Occupational and environmental lead and PCB exposure at a scrap metal dealer

Blood lead levels (BPb) and serum polychlorinated biphenyl levels (PCB) were obtained from 17 employees at two adjacent scrap metal dealers. One facility was located outdoors, directly on top of soil known to be contaminated with lead and PCBs, and the other was located indoors with a concrete floor. BPbs ranged from 4.0 to 39.8 microgram/dl (mean 19.9 microgram/dl, geometric mean 17.5 microgram/dl) and PCB levels ranged from <1 to 65.3 ppb (mean 7.5 ppb). There was no significant difference in either BPb or serum PCB between the two sites. BPb was significantly correlated with the number of cigarettes smoked at work, and both BPb and serum PCB were significantly related to eating lunch outside the lunchroom, suggesting hand-to-mouth contact as a source of exposure. The lack of difference in BPb between employees of the two scrap metal dealers suggests an ongoing source of lead exposure at the sites, other than the soil.