Blood levels of lead and delta-aminolevulinic dehydratase activity in a Spanish population.Effect of occupational exposure and social habits

Abstract

The effect of tobacco and alcohol on the delta-amino levulinic dehydratase (ALA-D) activity and lead level in blood is studied in a population of workers with or without exposure to lead due to their work.The lead level in the blood of workers without exposure is about 15.9 +/- 1.7 micrograms/100 ml and is unaltered by sex.The ALA-D level for men and women is 289.7 +/- 15 U/100 ml and 255.9 +/- 10 U/100 ml respectively, the difference being due mainly to the smaller hematocrit for women.Without lead exposure smoking moderately does not change the ALA-D or the lead level, whereas alcoholic drink consumption increases the lead level but does not affect the ALA-D activity.When both factors concur the ALA-D activity decreases, while the lead level increases.With lead exposure, however, neither the ALA-D activity nor the lead level undergoes any change, with of without smoking and drinking, since the values have been completely altered by the exposure.A close relationship between ALA-D activity and lead level in blood has been found in each case.