Children’s Exposure to Metals: A Community-Initiated Study

Abstract

Abstract:In 2007, it had been shown that the shipping of lead through Esperance Port in Western Australia resulted in contamination and elevated blood lead concentrations in children. A clean-up strategy was implemented, however little attention was given to other metals. In consultation with the community, a cross-sectional exposure study was designed. Thirty nine children aged 1-12 years provided a sample of hair, urine, drinking water, residential soil and dust. Concentrations of nickel and lead were low in biological and environmental samples. Hair aluminium (Al) (<DL-251µg/g) and copper (Cu) (7-415µg/g), and urinary aluminium (<DL-210µg/L), manganese (Mn) (<DL-550µg/L) and copper (<DL-87µg/L) were elevated for a small number of participants. Concentrations of nickel (Ni) in urine, soil and dust decreased with increasing distance from the Port, as did soil lead (Pb) concentrations. The results suggest exposure to nickel and lead was limited in children at the time of sampling in 2009. Further investigation is required to determine the source(s) and significance of other elevated metals concentrations.

Neurotoxicity by mercury is not associated with autism spectrum disorders in Spanish children

“…Children are more susceptible than adults to environmental contaminants. They possess immature detoxification mechanisms and their heightened vulnerability is related to greater surface area relative to mass, nutritional aspects (children drink and eat more per unit of body weight) and behavioral patterns (mouth-touching behaviors) [2,3]. All these hypotheses suggest the possibility of defects in the processes of metabolizing and eliminating heavy metals in children with ASD, contributing to the development of symptoms.…”

Effect of sex on levels of metals and metalloids in adolescents’ hair in Alcalá de Henares, Spain

“…It has been recognised that human hair is a suitable specimen to identify possible environmental exposure to some toxic metals and metalloids (Callan et al, 2012;Demetriades et al, 2010).…”