本文对长期职业接触某些金属的慢性作用作一简短的综述,并探讨如何用流行病学方法发现有害金属的亚临床作用。据报道,有14种金属(铝、锑、砷、铍、镉、铬、钴、铁、铅、锰、汞、镍、铊、钒)被认为可引起人类慢性中毒。其中11种已知可引起慢性呼吸道损害作用(表1)。呼吸道的损伤作用是长期接触金属出现最多的作用类型,其次是神经系统。中枢神经系统出现的慢性毒作用多见于铅、 This article provides a brief overview of the chronic effects of long-term occupational exposure to certain metals and explores how subclinical effects of deleterious metals can be found by epidemiological methods. It has been reported that 14 metals (aluminum, antimony, arsenic, beryllium, cadmium, chromium, cobalt, iron, lead, manganese, mercury, nickel, thallium and vanadium) are thought to cause chronic poisoning in humans. Of these, 11 are known to cause chronic respiratory damage (Table 1). Respiratory damage is the role of long-term exposure to the most exposed types of metals, followed by the nervous system. Chronic toxic effects of the central nervous system more common in lead,