Al-Radady, A., Noweir, M., Al-Ayed, M. (1999). Study of Air Pollution by Lead and Other Heavy Metals in Auto-Maintenance Workshops in Riyadh City. Journal of High Institute of Public Health, 29(4), 707-724. doi: 10.21608/jhiph.1999.325360
Awad S. Al-Radady; Madbuli H. Noweir; Mohamed S. Al-Ayed. "Study of Air Pollution by Lead and Other Heavy Metals in Auto-Maintenance Workshops in Riyadh City". Journal of High Institute of Public Health, 29, 4, 1999, 707-724. doi: 10.21608/jhiph.1999.325360
Al-Radady, A., Noweir, M., Al-Ayed, M. (1999). 'Study of Air Pollution by Lead and Other Heavy Metals in Auto-Maintenance Workshops in Riyadh City', Journal of High Institute of Public Health, 29(4), pp. 707-724. doi: 10.21608/jhiph.1999.325360
Al-Radady, A., Noweir, M., Al-Ayed, M. Study of Air Pollution by Lead and Other Heavy Metals in Auto-Maintenance Workshops in Riyadh City. Journal of High Institute of Public Health, 1999; 29(4): 707-724. doi: 10.21608/jhiph.1999.325360
Study of Air Pollution by Lead and Other Heavy Metals in Auto-Maintenance Workshops in Riyadh City
1Department of Environmental Sciences (Chairman), College of Meteorology, Environment and Arid Land Agriculture, King Abdul-Aziz University (KAAU, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA)
2Department of Industrial Engineering, KAAU, Jeddah, KSA
3Occupational Health Directorate, Environmental Health Department, Ministry of Public Health, Riyadh, KSA
Abstract
The present study aimed to evaluating air pollution due to work activities in auto-repair and maintenance workshops at Riyadh City. Twenty-two workshops in the main (First) Industrial Zone were randomly selected. Area and personal airborne particulate and settled dust samples were collected there, as well as background air-borne samples from residential areas. All samples were analyzed for lead, cadmium, copper, iron and zinc. Exposure to air-borne lead is the highest in the radiator-repair workshops followed by the exhaust system-repair workshops and the auto-body repair workshops, and the lowest concentrations have been recorded in the auto-mechanical maintenance and repair workshops. Although the results of the study have indicated that workers' respiratory exposure to lead, cadmium, zinc, copper, and iron, as well as to their mixture, in the studied workshops, is within the permissible exposure limits recommended by both national and international concerned agencies. Yet, other exposure routes, particularly through the alimentary tract, may present serious risk.