Total Exposure to Lead and Cadmium of a Group of People from a Lead Contaminated Area

In an area with a lead smeltery, concentrations of lead and cadmium in airborne particles, depositions and household dust, and biological indicators of lead exposure have been followed over 20 years. The environmental lead levels, particularly concentrations of lead in the air, have shown a marked decrease after the introduction (in 1978) of efficient bag filters for the control of smeltery emissions (Fugas et al., 1984), while biological indicators of lead exposure have improved gradually over the years (Prpić-Majić et al., 1984). The purpose of this study was to assess approximately the range of possible total personal exposures to lead and cadmium and to determine the share of their absorption from air, food and beverages.