A survey on leaded gasoline poisoning at a photo offset printing plant

Abstract

At a photo offset printing plant, several workers were exposed to tetra alkyl lead in considerable concentration. In this plant the leaded gasoline was used as the wiping solvent for the forme beds.
1) The lead concentration as tetra alkyl lead found in the gasoline was 0.4g per liter and the concentration in the gasoline vapor was 0.62g per liter.
2) The leaded gasoline concentration in the air of the plant was rather increased, since a new type of air conditioning installation had been set up and it caused poor ventilation in the room.
3) The concentration of lead in the blood of workers and their urinary excretions of coproporphyrine were elevated. Additionally, the number of stipple cells in blood were slightly increased.
4) Tentatively all persons were administered Ca-EDTANa₂, and their urinary lead amount before and after the administration was compared. The result indicated that the amount of lead excreted in urine after the administration uniformly exceeded that before the administration.
From this observation, the preventive measures of the lead exposure have been discussed, and it has been emphasized that leaded gasoline should not be used as solvent at any working processes, for example, like this case, for the prevention of lead poisoning.