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Long-term Behavioral and Reproductive Consequences of Embryonic Exposure to Low-dose Toxicants
07:08

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Published on: March 6, 2018

Adverse reproductive effects in female workers of lead battery plants

Ning Tang1, Zi Q Zhu

  • 1Beibei Health and Anti-epidemic Station (Center for Disease Control and Prevention), Beibei, Chongqing, China. nt920000@yahoo.com

International Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health
|February 18, 2004
PubMed

Fifty seven female workers at mean age 32 years (range, 23-45 years), employed in a storage battery plant and a capacitor factory were investigated. The lead exposure period was 7.4 years (range, 1-17 years). The retrospective method was used to analyse reproductive functions of women: menses, libido, abortion and delivery. The results were compared with the control group (62 female workers, mean age 32 years; range, 24-45 years). The incidence of polymenorrhea, prolonged and abnormal menstruations, hypermenorrhea was significantly higher in the lead exposed group than in controls. The incidence of spontaneous abortions was reported by 6 exposed female workers whereas it was not observed in the control group (p = 0.01). The authors conclude that occupational lead exposure of female workers could lead to the impairment of the functions of reproductive system, however poor working conditions and workload may prove to be additional factors responsible for functional disorders in the subjects under study.

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