Lead absorption in children of employees in a lead-related industry.

Children can be exposed to lead from a variety of environmental sources. It has been repeatedly reported that children of employees in a lead-related industry are at increased risk of lead absorption because of the high levels of lead found in the household dust of these workers. A case-control study was done in Oklahoma in 1978 to determine whether children of employees in battery manufacturing plant had a higher prevalence of high levels of blood lead than children whose parents were not employed in a lead-related industry. The data obtained indicated that the blood lead levels of the study children were significantly greater than those of the control children. None of the control children had blood lead levels greater than 30 micrograms/dl, while 53% of the exposed children had blood lead levels of greater than 30 micrograms/dl. Trends indicated that the children whose fathers had higher lead exposure at work also had higher blood lead levels. However, the study children whose fathers had good personal hygiene had blood lead levels comparable to the control children. It appeared that only good personal hygiene, i.e., showering, shampooing and changing clothes and shoes before leaving work, was effective for lead containment. The mere changing of clothes and shoes appeared to be inadequate for lead containment.