Changes in urinary cadmium excretion among pigment workers with improvement of the work environment

Urinary Cadmium (Cd) levels were measured twice a year from 1986 to 1992 in five workers exposed to cadmium pigment dust. At the end of 1987, the work environment was improved, and urinary Cd was monitored in association with atmospheric Cd. The five subjects were exposed to cadmium dust at maximum concentrations of 0.857 mg/m3 and 0.045 mg/m3, before and after the improvement, respectively. By arbitrarily setting the urinary Cd level of each worker before improvement at 100, the values after improvement ranged from 41.7 to 94.6, yielding no significant difference. Although the environmental level of Cd was decreased by ten-fold or more, no significant decrease in urinary Cd could be detected.