Abstract:
Measurement of Managanese in air and Manganese, Lead, Zinc, Arsenic in hair of workers in the crushing and mixing section of a dry cell factory in Samut Prakan has been continued from April to July 1990. Manganese in air was collected using Personal Sampling Pump attached to the body of the worker while performing work. For the Manganese in hair, every two weeks the hair was cut and collected. The Analysis has shown that the amout of manganese in hair is high and exceeded the standard level (20 microgram./gm.) i.e. the amout was 8.39-125.6 microgram/gm. (52 samples from 55 samples) This means that workers are under risk hazard and likely to have desease of nervous system. This amont in hair was found to change in the form of Parabola because of the efficiency of toxic substances eliminating system within the body of each individual and also has the relationship to that in air. Furthermore, heavy metals i.e. Arsenic, Zinc, Lead and Manganese in hair all has the relationship to each other. And this comes to the solution that hair is suitable to indicate toxic level of heavy metals in the condition of only alive hair analysed and can be collected from the hair tip. Manganese in air was below the standard level (5 mg/cu.m.) i.e. the amout was 0.016-6.38 mg/cu.m. (184 samples from 186 samples.) The type of work that contacts largest amont of manganese dust in the crushing section was floor sweeping and shoveling of ores and mixing ores in small mixer in the mixing section. Although manganese level in air is mostly below the standard level, but that amont in hair is much higher and higher than the standard level. That means improving safety plan is necessity