[Erythrocyte zinc protoporphyrin concentration in occupational exposure to lead]

The paper is aimed at analysing the correlation between zinc protoporphyrin and hemoglobin concentrations and lead level in blood and the correlation between hemoglobin concentration and zinc protoporphyrin content in erythrocytes. The studies covered 73 men aged 19-58, exposed for 1-15 years. The control group was composed of 20 healthy men, age interval 17-66, with no occupational exposure to lead. A statistically significant difference for zinc protoporphyrin was demonstrated between the control and examined groups. No significant difference was found in hemoglobin concentration between those groups. On the other hand, a highly statistically significant increase with time was found in zinc protoporphyrin in erythrocytes. The dependence of zinc protoporphyrin concentration on lead concentration increases with employment length, reaching the correlation coefficient 0.6 after more than 9 years. No correlation was found between hemoglobin and lead concentrations in blood. Neither was it found between hemoglobin and zinc protoporphyrin concentrations.