Study on blood lead abnormality and risk factors of workers in a lead-acid battery factory

  Objective  To understand workers' blood lead levels in a lead-acid battery factory in Henan Province, analyze the main risk factors for blood lead abnormality, and provide a scientific basis for enterprises to formulate efficient measures against chronic lead poisoning.

  Methods  Totally 2 550 workers in a lead-acid battery factory were studied, their general demographic characteristics and occupational history were collected with a unified questionnaire while they underwent occupational health examinations in December 2020 and their blood lead levels were measured. The airborne lead concentrations in the air were tested at representative worksites where workers worked with exposure to lead dust or lead smoke. SPSS 21.0 was used to establish a database and conduct statistical analysis.

  Results  The airborne lead concentrations were higher than exposure limit with compliance of 12.5% to 62.5% in 5 worksites, and 246 workers had abnormal blood lead level with the abnormality of 9.64%. Unconditional logistic regression analysis showed that the risk of occupational chronic lead poisoning of workers working in posts such as casting, coating, brushing, wrapping and assembling was increased to 7.800, 23.996, 30.893, 16.380 and 18.003 times, respectively (P < 0.01), compared with the workers working in the other posts where there was not occupational exposure to lead existed. Compared with the workers who have been exposed to lead for less than 1 year, the risk of occupational chronic lead poisoning of the workers who have been exposed to lead for more than 1 year, 2 years, 3 years, 4 years and 5-7 years was increased to 12.960, 17.557, 19.127, 25.037 and 29.096 times, respectively (P < 0.01). The risk of smokers' occupational chronic lead poisoning was 1.501 times higher than that of non-smokers(P < 0.05).

  Conclusions  The blood lead levels of lead exposed workers were affected by many internal and external complex factors. Enterprises should comprehensively implement effective measures and the worksites such as casting, coating board, brushing, wrapping and assembling should be priority.