A Study on Concentrations of Heavy Metal in Blood and Urine of Local Area in Korea

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to assess the effects of heavy metal concentrations in the blood and urine of the general population. This research had been conducted from April to December 2008, studying 545 residents of Daejeon and Chungcheong Province. Through the concentrations of heavy metals(Pb, Cd, Hg, As, Mn) in the biota samples and questionnaires, the residents heavy metal exposure level and the influential factors according to personal characteristics or lifestyle were evaluated. As to the heavy metal concentration in the blood and urine of the comparing region, were As and Mn statistically significant(p<0.01, p<0.05). Blood lead and urinary mercury concentrations were higher in males than females. The heavy metal concentration for each age group increased blood mercury. The concentration of all heavy metals were higher in the drinkers than in the non-drinkers. Blood lead and mercury concentrations were higher in the smokers than in the non-smokers, but the urinary cadmium, arsenic and blood manganese was higher in the non-smokers than in the smokers. As to the blood lead and urinary cadmium concentration according to the food preference fish showed high concentration. To clarify the factors affecting the heavy metal concentration in biota among subjects multiple regression analysis was conducted. As a results, it turned out that as to lead content in blood, sex, age and smoking have influence on the subjects with explanatory adequacy of 14.0 %. These results demonstrated that the factors affected the concentrations of heavy metals in blood and urine. The results of this study could be used as the foundational data for setting the health risk assessment.

Chronic Exposure to Lead and Cadmium in Residents Living near a Zinc Smelter

“…In the present study, we observed a trend for higher urinary Cd concentration with older age, which is consistent with previous studies. One study investigating the general Korean population found increasing urinary Cd levels with older age [ 46 ], and another study of residents in parts of Korea without any obvious source of contamination showed that older age was associated with significantly increased urinary Cd concentration [ 47 ].…”

Simultaneous Exposure to Heavy Metals among Residents in the Industrial Complex: Korean National Cohort Study

“…Males had higher B-Pb levels than those of females in German human biomonitoring commission research [ 24 ]. As age increases, blood concentrations of heavy metals increase, particularly in those between 40–59 years old, who have recorded the highest concentration of 2.56 µg/dL [ 2 , 25 ]. The age difference reflects the difference between the amount of activity and the environment.…”

“…The South Korean government has led the development of petrochemical, non-ferrous metal, shipbuilding, automotive industries, and urbanization since the 1960s, according to heavy chemical industry development policies. Thus, the type and amount of harmful substances entering the environment has increased rapidly, and the chances for exposure have increased [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]. Environmental policies are no longer sufficient to prevent pollution and protect the public, which deserves safe environmental quality [ 2 , 5 ].…”

“…Thus, the type and amount of harmful substances entering the environment has increased rapidly, and the chances for exposure have increased [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]. Environmental policies are no longer sufficient to prevent pollution and protect the public, which deserves safe environmental quality [ 2 , 5 ]. The country’s leading industrial parks, container terminals, steel and thermal power plants, and other industries are arranged primarily in Gwangyang Bay, as a symbol of Korean’s industrial area [ 6 ].…”

“…The pollution generated due to increased industrial demand not only affects the surrounding areas of this industrial park but continues throughout society [ 7 ]. Health problems are emerging as an important issue in these areas with the increased use of various heavy metals [ 2 , 8 , 9 ]. The Environmental Protection Agency in the USA, the National Environmental Exposure Concentration [ 10 ], and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) have assessed the impact of environmental pollutants through a variety of occupational disease systems.…”