Characteristics of lead aerosols in different work environments

Abstract

Air samples were collected to examine physical and chemical characteristics of lead aerosols in different work environments in the airborne lead concentration range from 28-783 mu g/m(3). Size distribution of aerosols was measured using a Marple personal cascade impactor,and lead analysis was conducted using graphite atomic absorption spectrometry. Lead aerosol size distribution was found to be different from that of total particles. Such differences are not negligible and must be taken into account when estimating aerosol deposition within the human respiratory tract. Variation of MMAD (mass median aerodynamic diameter) and GSD (geometric standard deviation) of lead aerosols in the coarse mode with total airborne concentration was found to be small, and the assumption that lead aerosol distribution is constant is reasonable for establishing the relationship between airborne lead and blood lead concentrations. Respirable lead concentration is shown to be well correlated with the total airborne lead concentration in all work areas of the three plants except the charging area of the capacitor plant. Therefore, it is expected that either total airborne lead or respirable airborne lead concentration can be used to correlate blood lead concentration.