[Comparison of the levels of 6 metals in the blood of workers in the Bełchatów Industrial District before and after activation of the electric power station]

Abstract

The concentration of six trace metals has been determined in the blood of 90 workers of the Bełchatów Industrial District after the electric power station start-off. The results have been compared with those related to the time before the start-off. The trace elements have been determined using the flameless atomic absorption (Cd, Pb, Mn), flame atomic absorption (Zn), or colorimetric methods (Fe, Cu). In those examined after the electric power station start-off, as compared to the group examined prior to the start-off, the following observations have been made:--similar average concentrations of toxic metals--cadmium and lead--in blood,--similar average concentrations of copper in serum,--higher average concentrations of manganese and ferrum in serum,--lower concentrations of zinc in serum. The differences might be due to changes in living conditions or increased exposure to the metals. The investigations further contribute to the prospective evaluation of the effects of the Bełchatów Industrial District upon the level of trace metals in the blood of the workers of that district.