Lead exposure of welders and bystanders in a ship repair yard

Blood samples were collected from 126 long-term ship repair workers and 42 retirees. Lead concentrations were determined by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Three groups with different degrees of lead exposure were identified: (1) 59 welders, burners, and combination men (median blood lead, 39 micrograms/100 ml); (2) 67 painters, laborers, shipfitters, riggers, and other ship repair workers (median blood lead, 26 micrograms/100 ml); and (3) 42 retired welders, painters, and shipfitters (median blood lead, 23 micrograms/100 ml). Thirty active ship repair workers, including 28 welders and burners, had blood lead concentrations above the OSHA "action level" of 40 micrograms/100 ml. Increased levels in several men without direct exposures to lead were apparently caused by "bystander's exposure." In the retirees, blood lead levels decreased with increasing length of retirement. Thus, after eight or more years, the average level was below 20 micrograms/100 ml.