The objective of this study was to establish the consequences of exposure to crystal dust on blood lead levels in workers employed in the hand-finishing and grinding sector. Second objective was to research a relationship between ambient air lead & blood lead. The study was conducted in France on 131 subjects occupationally exposed to an aerosol containing crystal particles & involved personal measurements of atmospheric exposure to lead, determination of blood lead & collection of personal data. Initial analysis showed that differences in exposure at the workplace corresponded to differences in blood lead in the operators. There was definitely a potential risk of overexposure to lead, but the existence of this risk was not confirmed by level of blood lead concentrations, & moreover, no clinical signs of poisoning were revealed.
