Worker exposure to lead titanate zirconate in an Ontario company

An Ontario plant with 101 workers, producing and using the ceramic compound lead titanate zirconate (LTZ), was investigated. Although air lead levels were high in most plant areas, 82 workers not exposed to lead oxide but to LTZ in the process had normal blood lead levels. In addition, no radiographic changes or abnormal pulmonary function test results were detected in 61 examined workers. The particle size of LTZ was determined to be less than 5 micrometers, and the solubility of LTZ in body fluids was found to be significantly less than lead oxide. The authors postulate that the observed low toxicity of LTZ could be due to its low solubility in body fluids. Further studies of the toxicity of LTZ and other less soluble lead compounds are recommended.