Lead (Pb) is a heavy metal that is toxic to humans, especially children and pregnant women. In Thailand, guidelines exist to minimize lead exposure in pregnant women working in lead-related occupations. However, no guidelines exist for pregnant women who are not employed in these economic sectors. This cross-sectional study aimed to examine blood lead levels (BLLs) and related risk factors among 80 non-occupationally exposed pregnant women from the general population living in Nakhon Si Thammarat province, Southern Thailand. BLLs were determined by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometry. A validated questionnaire was adopted to interview participants which included demographic, consumer goods, supplement intake, and health factors. The mean BLL was 4.68 ± 1.55 µg/dL (95% CI 4.33–5.02) and 42.50% had BLLs ≥ 5 µg/dL. Higher education was the only demographic factor associated with BLLs ≥ 5 µg/dL (aOR 0.16, 95% CI 0.03–0.80, p = 0.027). Systolic blood pressure was also associated with BLLs ≥ 5 µg/dL (aOR 5.00, 95% CI 1.23–17.16, p = 0.023). However, consumer goods and supplement intake were not associated with BLLs. Our results indicate that pregnant women from the general population who were not in the risk exposure group had lead in their bodies. Except for education, demographics were not associated with pregnant women with BLLs. However, with health factors, even low BLLs had a small effect on systolic blood pressure. These data suggest a need for promoting health education and health interventions to prevent the dangers of lead exposure, especially for pregnant women and children.

Chemical contamination and safe work practices of workers in automotive refinishing shops have been extensively studied in industrialized countries, but the evidence in developing countries is limited. This study aimed to evaluate chemical contamination and the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) of workers in local small-scale automotive refinishing shops in Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand. Airborne toluene and heavy metals, i.e., lead, chromium, and cadmium, were measured in 3 automotive refinishing shops. Toluene exposure assessed by urinary hippuric acid (n=27) and metal contamination on workers hands (n=24) were also determined. Information on the use of PPE and personal hygiene practices of the workers was collected by questionnaires. Average ambient levels of toluene (0.0418.26ppm) and the metals (Pb: ND-26.34, Cr: 0.024.46, and Cd: ND-1.44µg/m³) in all sites did not exceed the national standard levels of 200ppm for toluene (1998) and 50, 12, and 5µg/m³ for Pb, Cr, and Cd, respectively (2017). The mean ambient levels of these chemicals were highest in paint spray booths followed by nonpainting areas and office rooms, respectively. The highest level of urinary hippuric acid (1.13g/g creatinine) was found in a painter but did not exceed the recommended biological exposure index of 1.6g/g creatinine (2014). In contrast, the highest levels of lead and chromium detected on the workers hands were found in body repair technicians. Direct hand contact without using gloves was suggested as a primary cause of metal contamination.

Community isolation facilities (CIFs) were adopted as a containment strategy in many countries during the COVID-19 pandemic, but information on environmental health management in CIFs is unknown. This retrospective research aimed to study the preparedness and implementation of CIFs from an environmental health perspective. The study was conducted in Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, Thailand. A total number of 114 staff working during the establishment and operation of 57 CIFs were enrolled. Two questionnaires were collected from the founding and operating staff from 27 May to 5 October 2022. One questionnaire, designed based on the guidelines for establishing of CIFs developed by the Department of Health, was used to examine the preparedness of the founding staff. Another questionnaire was developed to investigate the implementation by the operating staff. The data was presented as the levels of preparedness and implementation of CIFs and analyzed by descriptive statistics. Local government organizations played a major role in the establishment and cooperation with local public health offices in the operation of CIFs. Two-thirds of the founding and operating staff had no experience in environmental health. However, most of the CIFs showed preparedness for the establishment of CIFs and conducted environmental health implementation at a good level in all dimensions, except for infrastructure for wastewater treatment, disinfection, and system monitoring. The decentralized governance model in Thailand facilitated the operation of small CIFs to prevent COVID-19 transmission in local communities. However, qualified personnel and appropriate infrastructure were obstacles to full environmental health implementation. The guidelines by the Department of Health suggested as fundamental for environmental health management of CIFs in this study should be appropriately adopted based on the different contexts of each country to ensure preparedness for future infectious disease outbreaks.