The concentrations of lead, mercury and cadmium in air, soil and blod of persons
working in the batery charging and repairs (BCR), vehicle spraying and painting (VSP)
and metal welding and panel beating (MWP) workshops in Ile-lfe, Nigeria are reported
in this paper. Samples were colected in January and February (dry season) and June and
July (wet season) from at least 10% of available workshops of each kind and from a
control site and population located in an area of the town wh^re such activites do not
take place. The results obtained show that the mean concentrations of heavy metals in
air were; lead 17.8±4.6 ng/m3
in BCR, 17.8±1.2 ug/m3
in VSP and 3.8±3.6 ug/m3
in
MWP; mercury 64.4±37.6 ug/m3
in BCR, 67.5±10.7 ug/m3
in VSP and 23.0±7.6 ug/m3
in MWP; and for cadmium 0.3±0.2 jig/m3
in BCR, O.liO.O ug/m3
in VSP and O.U0.2
ug/m3
in MWP. Elemental concentrations found in soil were; lead 13645.1±13816.6 ug/g
in BCR, 168.5±153.0 ug/g in VSP and 3476.7±342.9 ug/g in MWP; mercury
1508±725.5 ug/g in BCR, 16904.6±9459.8 ug/g in VSP and 6738.7±105.7 ug/g in
MWP, cadmium 103.7±72.9 ug/g in BCR, 8.9±35.0 ug/g in VSP and 179.3±106.6 ug/g
in MWP. Concentrations of metals at he control site were: Lead 1.2±1.2 jig/m3
, in air,
84.6±82.6 jig/g in soil and 5.0±1.9 ug/dl in blod; Mercury 57.4±16.1 ug/m3
in air,
5858.8±409.7 ug/g in soil and 654.7±29.2ug/dl in b'od; Cadmium O.Oug/m3
in air,
16.2±2.3 in soil and 1.2±0.6ug/dl in blod. In most cases the concentration of the thre
metals exceded both the control values and maximum permisible limits prescribed by
the Nigerian