Assessment and comparison of human exposure to lead between Belgium, Malta, Mexico and Sweden

Abstract

This is a follow-up study of UNEP/WHO Pilot Project on Assessment of Human Exposure to Lead and Cadmium through Biological Monitoring, carried out in 1983/1984. The main objectives of the follow-up study were: to study whether differences in blood-lead levels found between countries in the Biological Monitoring Project were confirmed and were primarily due to exposure via ingested lead (oral intake) or via inhaled lead; to make a preliminary survey, in selected areas, of the possible sources of high exposure (Malta, Belgium). Four countries participated: Belgium, Malta, Mexico, Sweden. To insure comparability between the populations, certain categories were monitored: teachers for socio-economic status, non smoking males, aged between 25 and 50 years old. The blood-lead concentration (PbB) was measured to determine the current exposure and the feces-lead excretion (PbF) was determined to find out the part of the exposure due to ingestion. Blood-lead levels and feces-lead excretion were very different between the four countries. Median values for PbB, in micrograms Pb/1, were, in decreasing values 247 in Malta, 188 in Mexico, 135 in Belgium and 53 in Sweden. Median values for PbF, in micrograms Pb/day, were 361 in Malta, 159 in Mexico, 82 in Belgium and 22 in Sweden. Oral intake seems to be the major exposure route in the four countries. The relationship between PbB and PbF is curvilinear. To investigate the possible source of high exposure, a preliminary survey was made in Malta and Belgium; lead in air suspended and sedimenting particles was monitored as well as the lead concentration in some food and street dust samples. Concerning the comparison of lead concentrations in these environmental samples between Belgium and Malta, no major differences were detected. The high internal exposure to lead in Maltese people, as measured by PbB, is probably due to a combination of several factors.

Determinants of bone and blood lead concentrations in the early postpartum period

“…Studies conducted during the 1970s reported mean umbilical cord blood concentrations of 13.6 μg/dl 32. A World Health Organisation study of schoolteachers in 1981 found a mean lead concentration of 26.9 μg/dl 33. Ten years later, among a randomly selected sample of low income women aged 21–57 years, the mean concentration was 9.6 μg/dl and 5% of the women had concentrations ⩾25 μg/dl 25.…”

Lead concentration in the bladder tissue and blood of patients with bladder cancer

“…The variation results in a great disparity in measurement data for this element among various countries [29,30]. The values in this study on lead levels in the blood of people with and those without bladder cancer exceeded the value of 30 mg/l, which is treated as a probable upper limit for the non-anthropogenic blood lead level [31].…”

Lead-Glazed Ceramics As Major Determinants of Blood Lead Levels in Mexican Women

“…In Mexico City there are sparse data on the blood lead levels in the population (3)(4)(5). Studies Mexico. lnstituto Nacional de Neurologia y Neurocirugia, Mexico. living in 10 cities ofthe world showed that the highest levels were observed in Mexico City (3,4).…”

“…In Mexico City there are sparse data on the blood lead levels in the population (3)(4)(5). Studies Mexico. lnstituto Nacional de Neurologia y Neurocirugia, Mexico. living in 10 cities ofthe world showed that the highest levels were observed in Mexico City (3,4). However, in these studies there was no information of sources of lead in the different populations, and school teachers are far from being representative ofthe Mexican population.…”