Knowledge of hygienic behaviour at the workplace appears to explain the low correlation between external and internal exposure. Differences in hygienic behaviour explain at least the same magnitude of variation in levels of lead in blood as the level of lead in air. Adding hygienic behaviour to the lead air-lead blood model increases the accuracy of prediction of PbB. In this study, the frequency of putting on/off gloves and the frequency of hand-mouth nose/shunt are the strongest modifiers of the PbA-PbB relation. In general, the actual behaviour of workers exposed to chemical agents may explain the often observed poor or moderate relationships between environmental and biological monitoring parameters of chemical exposure in occupational health studies.
At a secondary smelter (24 smelting workers, 13 refinery workers), data on exposure to lead were collected by systematic observation of hygienic behaviour, a questionnaire, personal sampling of lead dust in ambient air (PbA) and determination of lead in the blood level (PbB). The smelting workers showed a negative relation between PbA and PbB. The 53% variance in PbB levels in the smelting workers can be explained by the combination of PbA, the percentage of time an air-stream helmet is worn, the frequency of cigarette smoking at the workplace and the amount of spitting. Air-stream helmets and spitting contribute to a lower PbB, whereas smoking contributes to a higher PbB. Moreover, expected PbB levels were computed by using several regression equations for the relation between PbA and PbB, as suggested in the Final OSHA Standard for Occupational Exposure to Lead (OSHA 1978). As the percentage of time an air-stream helmet is worn increases, the deviation from the expected PbB falls substantially. The refinery workers showed the expected weak positive correlation coefficient between PbA and PbB. No direct relation between the PbB level and the observed hygienic behaviour could be established. However, there was a positive relation between the level of education and the level of PbB. Moreover, the level of education was related to the frequency of eating at the workplace and negative as far as the percentage of time gloves are worn is concerned. Our conclusion is that hygienic behaviour is a major factor that modifies the relation between PbA and PbB in groups of workers.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
The impact of hygienic behaviour on the uptake of chromium has been studied in two small chromium plating factories. The correlation between the environmental monitoring measure (Cr-A) and the biological monitoring measure (Cr-U) varied between the two factories. In one factory (I) the correlation between Cr-U and Cr-A was 0.68 (P < 0.001), while in the other factory (II) it was negative (r = -0.64, P = 0.03). However, in both populations a significant impact of hygienic behaviour on the variance in Cr-U levels could be detected. In factory I, explained variance could be enhanced to R2 = 0.94 (P < 0.001) when considering expressions of hygienic behaviour. In factory II, a strong relation proved to exist between Cr-U and dermal uptake. For the various questions referring to skin problems and possible dermal uptake, the correlation with Cr-U is up to 0.70 (P = 0.03). When comparing the results for the two factories, it is shown that in addition to individual differences in hygienic behaviour, general hygienic conditions also have an impact on uptake of chromium. In factory II, where many efforts were made to prevent exposure to chromium, Cr-U was significantly lower than in factory I (P < 0.001).
In the demand-control model (see T. Theorell & R. A. Karasek, 1996), it is hypothesized that workers in active jobs (high demands-high decision latitude) can exert effective coping strategies when confronted with environmental stessors. Thus, when exposed to similar levels of a chemical agent, lower concentrations of this agent in blood could be expected in these workers in comparison with workers in passive jobs. This theory was tested in 2 studies of lead-exposed workers: 18 male Caucasian workers from an electric accumulatory factory and 18 male Caucasian workers from a lead smelting factory. The results did not follow the hypothesized outcomes. In the work environment of the workers in active jobs, lower concentrations of lead in air were measured, but higher levels of lead in blood were observed in these workers. The opposite was true of workers in passive jobs. Differences in hygienic behavior at work may explain these unexpected results.
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