Development and Calibration of an in Vivo Bone Lead Measurement System, and its Application to an Industrially Exposed Population

There has been a long history of in vivo bone lead measurements using the K-shell X-ray fluorescence technique (XRF) 1–3. This approach has found particular use for studies of integrated lead exposure in occupationally exposed groups and associated controls 4–6. As the precision of the technique has been progressively refined, it has become possible to make meaningful longitudinal measurements on small groups of workers7 and to undertake studies on environmentally exposed populations8. This paper describes the development of a K-shell XRF system which offers potential for improved sensitivity (or reduced measurement times) and then reports the results of a recent survey of 136 workers at the Union Miniere (UM) lead smelting plant in Hoboken, Belgium. This study is an adjunct to an ongoing study of renal status in the same UM population.