Trace Metals in Occupationally and Nonoccupationally Exposed Individuals

Abstract

An epidemiological survey was conducted in Houston, Texas on five trace metals in policemen, parking garage attendants, women living near freeways and three control groups of subjects. The controls were mnatched with the exposed groups for covariate information such as age, sex, smoking habits, ethnic background, socioeconomic status, hair color, and education. Each subject was sampled four times for blood, urine, hair, and feces, and these samples were analyzed for lead, cadmium, zinc, manganese, and copper. Lead and cadmium were correlated with airborne exposures but zinc, manganese and copper were not.The second part of this paper deals with a market study of platinum and palladium markets and a design of an epidemiology survey of individuals occupationally and nonoccupationally exposed to these two metals. The market survey shows that although the catalytic muffler will have a major impact on the market, it is predicted that producers can meet these demands. Measurement of Human Exposure to Fuel AdditivesThe most commonly used fuel additive in gasoline powered engines in the United States is tetraethyl lead. There are, however, a number of other fuel additives which may be used in gteater quantities in the future that contain a variety of trace metals such as manganese, copper, and zinc. Other trace elements such as cadmium are present as impurities. It has been shown that trace metals such as these may accumulate in various tissuse and possibly contribute to the incidence of carcinogenic, mutagenic or teratogenic processes.

Exposure and accumulation of cadmium in populations from Japan, the United States, and Sweden

“…The average daily fecal cadmium varied between 41 and 79 ,g with an overall average of 56 ,g. The laboratory in Gifu participated in the interlaboratory crosscheck study of cadmium analysis (Kjellstrom and Linnman, to be published) and their results agreed well with the other laboratories. One additional study (EPAISWRI) had been carried out in the U.S. (29,30) on 216 volunteers from Houston in the age range 20-49. Overnight specimens of feces were collected, and 24-hr fecal amounts were not measured. The analytical method was different from the one used for the study in Dallas described above.…”

Levels of platinum, palladium, and lead in populations of Southern California.

“…The catalysts used small quantities of platinum and palladium, and there have been some indications of emissions of particles of these metals. Health effects of exposure to platinum and palladium reviewed in a previous study (1) indicated that soluble forms of platinum can create allergic responses in sensitive individuals. However, little information is available concerning long-term chronic exposure of humans to low levels of platinum or palladium, in particular for groups that may be at greater risk such as the young or aged and for individuals with some type of medical impairment.…”

“…Study design provided for equal numbers of volunteer participants in each of three age groupings: age group I, [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16] years; age group II, 17-34 years; and age group III, 35 and over. Approximately 150 individuals were initially selected for study in each of the two areas, 50 in each age group.…”

Evaluation of the carcinogenic risk of chemicals to humans

“…Johnson et al (1975) compared the urinary lead concentrations of several groups of people in Houston, Texas. For non-exposed control s, mean urinary lead concentrations ranged from 19.0-27.8 tLg/l; the same groups also had lead in the hair at levels ranging from 6.0-29.7 mg/kg and in the faeces, from 2.2-2.7 mg/kg.…”