Biomaterial Database

[Lead exposure among Kaohsiung traffic policemen]. 1989

H C Chiang, and P Y Chang

In this recent century there has been increasing concern over the possible harmful effects of lead from automobile exhaust on human health. Traffic policemen are heavily exposed to automobile exhaust. In Kaohsiung city because of the increasing number of motor vehicles due to rapid urbanization and heavy traffic transportation from suburbs for export trade, traffic policemen have varied exposure experiences. The automobile exhaust of lead additive gasoline was found to be the major type of exposure for traffic policemen whose duties were in the city, while those who worked in the suburb areas were generally exposed to diesel oil exhaust gas. In this study 98 traffic policemen were studied with 118 students used as a control group. Subjects were evaluated for lead absorption and other metabolic effects. The average value of blood lead for traffic policemen (24.43 +/- 5.31 micrograms/dl) in the city of Kaohsiung was significantly (p less than 0.01) higher than for the control group (20.14 +/- 5.07 micrograms/dl). According to other bioindicators it was also found that the mean values of carboxyhemoglobin, urine lead and urine coproporphyrin were significantly higher in the traffic policemen group. Linear regression between blood lead and the duration of employment was also found in this study (R = -0.2447, p less than 0.05). The most reasonable explanations for these findings are the effects of lead emission from motor vehicles and the employment shifting system that cause this effect.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007854	Lead	A soft, grayish metal with poisonous salts; atomic number 82, atomic weight 207.2, symbol Pb.
D009784	Occupational Diseases	Diseases caused by factors involved in one's employment.	Diseases, Occupational,Occupational Illnesses,Disease, Occupational,Illnesse, Occupational,Illnesses, Occupational,Occupational Disease,Occupational Illnesse
D012044	Regression Analysis	Procedures for finding the mathematical function which best describes the relationship between a dependent variable and one or more independent variables. In linear regression (see LINEAR MODELS) the relationship is constrained to be a straight line and LEAST-SQUARES ANALYSIS is used to determine the best fit. In logistic regression (see LOGISTIC MODELS) the dependent variable is qualitative rather than continuously variable and LIKELIHOOD FUNCTIONS are used to find the best relationship. In multiple regression, the dependent variable is considered to depend on more than a single independent variable.	Regression Diagnostics,Statistical Regression,Analysis, Regression,Analyses, Regression,Diagnostics, Regression,Regression Analyses,Regression, Statistical,Regressions, Statistical,Statistical Regressions
D002263	Carboxyhemoglobin		Carbomonoxyhemoglobin,Carbonmonoxyhemoglobin,Carbonylhemoglobin,Carboxyhemoglobin A,Carboxyhemoglobin C
D004781	Environmental Exposure	The exposure to potentially harmful chemical, physical, or biological agents in the environment or to environmental factors that may include ionizing radiation, pathogenic organisms, or toxic chemicals.	Exposure, Environmental,Environmental Exposures,Exposures, Environmental
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D001335	Vehicle Emissions	Gases, fumes, vapors, and ODORANTS escaping from the cylinders of a gasoline or diesel internal-combustion engine. (From McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 4th ed & Random House Unabridged Dictionary, 2d ed)	Automobile Exhaust,Diesel Exhaust,Engine Exhaust,Vehicle Emission,Vehicular Emission,Traffic-Related Pollutants,Transportation Emissions,Vehicular Emissions,Emission, Vehicle,Emission, Vehicular,Emissions, Transportation,Emissions, Vehicle,Emissions, Vehicular,Exhaust, Automobile,Exhaust, Diesel,Exhaust, Engine,Pollutants, Traffic-Related,Traffic Related Pollutants
D012907	Smoking	Willful or deliberate act of inhaling and exhaling SMOKE from burning substances or agents held by hand.	Smoking Behaviors,Smoking Habit,Behavior, Smoking,Behaviors, Smoking,Habit, Smoking,Habits, Smoking,Smoking Behavior,Smoking Habits
D012926	Social Control, Formal	Control which is exerted by the more stable organizations of society, such as established institutions and the law. They are ordinarily embodied in definite codes, usually written.	Regulation,Social Control,Control, Social,Controls, Social,Formal Social Control,Formal Social Controls,Regulations,Social Controls
D013624	Taiwan	Country in eastern Asia, islands bordering the East China Sea, Philippine Sea, South China Sea, and Taiwan Strait, north of the Philippines, off the southeastern coast of China. The capital is Taipei. The alternate country name is Republic of China.	Formosa,Republic of China