Medical Surveillance

Lead Surveillance

Lead is widely used in manufacturing including the manufacturing of other metals. Lead poisoning can happen with short doses over long-periods of time, or because of a high dose.

How is the test performed?

Random and 24-hour blood and urines tests available

- How to Order? -

Setting up onsite medical surveillance is fast and easy. Contact us for details

When will I get my results?

Results are provided to the occupational health physician or occupational health nurse. Most results are reported within 7-10 business days of sample collection.

About Lead Surveillance

Substance overview

Lead is a heavy metal that has been used industrially for thousands of years.

-It is pale silvery grey when freshly cut but it darkens on exposure to air. It is heavy, malleable, and a poor conductor of electricity. Lead may be used in its pure metallic form or combined chemically with other elements to form lead compounds.

What is Lead and how is it used?

Lead in using

Metallic lead is used to make products such as electric storage batteries, ammunition, lead solder, radiation shields, pipes, and sheaths for electric cables.
Metallic lead is sometimes combined with other metals such as copper, tin, and antimony to make lead alloys for use in the manufacture of a variety of metal products.

The most widely used organic lead compounds are TEL (tetraethyl lead) and TML (tetramethyl lead) which are colourless, oily liquids, used as anti-knock agents in gasoline. Other organic lead compounds include lead “soaps” used as high-pressure lubricants.

Inorganic lead compounds (or lead salts) result when lead is combined with an element other than carbon; examples are lead oxide and lead nitrates. Inorganic lead compounds may occur as solids or liquid solutions, and are used in insecticides, pigments, paints, frits, glasses, plastics and rubber compounds.

Actual hazard of overexposure

Lead can cause serious damage to a number of systems in the body. Overexposure to lead can affect the blood, the kidneys, the gastrointestinal system, the nervous system and the reproductive system. Like many other poisons, lead may be harmful following a high dose received in a short period of time (acute poisoning), or after long term exposure to lower doses (chronic poisoning).

Who is at risk for exposure

Lead may affect the health of workers if it is in a form that may be inhaled, ingested, or absorbed through the skin. Such forms may include: lead dust, lead fumes, lead-containing mists, liquids, and vapours of liquid organic lead compounds. Occupations such as automobile refinishing, battery manufacturing, foundry work with brass or bronze and paint manufacture are susceptible to danger from exposure to lead.

Clinical tests available to monitor

Random and 24-hour urine and blood tests

When testing is done

Lead testing is often done at the same time as testing arsenic and mercury.