Background: Patients, who survived from shotgun injuries, often have some retained Lead pellets in their bodies. Several cases of Lead toxicity have been reported regarding these patients.Objectives: This study seeks to compare the serum Lead level in patients who have retained Lead pellets in their bodies with the control group.Patients and Methods: In this case-control study, we gathered the serum Lead levels of 25 patients with some retained Lead pellets in their bodies due to shotgun and 25 volunteers without similar Lead exposure and compared them in view of the age, gender, and living place.Results: While the mean serum Lead level in both groups was lower than the standard level (i.e.40 mg/dL), the mean±SD of serum Lead level was 29±12.8 mg/dL and 25.3±6.4 mg/dL in the case and control group, respectively without any significant difference (P=0.30). However, a positive relationship was seen between serum Lead level, and the number of retained Lead pellets (r=0.447, P=0.025).Conclusions: Although extensive surgery to remove the Lead pellets is not recommended in patients injured with shotguns, those with many retained Lead pellets in their bodies should be considered at risk for Lead poisoning and monitored carefully.

Introduction. Lead poisoning is a major problem in environmental health. Exposure can occur via air, soil, food and water. Occupational exposure is the most common source of Lead poisoning in adults. Lead miners are exposed to an additional source of poisoning in long term. Hair analysis may be used to evaluate chronic Lead toxicity. This study compare the hair Lead concentration in Nakhlak Lead miners and Mohammadieh people who live 130 km far from the Lead mine. Methods. Hair samples from 24 Nakhlak Lead miners and 26 adult men of Mohammadieh village were gathered, washed by detergent and distilled water and dissolved by wet digestion. Lead concentrations of the samples were measured by flame atomic absorption spectroscopy. Results. There was a significant difference between hair Lead concentration of Nakhlak Lead miners and Mohammadieh people (P<0.001). The mean of Lead concentrations were 52.43±27.7 µg/g (mean ± SD) and 17.32±3.43 µg/g hair of the Lead mine workers and the Mohammadieh people, respectively. There was also a significant regression between the number of exposure years and the Lead concentration of hair in Nakhlak Lead miners (P<0.001, r=0.8). Discussion. Presence of Lead compounds in work environment especially in the air may be an important factor for the difference between hair Lead concentration of Nakhlak Lead miners and Mohammadieh people. However, the hair Lead concentration in Mohammadieh people is also reasonably high. It means that these people are also exposed to Lead through the other sources e.g. food, soil, water and air.

Background: Considering the known complications of chronic Lead intoxication (Saturnism) and also to determine the level of Lead in the hair of the workers exposed to Lead contamination, this study was carried out on the workers of a Lead industrial complex and also two control groups in Zanjan in 2000.Materials and Methods: This analytical study was carried out on 75 people. The scalp hair samples were collected from 25 workers who were occupationally exposed to Lead contamination as case group and also from 25 subjects among the staff of the same factory and 25 subjects among Zanjan citizens as the first and the second control groups respectively. A flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer was used to determine Lead level in the samples. The findings were analyzed statistically using t-test and non-parametric tests.Results: The age of all subjects in the three groups was matched. The mean concentrations of hair Lead in the workers (case group), the staff (control group 1), and the citizens (control group 2) Were: 131.7±93.4 µgr/gr, 21.1±13.2 µgr/gr, and 27.9±14.1 µgr/gr respectively. The mean concentration of hair Lead in tbe citizens who had used gas vehicles in comparison with those who had not used gas vehicles was statistically higher (36.9±12.2 µgr/gr VS 16.6±4.9 µgr/gr, P<0,00001).Conclusion: Lead industry workers and also citizens who use gas vehicles are exposed to Lead contamination more than others. Considering the Lead contamination effects on humans, taking serious measures to alleviate the problem and also carring out a research in order to determine the reliability of measuring the hair Lead levels for detecting Lead contamination are recommended.

Introduction: The extensive use of Lead has led to health problems including CNS, anemia and other occupational poisoning among workers. To determine the blood Lead levels in relation to demographic factors, this study was carried out.Methods: In this cross sectional study, 490 workers at Kooshk Lead and Zinc mine were selected and blood samples were taken. The blood Lead levels were assessed according to the NIOSH standard using atomic absorption.Results: The mean, minimum and maximum of blood Lead levels were 49, 9 and 116 mg/dl, respectively. The blood Lead levels in 45.7 percent of workers were more than permissible limit. The blood Lead level was not significantly related to age and history of work. The lowest and highest levels of blood Lead were 9 & 116 mg/dl, respectively. In contrast, significant relationship was seen between the location of work and blood Lead level. The results showed that in the majority of workers with blood Lead levels higher than standard limit, there was a significant relationship between the blood Lead levels and the hemoglobin concentration. The blood Lead level in 45% of samples was more than Iranian standards.Conclusion: The work location was the main factor affecting the blood Lead levels. Attention should therefore be focused on the alteration of RBC and Hemoglobin levels during periodic medical examination of workers.

Introduction: It has been pointed out that the hazard associated with the exposure to tetraethyl Lead is Quite different from exposure to inorganic Lead compounds, and that the measurment of urinary Lead is the best indicator of tetraethy Lead absorption and hence its environmental control. Methods: Urine total Lead concentrations in service station attendants in Isfahan city after extraction were determined by graphite furnace atonic absorption spectrophotometry. Results: Average total urine Lead concentration was (69.75±14.52 mg/l) (range 43 - 105 mg/l). Discussion: All workers has urine total Lead levels below the Biological threshold limit value of 150 mg/l. In addition total Lead excretions did not correlate with exposure duration and age and also with individual customs such as personal hygiene and smoking habit. In general, on the basis of the present study results and current data it seems that urine total Lead is not a sensitive and specific indicator for exposure to tetraethyl Lead.