Lead Exposure and Kidney Damage among Artisans in Auto Mechanic Workshops in Ibadan, Southwestern Nigeria

Environmental factors play a substantial role in causing chronic kidney disease, but only traditional risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and glomerulonephritis have received widespread attention. This study examined the role of environmental lead exposure in causing kidney disease among artisans in auto mechanic workshops in Nigeria. This was a crosssectional study involving auto mechanics in selected workshops in Ibadan. Sociodemographic details were obtained. Other details obtained included the period of exposure to lead or lead materials and occupational history. Serum lead levels, urinalysis, kidney function, and blood glucose were tested. Four hundred and twelve participants, mostly males (99%) participated. The mean and standard deviation serum lead level was 15.4 ± 7.8 μg/dL. The mean and standard deviation estimated glomerular filtration rate for all participants was 72.9 ± 36.7 mL/min. Serum lead levels correlated with eGFR (r = 0.396, P = 0.044) and microalbuminuria (r = 0.413, P = 0.042). The number of years working in painting correlated with microalbuminuria (r = 0.801, P = 0.0190). Most artisans working in auto mechanic shops in our study had serum lead levels of ≤25 μg/dL, and there was an association between working with iron and lead-containing metals and kidney disease, and serum lead levels were a risk for kidney damage.