/EPIDEMIOLOGY STUDIES/ Renal tubular dysfunction was assessed in 102 individuals (36% women, 64% men) with greater than 5 years employment in cadmium battery production in an alkaline battery factory. A control group consisted of 53 individuals not involved in cadmium battery production, and another 32 individuals working in a cotton factory. Blood cadmium (Cd-B), urine cadmium (Cd-U), retinol binding protein (RBP), B2-microglobulin (B2-M), and aminoaciduria were determined before the work shift. Wilcoxin's rank sum test was used to assess differences between the control and study groups. Cd-B and Cd-U were higher for subjects working in Cd battery production (Cd-B= 7.5 to 49 ug/l; Cd-U= 5.5 to 36 ug/l) than for those employed at the cotton factory or in work not related to Cd battery production at the alkaline battery factory (Cd-B= 4.8 ug/L; Cd-U= 1.0 ug/L). Urinary excretion of B2-M and RBP was significantly elevated depending on specific work location in the factory) in 20% of workers involved with Cd battery production. A high correlation coefficient (r= 0.85) was obtained for Cd-B and Cd-U values, possibly because Cd-U becomes an indicator of current Cd exposure when Cd exposure is great. Correlation between Cd-U and excretion of B2-M and RBP (r= 0.52 and 0.55, respectively) was also greater than previous reports and possibly indicative of high Cd exposure levels.