• Safety and Health at Work
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• 제5권3호
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• pp.113-117
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• 2014

The mechanisms by which iron is absorbed are similar to those of divalent metals, particularly manganese, lead, and cadmium. These metals, however, show different toxicokinetics in relation to menarche or menopause, although their interaction with iron is the same. This review focuses on the kinetics of these three toxic metals (manganese, lead, and cadmium) in relation to menarche, pregnancy, and menopause. The iron-manganese interaction is the major factor determining sex-specific differences in blood manganese levels throughout the whole life cycle. The effects of estrogen overshadow the association between iron deficiency and increased blood lead concentrations, explaining why women, despite having lower ferritin concentrations, have lower blood lead concentrations than men. Iron deficiency is associated with elevated cadmium levels in premenopausal women, but not in postmenopausal women or men; these findings indicate that sex-specific differences in cadmium levels at older ages are not due to iron-cadmium interactions, and that further studies are required to identify the source of these differences. In summary, the potential causes of sex-specific differences in the blood levels of manganese, lead, and cadmium differ from each other, although all these three metals are associated with iron deficiency. Therefore, other factors such as estrogen effects, or absorption rate as well as iron deficiency, should be considered when addressing environmental exposure to toxic metals and sex-specific differences in the blood levels of these metals.

• 한국산업보건학회지
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• 제20권3호
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• pp.156-167
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• 2010

To evaluate the effect of lead biomarkers including bone lead on neurobehavioral test in retired lead workers, 131 retired lead workers without any occupational exposure to organic solvent, mercury and arsenic were agreed to participate this study. For the control subjects 56 non-occupationally lead exposed subjects were recruited from same area of retired lead workers with consideration of demographic characteristics. The mean levels of blood and bone lead of retired lead workers were significantly higher than control group and there were significant correlation among other lead biomarkers. Compared with controls without occupational lead exposure, lead exposured subjects had worse performance on 10 tests out of 12 neurobehavioral tests, but only two tests(Purdue pegboard nondominant and both hand) showed statistical significance of differences. In multiple linear regression analysis of neurobehavioral tests with lead biomarkers and demographic and lifestyle variables, age was associated negatively with 11 neurobehavioral tests, whereas log-transformed ZPP was associated with Purdue pegboard(both hand) and Santa Ana manual dexterity(non-dominant hand). On the other hand, tibia lead was associated Pursuit aiming test(correct) and Purdue pegboard(dominant hand) and calcaneal lead was associated with Purdue pegboard(dominant hand). This study confirmed that among all relevant variables age was most significantly associated with the poor performance of neurobehavioral tests. The blood lead did not have any significant association with neurobehavioral tests, but tibia and calcaneal bone lead and blood ZPP showed significant association with a few tests even after more than mean 9 years from their retirements.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• 제2권2호
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• pp.87-96
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• 2011

In 1967, the problem of occupational lead exposure came to public attention in Korea. Since then, regular progress has been made in lowering workplace lead exposures, instituting new workplace controls, and implementing health examinations of exposed workers. Past serious lead poisoning episodes made it possible to introduce biological monitoring programs on a voluntary basis in high-lead-exposure facilities in Korea. Industry-specific occupational health services for lead workers in Korea during the last 22 years can be categorized into three phases. During the first phase (1988-1993), efforts were directed at increasing awareness among workers about the hazards of lead exposure, biological monitoring of blood zinc protoporphyrin began, and a respiratory protection program was introduced. During the second phase (1994-1997), a computerized health management system for lead workers was developed, blood-lead measurement was added to biologic monitoring, and engineering controls were introduced in the workplace to lower air-lead levels to comply with air-lead regulations. Finally, during the third phase (1998-present), a new biomarker, bone-lead measurement by X-ray fluorescence, was introduced. Bone-lead measurement proved to be useful for assessing body burden and to demonstrate past lead exposure in retired workers. Occupational health service practice for lead workers, including the industry-specific group occupational health system, has brought considerable success in the prevention of lead poisoning and in reducing the lead burden in Korean lead workers during the last several decades. The successful achievement of prevention of lead poisoning in Korea was a result of the combined efforts of lead workers, employers, relevant government agencies, and academic institutes.

• 한국대기환경학회지
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• 제8권4호
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• pp.269-276
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• 1992

인체에 영향을 미치는 중금속은 대개 환경중에서 음식물, 공기, 먼지 및 음료수를 통하여 축적된다. 본 연구는 중금속중 납이 인체에 미치는 유해정도를 평가하기 위하여 서울과 여주등 대기중 납농도가 차이가 나는 지역주민들의 혈액중 납농도를 측정하여 Bio kinetic Model을 이용 납에 대한 인체의 위해성 정도를 알아보았으며 그 결과는 다음과 같다. - 지역별로는 혈액중 납농도가 별다른 차이를 보이지 않았으나 나이와 성별에 따라서는 다소 차이가 나고 있다. - 또한 혈액중 납농도는 log normal 분포를 나타내고 있음. - 기하표준편차는 1.2 $\sim$ 1.3 정도의 값으로 미국 EPA에서 추정한 1.31 $\sim$ 1.41의 값보다 약간 적은 값을 나타냈다.

• 한국응용약물학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국응용약물학회 1998년도 Proceedings of UNESCO-internetwork Cooperative Regional Seminar and Workshop on Bioassay Guided Isolation of Bioactive Substances from Natural Products and Microbial Products
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• pp.144-144
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• 1998

The physiological responses caused by exposure of high- and low-level lead exhibit different phase. Low-level lead continuous hypertension, but high-level lead can in the development of hypertension. In this study it was tested which difference can be caused as lead levels and, if it can be caused, whether hematological changes are related with the hypertensive effects induced by different levels of lead exposure was tested. Lead intoxication in male SD rats was induced by exposure through drinking water containing 50, 200 and 1000 ppm lead (as lead acetate). The animals of control group was supplied drinking water containing sodium acetate ad libitum. The number of each animal group was 10. Systolic blood pressures were measured in the unanesthetized state by the tail-cuff technique at 0, 3, 7 and 16 weeks. RBC, WBC, MCV, hemoglobin, hematocrit and whole blood viscosity levels were examined.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• 제28권2호
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• pp.373-385
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• 1995

The association between blood lead of children and Intelligent Quotient(I.Q) was investigated in a sample of 100 boys and girls aged $6\sim8$ years from one primary school within an industrial area of Pusan. The trained undergraduates in school of public health administered an 1.0. test one by one. Parents answered a questionnaire on demographic, perinatal and socioeconomic variables. Atomic Absorbtion Spectrophotometer was used to determine blood lead levels. The geometric mean of blood lead value was $7.99{\mu}g/dl$. In total children, there was no significant relationship between blood lead level and I.Q. But in the children who were born of gestational age of less than 38 weeks, children with higher levels of blood lead performed more poorly on I.Q test with correlation coefficient from -0.68 to -0.71. But, the children who were born of gestational age of 38 weeks and more were same as total children. These results suggest that exposure to low levels of lead in the children who were born premature probably may result in impaired intelligent development. But, We think that more profound study should be performed with sufficient numbers of subjects.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• 제57권8호
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• pp.345-350
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• 2014

Iron deficiency affects approximately one-third of the world's population, occurring most frequently in children aged 6 months to 3 years. Mechanisms of iron absorption are similar to those of other divalent metals, particularly manganese, lead, and cadmium, and a diet deficient in iron can lead to excess absorption of manganese, lead, and cadmium. Iron deficiency may lead to cognitive impairments resulting from the deficiency itself or from increased metal concentrations caused by the deficiency. Iron deficiency combined with increased manganese or lead concentrations may further affect neurodevelopment. We recently showed that blood manganese and lead concentrations are elevated among iron-deficient infants. Increased blood manganese and lead levels are likely associated with prolonged breast-feeding, which is also a risk factor for iron deficiency. Thus, babies who are breast-fed for prolonged periods should be given plain, iron-fortified cereals or other good sources of dietary iron.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• 제12권4호
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• pp.439-444
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• 2021

Background: In a previous study, we estimated exposure prevalence and the number of workers exposed to carcinogens by industry in Korea. The present study aimed to evaluate the optimal exposure intensity indicators of airborne lead exposure by comparing to blood lead measurements for the future development of the carcinogen exposure intensity database. Methods: Data concerning airborne lead measurements and blood lead levels were collected from nationwide occupational exposure databases, compiled between 2015 and 2016. Summary statistics, including the arithmetic mean (AM), geometric mean (GM), and 95th percentile level (X95) were calculated by industry both for airborne lead and blood lead measurements. Since many measurements were below the limits of detection (LODs), the simple replacement with half of the LOD and maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) methods were used for statistical analysis. For examining the optimal exposure indicator of airborne lead exposure, blood lead levels were used as reference data for subsequent rank correlation analyses. Results: A total of 19,637 airborne lead measurements and 32,848 blood lead measurements were used. In general, simple replacement showed a higher correlation than MLE. The results showed that AM and X95 using simple replacement could be used as optimal exposure intensity indicators, while X95 showed better correlations than AM in industries with 20 or more measurements. Conclusion: Our results showed that AM or X95 could be potential candidates for exposure intensity indicators in the Korean carcinogen exposure database. Especially, X95 is an optimal indicator where there are enough measurements to compute X95 values.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• 제21권2호
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• pp.153-163
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• 2006

Essential metals have been known to interact with non-essential toxic metals in the aspects of absorption, transport and deposition in the body. Iron deficiency has been reported to increase lead and/or cadmium absorption. The relation between iron and lead has been understood well in children but not in adults. Two hundred seventy adults (118 males and 152 females) were recruited from 3 different residental areas (rural, coastal and urban) to investigate the effects of environmental lead exposure on body iron status. The subjects were interviewed for life-style and diet of the last 24 hours, and measured for blood lead and body iron. The lead concentration in the whole blood was determined by a flameless method using an atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The body iron was evaluated with values of hemoglobin, hematocrit, RBCs, serum total iron, unsaturated iron binding capacity, total iron binding capacity and ferritin. The mean concentration of blood lead in adult was $3.31{\mu}g/dL$. The concentration was higher in male ($3.97{\mu}g/dL$) than in female ($2.86{\mu}g/dL$). The blood lead was influenced by residental area, life-style, smoking and drinking, occupation and diet habit of subjects, but not by age. A positive correlation was observed between the blood lead level and the serum iron or ferritin. These results suggest that environmental lead exposure in Korean adult may not be higher than other developed and developing countries. It is further indicated that blood lead in adult could be influenced by life-style, and environmental and genetic factors but no inverse relation with body iron as shown in children.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• 제6권4호
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• pp.340-348
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• 2012

This study was performed in order to investigate dietary habits, health related lifestyle and blood cadmium and lead levels in female college students. 80 college students (43 males and 37 females) participated in the survey questionnaires. Body weight and height, blood pressure, and body composition were measured. The systolic blood pressure of male and female students were $128.9{\pm}13.9$ and $109.8{\pm}12.0$, respectively. The diastolic blood pressure of male and female students were $77.1{\pm}10.3 $and $66.0{\pm}6.9$, respectively, showing that male students had significantly higher blood pressure than female students (P < 0.001). The BMI of male and female students were $23.4{\pm}3.3$ and $20.2{\pm}2.3$, respectively. Most male students were in the range of being overweight. The dietary habits score of female students was significantly higher than that of male students (P < 0.01).The blood cadmium level of male and female students were $0.54{\pm}0.23$ and $0.52{\pm}0.36$, respectively. There was no significant difference between male and female students. The blood lead level of male and female students were $1.09{\pm}0.49 $and $0.59{\pm}0.45$, respectively. The blood lead level of male students was significantly higher than that of female students (P < 0.001). The blood cadmium level of smokers and nonsmokers were $0.69{\pm}0.29 $and $0.49{\pm}0.29$ respectively (P < 0.05). The blood cadmium level of smokers was significantly higher than that of nonsmokers (P < 0.05). The blood lead level of smokers and nonsmokers were $1.09{\pm}0.43$ and $0.80{\pm}0.54$, respectively. The blood lead level of smokers was significantly higher than that of nonsmokers (P < 0.05). Therefore, proper nutritional education programs are required for college students in order to improve their dietary and health related living habits.