Features of transcutaneous penetration of lead into the human body

Abstract

Introduction. One of the features of lead is its high ability to disintegrate and significantly contaminate the environment. The contamination of hands or the whole body with lead creates a high probability of penetrating micro- and nanoparticles through the skin into the body. Nowadays, this process is not sufficiently studied. There is evidence that inorganic compounds or metallic particles of lead can penetrate through the skin into a human body. Material and methods. centrifuge 10000 rpm, laser emitter (wavelength 625-740 nm), optical microscope, voltampermetric analyzer ABA-2, Analysette 12 Dyna Sizer, magnetic stirrer, distiller, Na2S solution. The studies were conducted in 2017-2018 among the workers of battery sections of technical service stations in Ternopol - 17 people. The research results were processed by the statistical package SPSS 19. Results. The process of mechanical contamination by the skin with lead, rejection of micro particles from the surface of lead, and, to a lesser extent, ultrafine nanoparticles, which can penetrate the sweat glands, was established to occur. The studies have shown in the washings from the palms particles’ skin are detected mainly in the size of 1 μm - 100 nm. In the process of finding the particles of lead in the sweat glands, their length decreases to Nanoscale, allowing them freely entering the body. The decrease in particle size in the sweat glands occurs due to the formation of soluble lead compounds. Presumably, the main chemical contributing to this process is lactic acid. With increasing exposure, the size of lead particles in the sweat glands decreases. Intensive cleaning of the skin surface by mechanical methods, and detergents, followed by contamination with lead, promotes the penetration of lead particles into the sweat glands and its further spread in the body. The intense physical activity was established to contribute to a decrease in particle size, which suggests chemical interaction of lead with lactic acid and the formation of soluble lead lactate. The assumption is confirmed by studies of the composition of sweat, which is detected lead lactate. Conclusion. The lead ability to penetrating a human body transcutaneously in the form of nanoparticles and soluble compounds has been proven. Intense physical activity facilitates the penetration of lead into the body.