This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Calderón-Salinas, J. Articles by Albores-Medina, A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Calderón-Salinas, J. Articles by Albores-Medina, A. Pubmed/NCBI databases Compound via MeSH Substance via MeSH Hazardous Substances DB LEAD, ELEMENTAL Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Lead exposure in a population of Mexican children

Department of Biochemistry, CINVESTAV-IPN, México City, México

B. Valdéz-Anaya

Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, UAC, Torreón, Coahuila, México

Mazúñiga-Charles

Unidad de Investigación Biomedica del Noreste IMSS, Monterrey, N.L, México

A. Albores-Medina

Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, UAC, Torreón, Coahuila, México

The effects of low lead exposure were investigated in 98 children (7-12 years old) living and studying within a 1 km radius of a lead smelter (exposed population) located in Torreón, Coahuila, México, and compared with 30 children living and studying 4.5 km from the same smelter (control population). Both populations had similar socio- economic conditions. The exposed population showed higher blood lead (PbB) and free erythrocyte protopor phyrin (FEP) concentrations (17.3 ± 5.6 µg dl^-1 and 53.9 ± 46.1 µg µl^-1, respectively) than controls (PbB, 6.4 ± 3.1 µg dl^-1 and FEP,13.9 ± 7.3 µg di^-1). PbB concen trations were inversely correlated to distance from the smelter (r² = 0.494). However, in the exposed population, wind direction also had a significant effect on the PbB and urinary lead (PbU) concentrations. The exposed popula tion was divided according to PbB into a high level lead group (PbB > 15 µg dl^-1), which also showed high FEP concentrations and a low lead group (PbB < 15 µg dl^-1). Clinically, the high lead group showed a greater incidence of general symptoms (colic, headache, paresthesia, myalgia and dizziness), impairment of some neuromus cular functions (neuromuscular conduction velocity and motor coordination) and a decrease of intelligence quotient (IQ), which was not related with sex or socio- economic status. These results are an evidence of morbidity in children with high PbB concentrations.

Key Words: lead toxicity • free erythrocyte protoporphyrin • chil dren exposure • neuromuscular effects • environmental contamina tion

Human & Experimental Toxicology, Vol. 15, No. 4, 305-311 (1996)
DOI: 10.1177/096032719601500406


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?