Biological monitoring of child lead exposure in the Czech Republic
| Autor: | Jana Nerudová, Karel Bláha, Helena Fornuskova, Viera Sediva, Jana Knotkova, Miroslav Cikrt, Edward F. Fitzgerald, Zdenek Roth, Zdenek Smerhovsky, Miloslav Kodl |
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| Rok vydání: | 1997 |
| Předmět: |
Male
Lead intoxication medicine.medical_specialty Adolescent Health Toxicology and Mutagenesis Population Lead poisoning Age Distribution Residence Characteristics Risk Factors Environmental health Epidemiology medicine Quantitative assessment Humans Child education Czech Republic education.field_of_study medicine.diagnostic_test business.industry Public Health Environmental and Occupational Health Infant Lead smelting medicine.disease Lead Poisoning Child Preschool Population Surveillance Epidemiological Monitoring Metallurgy Lead exposure Linear Models Environmental Pollutants Female Blood lead level business Environmental Monitoring Research Article |
| Zdroj: | Environmental Health Perspectives |
| ISSN: | 1552-9924 0091-6765 |
| DOI: | 10.1289/ehp.97105406 |
| Popis: | The area around the Pribram lead smelter has been recognized to be heavily contaminated by lead (Pb). In the early 1970s, several episodes of livestock lead intoxication were reported in this area; thereafter, several epidemiological and ecological studies focused on exposure of children. In contrast to earlier studies, the recent investigation (1992-1994) revealed significantly lower exposure to lead. From 1986-1990, recorded average blood lead levels were about 37.2 micrograms lead (Pb)/100 ml in an elementary school population living in a neighborhood close to the smelter (within 3 km of the plant). The present study, however, has found mean blood lead levels of 11.35 micrograms/100 ml (95% CI = 9.32; 13.82) among a comparable group of children. In addition to blood lead, tooth lead was used to assess exposure among children. Statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) were observed between the geometric mean tooth lead level of 6.44 micrograms Pb/g (n = 13; 95% CI = 3.95; 10.50) in the most contaminated zone and 1.43 micrograms Pb/g (n = 35; 95% CI = 1.11; 1.84) in zones farther away from the point source. Both biomarkers, blood and tooth lead levels, reflect a similar pattern of lead exposure in children. This study has attempted a quantitative assessment of risk factors associated with elevated lead exposure in the Czech Republic. Content of lead in soil, residential distance from the smelter, consumption of locally grown vegetables or fruits, drinking water from local wells, the mother's educational level, cigarette consumption among family members, and the number of children in the family were factors positively related (p < 0.05) to blood lead levels. The resulting blood lead level was found to be inversely proportional to the child's age. Images Figure 1. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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