Scand J Work Environ Health 1983;9(6):463-469 pdf
https://doi.org/10.5271/sjweh.2386 | Issue date: Dec 1983
Evaluation of the current risk of lead poisoning in the ceramics industry.
Evaluation of the current risk of lead poisoning in the ceramics industry. Scand j work environ health 9 (1983) 463-469. The authors evaluate the current possibility of lead poisoning in the production of ceramic tiles, an industrial sector which has always been considered dangerous due to the use of lead-rich glazes. The study was conducted in nine plants, four of which were repeatedly monitored (five checks on 94 exposed subjects). The other five plants (for a total of 221 exposed subjects) were only checked once. An analysis of all the results showed a clear reduction in mean blood lead levels, which the authors believe was due to the use of glazes with less lead. The results obtained were generally satisfactory; they indicated a definite improvement in the situation with respect to the authors' previous investigations, even for jobs in which workers were more frequently exposed. The data overlap those observed in the production of artistic pottery, which has always been considered less dangerous.