Lead in human bones. Investigations on an occupationally non-exposed population in southern Bavaria (F.R.G.). I. Adults.

The concentration of lead in three different bones (pelvic bone, cortical part of the mid-femur, petrous portion of the temporal bone) of 240 occupationally non-exposed adults who died between October 1983 and February 1985 was determined by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry. As far as sex, age and domicile (urban and rural) are concerned, a balanced distribution was achieved (for each age decade 10 urban females, 10 rural females, 10 urban males and 10 rural males). The predominantly cortical femur (geom. mean, 3.86 mg Pb/kg bone wet wt.) and temporal bones (5.59) showed higher Pb concentrations than the trabecular pelvic bone (1.65) (in each case n = 240). For each of the three types of bone, the mean lead content of the males (n = 120) was significantly higher than those of the females (n = 120): e.g. for pelvic bone by 38.3%, mid-femur by 51.3% and temporal bone by 24.8%. No statistically significant difference was obtained when comparing residents of Munich (population greater than 1 X 10(6] (n = 120) with people in the remaining parts of Southern Bavaria (n = 120). The Pb content of the temporal bone increased steadily with age. In contrast, in the mid-femur and the pelvic bone the Pb content reaches a plateau in middle age with a decrease at higher ages; this decline is more distinct for females. The mean lead body burden was calculated to be 41.4 +/- 24.2 mg for all males (n = 120) and 24.1 +/- 12.5 mg for all females (n = 120). We conclude that the lead burden, at least in the area investigated, has been reduced in the last decade, probably because of a reduction in the lead content of petrol.