Abstract
This study investigated lead concentrations in the hairs of radiographers working in the radiological departments of general hospitals that used lead shielding for radiation protection. We collected scalp hair samples from 32 radiographers working in four radiology departments with lead shielding and 18 administration personnel in the same hospitals without lead shielding. Samples were analyzed for lead concentrations by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. As a result, lead concentrations in the hairs of the radiological technologists were significantly higher than those in the administration staffs (0.72 ± 0.51 vs. 0.19 ± 0.27 μg/g, P < 0.001). The hair lead concentrations were positively and significantly associated with environmental lead concentrations (r = 0.6, P = 0.001), but not associated with age, working duration, and gender distribution.
Highlights
This study investigated lead concentrations in the hairs of radiographers working in the radiological departments of general hospitals that used lead shielding for radiation protection
Health hazards caused by lead exposure including adverse effects on respiratory, digestive, reproductive, urinary and neurological systems such as neurodevelopment delay, Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), attention deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), etc.[4,5,6,7]
This study aims to evaluate the accumulated lead levels of radiographers in general hospitals
Summary
This study investigated lead concentrations in the hairs of radiographers working in the radiological departments of general hospitals that used lead shielding for radiation protection. We collected scalp hair samples from 32 radiographers working in four radiology departments with lead shielding and 18 administration personnel in the same hospitals without lead shielding. Health hazards caused by lead exposure including adverse effects on respiratory, digestive, reproductive, urinary and neurological systems such as neurodevelopment delay, Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), attention deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), etc.[4,5,6,7]. The radiological departments are usually in the confined spaces with limited ventilation in the hospitals; the ambient lead concentrations in the x-ray rooms could cumulate, thereby increasing lead exposure of the radiological practitioners. This study aims to evaluate the accumulated lead levels of radiographers in general hospitals
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