The Effect Of Using Personal Protection Equipment (PPE), Mileage, And Smoking Habits On Hair Lead (Pb) Levels

Abstract

Street sweepers, traffic officers, roadside sellers and motorcyclists, including students are subjects who are vulnerable to exposure to vehicle fumes. One of the air pollution generated from motor vehicle fumes is lead (Pb) which is toxic to humans and is accumulative. This study aimed to analyze the relationship between characteristic factors and lead levels in hair using the Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS) method. Respondents in this study were 32 male university students. The results showed a significance value of 0.274 (p> 0.05) on the parameter of PPE use, 0.049 (p <0.05) on the mileage parameter, and 0.576 (p> 0.05) on the smoking habit parameter. So it can be concluded that there is no effect of the use of PPE and smoking habits on hair lead levels and there is an effect of mileage on hair lead levels in student respondents.

Lead Levels in Hair and Blood of Container Truck Drivers at PT. Trans Indo Sakti Surabaya

“…The exposure to lead through cigarettes depends on the amount of lead present, the percentage transferred into cigarette smoke, and the percentage absorbed by the body [13][41]. This is supported by the research conducted [22], which states that there is a significant correlation between smoking habits and lead levels in hair.…”

“…This disruption interferes with the regenerative process of epithelial cells, and cilia become unable to filter lead-contaminated air when it enters the lungs. As a result, the more frequent the smoking habit, the higher the lead levels in the body [22] [33]. Moving on to the characteristics based on health complaints, the highest percentage is 80%, with 12 out of 15 respondents not reporting any health complaints.…”

“…The quantity of cigarettes consumed can indeed influence the presence of lead in the body. The respondent with code ST11 follows a healthy lifestyle and consumes foods rich in antioxidants, which enables the body to gain additional protection against the negative impacts of lead exposure and enhances the body's ability to counteract harmful substances [22] [39]. In the study [25], it is stated that a healthy lifestyle plays a role as an effective preventive measure to reduce the risk of lead exposure.…”