Psychological and Physical Complaints of Subjects with Low Exposure to Lead

Abstract

The relationship between lead uptake level and subjective psychological and physical symptoms was investigated in two groups of occupationally exposed workers with PbB levels between 45 and 60 micrograms/100 ml and below 35 micrograms/100 ml respectively. Findings were compared with those of a non-exposed control group. Psychological symptomatology as defined by the GHQ proved unsensitive to low levels of lead exposure, while physical symptomatology as defined by the SSQ, in particular neurological symptoms, showed a significant tendency towards an uptake response relationship. The minimum uptake level for neurological symptoms in this study was below 35 micrograms/100 ml.