Purpose: To investigate levels of lead (Pb) exposure and renal tubular damage among adolescent workers in auto repair workshops in Turkey.
Methods: The study was conducted on 39 adolescent workers (mean age: 16.18 +/- 3.19 years) in auto repair workshops (8 autoelectrician, 10 motor repairman, 8 auto painter, 5 turner, 8 bonnet straighter). Thirteen adult employees of battery production in the workshops (mean age: 32.08 +/- 10.94 years) and 29 healthy rural adolescent (mean age: 14.78 +/- 2.68 years) constituted the control groups. The level of blood Pb was investigated by an atomic absorption spectrophotometer and urinary N-acetyl beta- D glucosaminidase (NAG) activity was measured by a colorimetric method. Mann-Whitney U test was performed to examine group differences.
Results: All subjects and controls had normal blood urea, creatinine, uric acid, sodium, potassium levels, normal routine urine examination and tubular phosphorus reabsorption. Blood Pb levels in auto repair workers (8.13 +/- 7.41 mug/dL) were significantly higher than the rural control group (3.49 +/- 1.39 mug/dL) but lower than the battery workers (25.27 +/- 9.82 mug/dL). Urinary NAG (U/gr creatinine) (4.71 +/- 2.11) was lower than the battery workers (7.39 +/- 4.37), however significantly higher than the normal control group (3.07 +/- 1.20). In addition, auto painters had higher levels of Pb exposure and urinary NAG activity than the other workers (p <.05).
Conclusion: Chronic low dose Pb exposure was found to cause renal tubular injury in children workers of auto repair workshops.