Occupational lead exposure in Finland. V. Shipyards and shipbreaking. by Tola S, Karskela V TOLA, S. and KARSKELA, V. Occupational lead exposure in Finland: V. Shipyards and shipbreaking. Scand. j. work environ. & health 2 (1976) 31-36. Three Finnish shipyards and two shipbreaking enterprises were studied for lead exposure. Blood lead (Pb-B) concentration was measured for 568 workers in the shipyards and 13 workers in the shipbreaking enterprises. Erythrocyte o-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase

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... LAD) activity was determined for 139 workers in one shipyard and 7 workers in one shipbreaking enterprise. Hemoglobin level was determined for 545 workers in the three shipyards and 7 workers in one shipbreaking enterprise. Lead exposure in the shipyards was relatively low. No Pb-B value exceeded 70 ,ug/l00 ml. The most exposed occupations were welders, plumbers, painters, repairmen, and sheet metal workers. The mean Pb-B did not exceed 40 ,ug!lOO ml in any of these groups. In both shipbreaking enterprises one Pb-B value exceeded 70 ,ug/l00 ml, the mean Pb-B values of all the workers in the two enterprises being 51 and 46 ,ug/IOO ml, respectively. ALAD values corresponded well with the respective Pb-B values. All the hemoglobin mean values were normal, and there were no statistically significant differences between the hemoglobin values of different groups.