The paper describes a heated furnace atomic absorption method for determining lead in whole blood using an automated sample introduction system. It is direct and rapid. No sample pretreatment is required and up to 30 samples per hour can be analyzed. Precision and accuracy data are presented. The system has been applied to both macro (venipuncture) and micro (capillary) samples. The method uses physiologically-bound lead standards to compensate for matrix effects. It has been used in the screening of target populations and for confirming elevated blood lead levels in the California Department of Health Services Childhood Lead Program.

A rapid and precise system for lead determination in whole blood.

Summary

The hematologic abnormalities are used to aid in diagnosis and understanding of the pathophysiologic mechanisms of lead poisoning. Erythrocyte shape abnormalities, basophilic stippling, porphyrin abnormalities and normoblastosis have been associated with lead ingestion in many species. This paper reviews literature on these aspects of hematology of lead poisoning in both man and domestic animals.

The hematology of lead poisoning in man and animals.

The determination of Pb in human whole blood is perhaps the most common application of biological monitoring in occupational and environmental health. However, the lack of an adequate reference material has prevented a thorough evaluation of current analytical methods for Pb in blood and hence the evaluation of data generated by using such methods. As a result the concentration of Pb in human whole blood is not accurately known. In this paper the authors report the preparation and analysis of two freeze-dried bovine whole blood reference specimens containing two different levels of Pb.

Hemolyzed, lyophilized bovine blood for quality control of lead determination of human whole blood.

Numerous reports dealing with cattle poisoning by lead are evidence that this element is widely spread in the environment and reveal the predisposition of such animals to be affected due both to the composition of their diet and feeding.

Evaluation of subclinical lead poisoning in dairy cattle

Bovine blood is used frequently as control material in interlaboratory comparisons for blood-lead analysis, but an erythrocyte protoporphyrin control material is needed. We present data on the rate of changes in blood lead and erythrocyte protoporphyrin in steers fed lead acetate. We also show, by comparison of fluorescence spectra with those of known compounds, that most of the porphyrin in lead-burdened steers probably exists as free protoporphyrin IX along with some zinc-complexed protoporphyrin IX. Bovine blood is suitable as an erythrocyte protoporphyrin control material for laboratories using acid extraction procedures, but not for the proficiency testing of laboratories using hematofluorometers.

G Bissell

Papers

Some factors affecting the utility of bovine blood as a control material in lead-screening programs.