Mask Protection Against Lead Exposure and Its Correlation with Erythropoiesis in Automotive Body Painters at Ligu District, Semarang, Indonesia

Abstract

Budi Santosa,1 Ali Rosidi,2 Herlisa Anggraini,3 Zahra Maharani Latrobdiba,2 Fitriani Nur Damayanti,4 Heru Santoso Wahito Nugroho5 1Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Universitas Muhammadiyah Semarang, Semarang, Indonesia; 2Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Nursing and Health Science, Universitas Muhammadiyah Semarang, Semarang, Indonesia; 3Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Faculty of Nursing and Health Science, Universitas Muhammadiyah Semarang, Semarang, Indonesia; 4Department of Midwifery, Faculty of Nursing and Health Science, Universitas Muhammadiyah Semarang, Semarang, Indonesia; 5Department of Health, Poltekkes Kemenkes Surabaya, Surabaya, IndonesiaCorrespondence: Budi Santosa, Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Universitas Muhammadiyah Semarang, Jl. Kedungmundu Raya 18, Semarang, 50273, Central Java, Indonesia Email [email protected]: Automotive body painters are at risk of excessive lead exposure that may compromise their health. This study examined the protective effects of masks against lead exposure and its correlation with blood profile of automotive body painters at Ligu district, Semarang, Indonesia.Material and Methods: This cross-sectional study included 61 painters at Ligu district, Semarang, Indonesia (mean age 45 years, 100% male). Mask use was categorized into “frequent” and “infrequent”. Blood samples were taken to measure lead exposure and haematological parameters (haemoglobin/HGB, erythrocytes/RBC, haematocrit/HCT, mean corpuscular haemoglobin/MCH, mean corpuscular volume/MCV, mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration/MCHC). Effectivity of mask use against lead exposure was analysed with Fisher’s exact test, while lead exposure and haematopoietic parameters were evaluated with Pearson’s correlation tests.Results: There were 26 automotive painters (42.6%) classified as unfrequent mask users, and all of them had high blood lead levels. Most haematopoiesis parameters were in normal range. Workers with infrequent mask use were 1.269 more likely to be exposed to lead compared to those with frequent mask use (CI 95%, 1.082– 1.552). Significant associations were found between lead exposure and RBC (p=0.0, r=− 0.53), HGB (p=0, r=− 0.61), and HCT (p=0.00, r=− 0.61). No significant correlations were observed between lead exposure and MCV, MCH, MCHC.Conclusion: Lead exposure was significantly associated with haematological parameters RBC, HGB, and HCT, confirming the effects of prolonged exposure on blood profile. However, mask use provided significant protection against lead exposure in automotive body painters and should be an obligatory gear for workers.Keywords: mask, lead, haematopoiesis, automotive painters

Keywords

• mask
• lead
• haematopoiesis
• automotive painters