34.

Manville IA, Moser R. Recent developments in the care of workers exposed to lead. The effect of the calcium chelate of disodium ethylenediamine-tetraacetic acid on led in the blood and urine of battery workers. AMA Arch Ind Health. 1955; 12:528-538 (Nov.). (1587) [CaNa2EDTA in tablet form (250 mg or 500 mg/tablet) was given to 2 groups of battery-plant workers, 5 men in 1 group and 7 in the other, over a period of 2 and 3 wk. (In spite of precautions by engineering measures, exposure was to 0.04-0.16 mg Pb/m3 in most operations and to 1.06 in the pasting operation; 3 of the 12 workers had history of episodes of acute Pb poisoning.) The dosage was 60 mg/kg body weight/day in divided doses for the 1st 5 days of each week. Physical examination and blood and urine chemistry studies were done at the start of the experiment and at the end of each week. Subjective symptoms of constipation, anorexia, and early fatigability cleared rapidly and, in most cases, were relieved completely. The amount of Pb in the blood showed a steady decline, but in only 2 instances did it reach normal levels. The actual decrease was from an av of 90.6-70.4 mg/100 ml. Body weight and red cell count were unaffected. Hemoglobin showed a slight but definite increase, from 81.6-87.2%. Porphyrinuria cleared entirely in 3 wk, while stippling of red cells diminished from an av of 0.55-0.18%. Total Pb in urine showed an average increase by the end of the 1st wk from 280-560 mg/day and at the end of the 3rd wk to 690 mg, from an av of 210-430 mg/1.
The authors sum up this experience by stating that enough EDTA is absorbed from the intestinal tract to cause a lowering of blood Pb in 3 wk and a decided increase in urinary Pb with no sign of any deleterious effect to the patients. Three weeks is insufficient time for EDTA, as administered, to eliminate enough Pb so that, with a continual absorption of Pb, a dynamic equilibrium (a stabilized, minimal blood and urine level below toxic limits) can be established. Until future work proves this to be unnecessary, it is recommended that EDTA be given intermittently by mouth, along with a potent vitamin and mineral formula, administered during intervals in treatment.
In an addendum, the authors report an acute case of Pb poisoning treated with iv administered EDTA. Since in this case, which preceded the above experiment, the analytical results on the urine did not give the huge increase they had expected, they came to the conclusion that Pb was being eliminated in the urine in such firm combination with EDTA, that the method used (Cholak et al) was incapable of breaking it down. Therefore, they destroyed the organic matter by oxidation with nitric-sulfuric-perchloric acid wet ashing and then were able to recover the Pb quantitatively by the usual colorimetric method.

Gordon Research Institute / Reference Material

Gordon Research Institute    Dr. Garry F. Gordon MD DO MD(H)
600 N Beeline Hwy, Suite B, Payson, AZ 85541
Phone: 928-472-4263    Fax: 928-474-3819
Email Dr.Gordon