Chelation by Calcium Trisodium Pentetate in Workers Exposed to Lead

Abstract

THE goal of the industrial physician — to protect workers against lead poisoning through such measures as approved respirators, adequate plant ventilation and good personal hygiene¹ — is not always obtainable. Even effective measures may be inadequate in the presence of unusually heavy exposures. In Massachusetts lead poisoning still occurs among workers employed in storage-battery plants, smelting plants, demolition work and painting, not to mention the high incidence of lead poisoning among children. Use of a chelating agent to remove lead from those suffering from or threatened by lead poisoning, therefore, still has a place in the therapeutic armamentarium.EDTA . . .