Study of Female Former Workers at a Lead Smelter: An Examination of the PossibleAssociation of Lead Exposure with Decreased Bone Density and Other Health Outcomes

摘要

The purpose of this study was to examine the long-term effects of lead exposureson the health of the women who worked at the Bunker Hill mining and smelting facility in Idaho and who were exposed to a variety of heavy metals. The site includes not only the mining and smelting complexes, but also the communities of Pinehurst, Page, Smelterville, Kellogg, and Wardner. The study focused on the interaction of lead and the bone demineralization that occurs as women age. Women who were formerly employed at the facility had statistically significantly higher bone blood lead levels than did women in a comparison group. Bone density decreased as the women aged, more among the former workers than among the comparison women. Also, former workers were more likely to have had hysterectomies or to have stopped having periods at a significantly younger age than women in the comparison group.