Main Authors: Gerhardsson, Lars, Kazantzis, George, Schütz, Andrejs
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Helsinki Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment ＆ Health 01.10.1996; National Institute for Working Life; Finnish Institute of Occupational Health; National Institute of Occupational Health (Denmark); National Institute of Occupational Health (Norway); Scandinavian journal of work, environment & health
• Subjects: Adult; Anthropology. Demography; Biological and medical sciences; Blood; Cigarette smoking; Environmental assessment; Environmental Monitoring - standards; Female; Gasoline; Geometric mean; Human physiology applied to population studies and life conditions. Human ecophysiology; Humans; International Cooperation; Lead; Lead - blood; Male; Medical sciences; Men; Pollutant emissions; Quality assurance; Reference Values; Regression Analysis; Reviews; Risk Factors; Trace Elements - analysis; Womens health; inorganic lead; Human; Trace element; Reference; Rate; Bibliographic survey; Lead; Normal; Inorganic element; Blood; Heavy metal
• ISSN: 0355-3140; 1795-990X
• DOI: 10.5271/sjweh.149

As a part of the global Tracy project, whose aim is to define metal concentrations in tissues and body fluids of reference populations, more than 1000 papers published from 1980 to 1994 were scrutinized that presented tentative reference values for lead in blood in occupationally unexposed adult populations. Ten studies exemplifying criteria for proper sampling, analysis and data treatment are presented and discussed. Levels of lead in blood are influenced by numerous factors. Accordingly, a wide variation in blood lead concentrations was observed. As an example, in a global study in 1983 of nonsmoking female schoolteachers, the geometric mean value for lead in blood varied from 52 μg · l⁻¹ in Tokyo, Japan, up to 193 μg · l⁻¹ in Mexico City. The racy survey demonstrates the importance of factors such as age, gender, ethnicity, food, drinking and smoking habits, hobbies, season and year of sampling, residential area, and geographic location. Lead in blood was shown to be both time and area specific. Thus it was not possible to establish a general reference value for lead in blood.