Effects on health of atmospheric lead in roadside exposure in Jakarta.

The effects of lead on the health of two Japanese males, ages 26 and 54, both of whom had previously resided in a Japanese city before staying for a period of one month in Jakarta, Republic of Indonesia. The subjects spent four to five days on a roadside in Jakarta where lead levels in the air varied from one to three μg/m(3), while that in Japan was approximately 0.1 μg/m(3). The followings were measured before, during and after the lead exposure: lead in blood, the activity of delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase, lead in urine per day and delta-aminolevulinic acid levels in urine per day. Lead in blood, the activity of delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase and lead in urine per day showed no marked changes, while delta-aminolevulinic acid levels in urine per day increased significantly after the exposure. Thus, lead and delta-aminolevulinic acid levels in urine per day are recommended as the most sensitive indicators of the short-term effect of lead.