[Blood lead levels in the population of La Spezia]

The Istituto Superiore di Sanità, according to the Presidential Decree 496 of 1982 (known as DPR 486/82), has promoted, starting from 1992, the second Italian campaign of biological monitoring of the general population against the risk of lead intoxication. Within the framework of this campaign, a total of 927 subjects residing in the city of La Spezia have been examined in 1992. Biological monitoring of lead exposure has been carried out by means of the determination of lead in blood. Both non exposed subjects and all the traffic wardens (vigili urbani) of La Spezia--exposed to the combustion of gasoline containing organic lead as antiknock additive--have been examined. Among non occupationally exposed adult subjects, median values for males and females were 102.25 micrograms/l and 69 micrograms/l, respectively. In a group of 74 children (45 males and 29 females) median values were 46.5 micrograms/l in male subjects and 38 micrograms/l in female subjects. The results obtained for the same group of traffic wardens in 1990 and 1996 are also reported in this paper. Among 55 subjects observed in 1990, 1993 and 1996 median blood lead levels were 140 micrograms/l, 85 micrograms/l and 72 micrograms/l, respectively. The comparison of data obtained starting from 1990 indicate a significant stepwise decline in both environmental lead pollution and blood lead levels of subjects residing in the city of La Spezia. These time trends can be attributed to the decreased concentration of lead in gasoline.