Metabolizam anorganskog olova u profesionalno eksponiranih ljudi

Decay rates of blood lead levels in 29 lead workers after end of exposure were analysed mathematically with an exponential two-compartment model. The slow pool had a median half-time of about 5 years, the fast one about one month, but with a considerable inter-individual variation. Lead levels in finger-bone, as determined in 73 active and retired workers by an X-ray fluorescence method, ranged from less than 20 up to 135 mg/kg. There was an increase of finger-bone lead level with increasing exposure time (maximum about 10 mg/kg/year), but the variation between individuals was considerable. In retired workers there was an association between lead levels in finger-bone and blood; an increase of 100-150 mg/kg corresponded to about 1.5 µmol/l. Bone lead levels in biopsies from vertebral spinous processes of 28 lead workers were often lower or higher than in finger-bone, suggesting at least two bone lead pools. Lead level in bone may be practically useful to determine the extent of »internal« lead exposure by mobilization from the skeleton.Napravljena je matematička analiza smanjenja razine olova u 29 radnika pomoću modela s dva kompartmenta. Spori dio kompartmenta imao je vrijeme polovičnog nestanka od otprilike pet godina, a brzi od otprilike jedan mjesec. Postojale su značajne individualne varijacije. Razina olova u falangama kretala se između 20 i 135 mg/kg, kao što je utvrđeno fluorescentnom metodom s X-zrakama u 73 aktivna i umirovljena radnika. Razina olova u kosti rasla je s vremenom ekspozicije s maksimumom od 10 mg/kg. U umirovljenih radnika postojala je povezanost između koncentracije olova u kosti i one u krvi. Povećanje od 100 do 150 mg/kg u kosti odgovaralo je otprilike 1.5 µmol/L. Koncentracija olova u spinalnim nastavcima kralješaka bila je često veća ili manja od one u falangama, što upućuje na postojanje barem dvaju kompartmenta. Razina olova u kosti može poslužiti u praktične svrhe za procjenu moguće interne ekspozicije olovu mobiliziranjem iz skeleta