Occupational lead exposure among lead handlers at a copper mining company, Zambia.
1
Occupational Health, 1. University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
2
2. National Institute for Occupational Health, Johannesburg, South Africa
3
Mathematics and Natural Sciences, 3. Copperbelt University, Kitwe, Zambia
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):
ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT:
Enlisted among the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) 10 chemicals of major public health concern and causing 0.6% of the global disease burden, lead exposure occurs through multiple routes. Zambian literature is scanty. This study characterised exposure by comparing external occupational exposure with the internal lead body burden. The study was University of the Witwatersrand Medical - Human Research Ethics Committee(HREC), Tropical Diseases Research Centre - HREC, and Zambian National Health Research Authority approved. Blood lead values(n=39), versus multi-route occupational exposure assessment was conducted. External assessment included palmar wipes(n=53), surface wipes(n=27), breathing zone air(n=37), and room air(n=5) samples. South African National Accreditation System-accredited laboratories performed chemical analyses. JASP software was used with 5% Alpha level of significance with 95% Confidence Interval. Descriptive tests, Chi-square, Kruskal-wallis, Student T, Analysis of Variance, and Bayesian analyses were done. Most of the data was not normally distributed. International reference standards were adopted since Zambia has none known to us. Mean participants' age, all male, was 41 years with median exposure duration of 10 years. Mean blood lead was 1.61 units higher than the Occupational Health and Safety Administration’s(OSHA) recommended value(10 μg/dL). Personal and room air time weighted average values were below the OSHA(0.05 mg/m3), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health(0.1 mg/m3), and American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists(0.05 mg/m3) recommended values. No standards for dermal and ingestion routes were available. Health risk exposure assessment findings were: Dermal chronic daily intake(CDI = 6.76x10-11 mg/kg/day), Oral(CDI = 5.97x10-3 mg/kg/day), and Inhalation(CDI = 4.20x10-2 mg/kg/day). All pathways showed low risk for adverse health effects with hazard quotient less than one. This study showed that the highest pathway contributing to lead exposure was inhalation. Blood lead mean was above the OSHA recommended standard value but below action and suspension levels following occupational exposure.
Enlisted among the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) 10 chemicals of major public health concern and causing 0.6% of the global disease burden, lead exposure occurs through multiple routes. Zambian literature is scanty. This study characterised exposure by comparing external occupational exposure with the internal lead body burden. The study was University of the Witwatersrand Medical - Human Research Ethics Committee(HREC), Tropical Diseases Research Centre - HREC, and Zambian National Health Research Authority approved. Blood lead values(n=39), versus multi-route occupational exposure assessment was conducted. External assessment included palmar wipes(n=53), surface wipes(n=27), breathing zone air(n=37), and room air(n=5) samples. South African National Accreditation System-accredited laboratories performed chemical analyses. JASP software was used with 5% Alpha level of significance with 95% Confidence Interval. Descriptive tests, Chi-square, Kruskal-wallis, Student T, Analysis of Variance, and Bayesian analyses were done. Most of the data was not normally distributed. International reference standards were adopted since Zambia has none known to us. Mean participants' age, all male, was 41 years with median exposure duration of 10 years. Mean blood lead was 1.61 units higher than the Occupational Health and Safety Administration’s(OSHA) recommended value(10 μg/dL). Personal and room air time weighted average values were below the OSHA(0.05 mg/m3), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health(0.1 mg/m3), and American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists(0.05 mg/m3) recommended values. No standards for dermal and ingestion routes were available. Health risk exposure assessment findings were: Dermal chronic daily intake(CDI = 6.76x10-11 mg/kg/day), Oral(CDI = 5.97x10-3 mg/kg/day), and Inhalation(CDI = 4.20x10-2 mg/kg/day). All pathways showed low risk for adverse health effects with hazard quotient less than one. This study showed that the highest pathway contributing to lead exposure was inhalation. Blood lead mean was above the OSHA recommended standard value but below action and suspension levels following occupational exposure.
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
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