OBJECTIVETo analyze the urinary cadmium, blood cadmium and urinary beta2-MG of workers in a zinc powder processing plant before and after the cadmium dust control, and to explore the effects of dust control on the prevention and treatment of cadmium hazards.

METHODSThe on-site occupational hazard survey was used to investigate the changes of urine cadmium, blood cadmium and beta3-MG of 84 workers exposed to cadmium before and after the treatment by self-control analysis for evaluating the effects of dust control measures in a zinc powder processing plant.

RESULTSAfter treatment of the cadmium dust, the geometric mean of zinc dust in the workplace significantly decreased from 3.38 mg/m3 to 2.22 mg/m3 (P < 0.01). The geometric mean concentration of blood cadmium [(2.19 +/- 1.19) microg/L] and urine cadmium [(1.96 +/- 0.74) microg/g Cr] before treatment were significantly higher than those of one year [(1.63 +/- 0.83) microg/L] and [(1.25 +/- 0.83) microg/g Cr] and two years [(1.36 +/- 0.95) microg/L] and [(0.94 +/- 0.72) microg/g Cr] after the cadmium dust control (P < 0.01), respectively. The positive correlations analysis between urine cadmium and blood cadmium concentration of one and two years before and after the cadmium dust treatment implied that there was significant difference (r = 0.466, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONDust treatment could reduce the impact of low concentration cadmium on the urine cadmium and blood cadmium concentrations of the workers exposed to cadmium, and effectively prevent the cadmium poisoning.