Relationship between theleadconcentration inhair andoccupational exposure

Theleadcontentofhairinworkers occupationally exposed was correlated withthe bloodleadconcentration. Determinations of lead inbloodandhair were performed byelec- trothermal atomic absorption spectrophotometry intwoexposed groupsanda control group.A significant correlation was observed between thebloodleadandhair leadconcentrations, anda regression analysis showed an exponential accumulation oftheleadcontentinhair, simultane- ously withtheincrease ofthevalues inblood. Thecolour of the hair andtheageofthesubject did notinfluence theleadaccumulation inhairintheoccupationally exposed subjects. Theassess- mentofleadinhairisconsidered auseful screening testinestimating occupational exposure. During recent years aseries ofstudies havepointed totheuseofthecontent oflead inhair asanindex of occupational exposure indicator.'-5 Modemanalyti- caltechniques nowallowthemetal content tobe measured insequential segments ofhair.26 Thepresent study aimedtofollow uptheexami- nation ofleadinasingle hair inworkers occupation- ally exposed andtocorrelate this withtheblood lead concentration. Materials andmethods Twogroups ofmaleworkers withdiffering occupa- tional experience werestudied: group1 com- prised 31subjects exposed tohigh concentrations of leadinairandgroup2,33subjects withlowexpos- ure.Theagesandyearsofexposure ofthese two groups arepresented intables 1and2. Bloodsamples werecollected onheparin from eachexposed person together withfive hairs, includ- ingtheroot. Before theanalysis thehair waswashed inacetone, ethylic ether, and1*5%solution of sodium lauryl sulphate inorder todegrease itand removeexogenous lead, particles7; segments of exactly 1cminlength, measured fromtheroot, were thentaken. Toverify thecleanliness ofthesurface, three hairs (before washing, after asingle washing,