• 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.

• 한국산업보건학회지
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• 제16권2호
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• pp.110-122
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• 2006

Objective : This study was conducted to quantify chronic lead exposure from various media(ie. working environment, food, ambient air), and to certify the usefulness of exposure assessment using Monte-Carlo simulation in the fields of occupational health. Methods : Data were obtained from Korean Industrial Health Association, Korea Food and Drug Administration, and the Ministry of Environment. Then lead worker's exposure was estimated indirectly from various media and parameters (ie. volume inhaled, body weight, dietary intake, etc.). Uncertainty was analyzed by Monte Carlo simulation with Crystal Ball software. Exposure doses and hazard indices were simulated with various hypothetical scenarios including weekly working hours and respiratory protective equipment. Results : Without respiratory protective equipment, the total exposure dose per kilogram of body weight of lead workers was estimated as $5.45{\times}10^{-3}mg/kg/day$, and hazard index was estimated as 2.26, and exposure contributions were calculated as follows : working environment(82.42 %); foods(17.57 %); and ambient air(0.01 %). But, if working condition has changed - reduction of working hours and using respiratory protective equipment, the total exposure dose per kilogram of body weight was estimated between $1.34{\times}10^{-3}-1.49{\times}10^{-3}mg/kg/day$, and hazard index was estimated between 0.56 - 0.62. Conclusions : This study suggested that occurrence of hazardous impact(ie. increased blood pressure) through lifetime lead exposure would be expected, and that the Monte-Carlo simulation was useful for the fields of occupational health.

• 한국산업보건학회지
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• 제21권4호
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• pp.193-200
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• 2011

Objectives: Blood lead and hyperhomocysteinemia have been found to be associated with cardiovascular disease. The objective of the present study was to assess the relationship of lead biomarkers on plasma homocysteine and blood pressure. Methods: To evaluate the effect of lead biomarkers including blood lead on plasma homocysteine and blood pressure in retired lead workers, 66 retired lead workers without any occupational exposure to organic solvent, mercury and arsenic were agreed to participate this study. For the control subjects 42 controls were recruited from same area of retired lead workers with consideration of demographic characteristics. Results: The mean levels of blood lead and ZPP of retired lead workers were significantly higher than control group. There were positive significant correlations between blood lead and plasma homocysteine, also systolic and diastolic blood pressure. The multiple linear regression analysis also reveled that plasma homocysteine was significantly associated with blood lead after adjusting for age, gender, body mass index, lead exposure, smoking and drinking. Diastolic blood pressure was significantly associated with blood lead, plasma homocysteine, and total cholesterol; whereas, systolic blood pressure was significantly associated with plasma homocysteine only. Conclusions: Blood lead showed significant association with plasma homocysteine and blood pressure even after more than mean 10 years from their retirements.

• 한국지하수토양환경학회지:지하수토양환경
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• 제20권6호
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• pp.1-7
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• 2015

The most critical health effect of lead exposure is the neurodevelopmental effect to children caused by the increased blood lead level. Therefore, the endpoint of the risk assessment for lead-contaminated sites should be set at the blood lead level of children. In foreign countries, the risk assessment for lead-contaminated sites is conducted by estimating the increased blood lead level of children via oral intake and/or inhalation (United States Environmental Protection Agency, USEPA), or by comparing the estimated oral dose to the threshold oral dose of lead, which is derived from the permissible blood lead level of children (Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, RIVM). For the risk assessment, USEPA employs Integrated-Exposure-Uptake-Biokinetic (IEUBK) Model to check whether the estimated portion of children whose blood lead level exceeds 10 µg/dL, threshold blood lead level determined by USEPA, is higher than 5%, while Dutch RIVM compares the estimated oral dose of lead to the threshold oral dose (2.8 µg/kg-day), which is derived from the permissible blood lead level of children. In Korea, like The Netherlands, risk assessment for lead-contaminated sites is conducted by comparing the estimated oral dose to the threshold oral dose; however, because the threshold oral dose listed in Korean risk assessment guidance is an unidentified value, it is recommended to revise the existing threshold oral dose described in Korean risk assessment guidance. And, if significant lead exposure via inhalation is suspected, it is useful to employ IEUBK Model to derive the risk posed via multimedia exposure (i.e., both oral ingestion and inhalation).

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• 제23권6호
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• pp.467-474
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• 2019

Exposure to lead during pregnancy is a risk factor for the development of psychiatric disorders in the offspring. In this study, we investigated whether exposure to low levels of lead acetate (0.2%) in drinking water during pregnancy and lactation causes behavioral impairment and affects the expression of proteins associated with neurodevelopment. Lead exposure altered several parameters in rat offspring compared with those unexposed in open-field, social interaction, and pre-pulse inhibition tests. These parameters were restored to normal levels after clozapine treatment. Western blot and immunohistochemical analyses of the hippocampus revealed that several neurodevelopmental proteins were downregulated in lead-exposed rats. The expression was normalized after clozapine treatment (5 mg/kg/day, postnatal day 35-56). These findings demonstrate that downregulation of several proteins in lead-exposed rats affected subsequent behavioral changes. Our results suggest that lead exposure in early life may induce psychiatric disorders and treatment with antipsychotics such as clozapine may reduce their incidence.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• 제27권
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• pp.5.1-5.10
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• 2012

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess the risk of ingestion exposure of lead by particle sizes of crumb rubber in artificial turf filling material with consideration of bioavailability. Methods: This study estimated the ingestion exposure by particle sizes (more than 250 um or less than 250 um) focusing on recyclable ethylene propylene diene monomer crumb rubber being used as artificial turf filling. Analysis on crumb rubber was conducted using body ingestion exposure estimate method in which total content test method, acid extraction method and digestion extraction method are reflected. Bioavailability which is a calibrating factor was reflected in ingestion exposure estimate method and applied in exposure assessment and risk assessment. Two methods using acid extraction and digestion extraction concentration were compared and evaluated. Results: As a result of the ingestion exposure of crumb rubber material, the average lead exposure amount to the digestion extraction result among crumb rubber was calculated to be $1.56{\times}10^{-4}$ mg/kg-day for low grade elementary school students and $4.87{\times}10^{-5}$ mg/kg-day for middle and high school students in 250 um or less particle size, and that to the acid extraction result was higher than the digestion extraction result. Results of digestion extraction and acid extraction showed that the hazard quotient was estimated by about over 2 times more in particle size of lower than 250 um than in higher than 250 um. There was a case of an elementary school student in which the hazard quotient exceeded 0.1. Conclusions: Results of this study confirm that the exposure of lead ingestion and risk level increases as the particle size of crumb rubber gets smaller.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• 제13권4호
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• pp.493-499
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• 2022

Background: The purpose of this study is to construct a job-exposure matrix for lead that accounts for industry and work processes within industries using a nationwide exposure database. Methods: We used the work environment measurement data (WEMD) of lead monitored nationwide from 2015 to 2016. Industrial hygienists standardized the work process codes in the database to 37 standard process and extracted key index words for each process. A total of 37 standardized process codes were allocated to each measurement based on an automated key word search based on the degree of agreement between the measurement information and the standard process index. Summary statistics, including the arithmetic mean, geometric mean, and 95th percentile level (X95), was calculated according to industry, process, and industry process. Using statistical parameters of contrast and precision, we compared the similarity of exposure groups by industry, process, and industry process. Results: The exposure intensity of lead was estimated for 583 exposure groups combined with 128 industry and 35 process. The X95 value of the "casting" process of the "manufacture of basic precious and non-ferrous metals" industry was 53.29 ㎍/m³, exceeding the occupational exposure limit of 50 ㎍/m³. Regardless of the limitation of the minimum number of samples in the exposure group, higher contrast was observed when the exposure groups were by industry process than by industry or process. Conclusion: We evaluated the exposure intensities of lead by combination of industry and process. The results will be helpful in determining more accurate information regarding exposure in lead-related epidemiological studies.

• 한국식품위생안전성학회지
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• 제35권6호
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• pp.587-601
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• 2020

국내외적으로 유해물질의 통합 노출에 대한 관심은 높아지고 있다. 이러한 흐름에 따라 다양한 경로를 통해 노출될 수 있는 중금속에 대한 통합 노출 연구가 필요하다. 카드뮴과 납은 각각 신장 독성과 인지 장애 등 다양한 독성을 나타낼 수 있으며 또한 발암 물질로 알려져있다. 따라서 본 연구에서는 카드뮴과 납의 노출량 추정 및 통합 위해성 평가를 진행하였다. 2016, 2017년의 7기 국민건강영양조사에 참여한 10,733명의 식품, 물, 흡연과 간접흡연, 호흡, 화장품, 여성용 위생용품을 통한 중금속 노출 추정량을 계산하였다. 결과적으로 카드뮴과 납 모두 식품을 통한 노출이 제일 높게 나타났다. 이외에도 흡연은 카드뮴의 주요한 노출원이었으며, 납은 화장품을 통해 높은 농도로 노출되었다. 통합 위해평가에서도 식품이 가장 큰 영향을 미쳤다. 지역적 특성의 차이는 노출 추정량의 차이를 보이지 못하였으나, 연령 별, 성별 간 노출 추정량은 큰 차이를 보였다. 특히, 월경 중인 성인 여성의 경우 카드뮴, 월경 중이지 않은 여성은 납의 노출 추정량이 더 높으며 신체 대사를 고려하였을 때, 그 위험성이 더 클 수 있음을 암시하였다. 결론적으로 노출량 추정 및 통합 위해평가 모두 식품이 주요 노출원이었다. 다만, 잠재적 위험을 방지하기 위해 다른 경로에 대한 노출량 추정 및 위해평가가 요구된다.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• 제21권2호
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• pp.113-119
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• 1998

Changes in the release and uptake of glutamate in cerebellar granule and glial cells of offspring of lead-exposed mothers were determined. In cultured cerebellar granule cells exposed to lead for 5 days, glutamate release was less influenced upon N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) stimulation than that in the control. Although the NMDA-stimulated release of glutamate in cerebellar granule cells prepared from lead-exposed first generation pups was not different from that of the control group, the S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP)-stimulated release of glutamate in cerebellar granule cells obtained from lead-treated pups was less elevated than that in the control. Furthermore, in cerebellar granule cells obtained from lead-exposed second generations pups, glutamate release did not respond to both NMDA and SNAP stimulation. In cerebellar glial cells exposed to lead, the basal glutamate uptake was not changed. However, the L-trans-pyrollidine-2,4-dicarboxylic acid (PDC)-blocking effects was significantly reduced. In glial cells obtained from lead-exposed pups, the glutamate uptake was also less blocked by PDC than that in the control. Further decreases in PDC-blocking effects were observed in cerebellar glial cells obtained from lead-treated second generation pups compared to those from the control group. These results indicate that lead exposure induces the changes in the sensitivities of the glutamate release and uptake transporter. In addition, these results suggest that lead exposure might affect the intracellular signalling pathway and transmission in glutamatergic nervous system.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• 제16권1호
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• pp.19-24
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• 1983

In order to study the effects of iron and zinc on the lead poisoning of rats, lead with iron and zinc, or lead alone were administered orally to a total of 98 adult rats of Sprague-Dawley Species. The concentrations of lead, zinc, and iron were measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometer at every 20 days intervals of 20th, 40th, 60th, 80th and 120th day as a final measurement. Those datas were analysed and compared with those of control groups. The results were summarized as follows; 1. The concentration of lead in blood, bone. and liver tissues kept increasing in case of lead exposure group whereas it started decreasing at 60-80th day when concentration of zinc started increasing in case of combined exposure group. However, in kidney tissue, the concentration of lead in combined exposure group kept increasing up to the end of observation showing special high concentration at the final measurement at 120th day. 2. Concentration of zinc in blood and liver tissues had increased from 60-80th day in case of combined exposure group. 3. Concentration of iron in blood showed decreasing from $44.15{\pm}9.67\;to\;32.44{\pm}2.69{\mu}g/ml$ in case of lead exposure group, whereas it showed constant level of $47.50{\sim}45.65{\mu}g/ml$. However, in liver tissue it kept constant as control did from 40th to 60th days, but from 100th day on it started increasing to show much higher concentration than control.