en Pharmacology Pharmacology Original Research Original Research Lead-based paint is an important cause of lead poisoning. This report describes our observation of excessive lead absorption among employees in a paint factory in which lead naphthenate and lead oxalate were used as drying agents in paint. In this study, blood levels of lead were compared between nineteen paint factory employees and twenty normal controls. The nineteen paint factory employees had a mean blood lead concentration of 50.71 µg/dL which was significantly (P<0.01) higher than that of controls (20.44 µg/dL). There was a good correlation between blood lead levels and job tenures of the employees [r= 0.55, confidence= 95% (0.13-0.81)]. Lumbar pain (47.37%), abdominal pain (42.1% ), renal complications (21 %), anxiety (39.1 %), nervousness (52.63%), headache (42.4%), peripheral pain (36.8%) and anemia (10.5%) were the chief complaints of these employees. The use of lead naphthenate and lead oxalate in paint is clearly associated with excessive air-borne exposure to lead. Technical and medical protective control of occupational exposures is needed in paint industries. Poisoning, Lead; Paint 203 206 http://mjiri.iums.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-1-428&slc_lang=en&sid=1 MOHAMMAD ABDOLLAHI 20031947532846005343 20031947532846005343 Yes From the Department of Toxicology, School of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, ALI SADEGHI MOJARAD 20031947532846005344 20031947532846005344 No From the Department of Toxicology, School of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, NASER JALALI 20031947532846005345 20031947532846005345 No the Loghman Hospital Toxicology Center, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran.