Lead exposure among the general population of Duhok governorate, Kurdistan region, Iraq

Abstract

This study was carried out to establish baseline data on lead exposure in a sample of the general population from Duhok governorate, Iraq in 2011. A cross-sectional study was made of blood lead levels of 820 individuals and of dust and of air lead levels in urban, suburban and rural residential areas. Mean blood lead (BPb) value in the overall sample was 7.3 (SD 2.8) µg/dL, range 1.6-17.0 µg/dL; significant differences were found with respect to age, area of residence, altitude and distance from a gasoline generator. The prevalence of toxic levels of lead (BPb > 10 µg/dL) was 22.8% overall and 2.4% in children. People living in suburban areas (39.7%) and < 50 m from a gasoline generator (93.1%) were exposed to high environmental lead levels. A linear relationship was found between BPb and air lead levels (r = 0.8). While lead exposure does not constitute a great health problem for adults in our community, 2.4% of the children had toxic lead levels and measures to reduce exposure to environmental heavy metals should be considered.

Assessment of Blood Lead Levels and Associated Risk Factors and Outcome of Lead Poisoning Among a Sample in Baqubah City.

“…The main sources of Pb exposure for the general population was airborne particulate (smoke included). These findings agreed well with the fact that environmental lead pollution is a major problem in our country, Beside the leaded gasoline, which was considered the major source of environmental inorganic lead exposure, this results agrees with findings of other local studies in Kurdistan region-Iraq [18] and other studies in Pakistan. [19] Duration of Work: In the current study which showed significant difference in duration of work in work place between cases and controls especially for those with more than 10 years' work.…”

“…In Kirkuk city-Iraq, the level of atmospheric lead was 956.8 μg/m³ in 2011*. [24] This value is much higher than the mean BLLs of the general population reported in Basrah / Iraq 11.20 μg/dL [25] , this may be due to low occupational μg/dL also was very lower from our study [18] , this may be due to the origin of their sample which were taken mainly from rural and suburban regions and the nature of their geographical area as well as the low occupational exposure. Among all participants in this study the mean BLLs value in controls group were 12.349 μg/dL.…”

Lead poisoning epidemiology, challenges and opportunities: first systematic review and expert censuses of the MENA region

“…The systematic synthesis was carried out in only 34 studies that passed the MMAT analysis. The distribution of polluted sources of lead MENA was obtained from Iran (n = 9); Malekirad AA et al[63] 2013, Raissy M [78] 2016, Khatibi-Moghadam H et al [79] 2016, Daneshparvar M et al [89] 2016, Ahmadi M et al [81] 2017, Vahidinia A et al [82] 2018, Soltaninejad K et al [87] 2018, Mayel M et al [90] 2020, Samarghandian S et al [88] 2021; Saudi Arabia (n = 6); Al-Saleh I et al [43] 1996, Al-Saleh I et al [57] 2008, Zolaly MA et al [60] 2012, Ashraf MW et al [61] 2012, Salama AK et al [75] 2016, Chowdhury S et al [83] 2018; Lebanon (n = 5); Nuwayhid I et al [47] 2001, Nuwayhid I et al [51] 2003, Nasreddine L et al [53] 2006, Korfali SI et al [64] 2013, Bassil M et al [84] 2018; Egypt (n = 3); Mortada WI et al [49] 2001, Mandour RA et al [65] 2013, Moawad EM et al [77] 2016; Kuwait (n = 2); Shaltout A et al [41] 1981, Jallad KN et al [56] 2008; Morocco (n = 2); Bouftini S et al [66] 2014, Laamech J et al [68] 2014; Algeria (n = 1); Cher A et al [69] 2014; Iraq (n = 1); Al-Dosky AH et al[59] 2012; Israel (n = 1);Greenberg N et al [76] 2016; Jordan (n = 1); Nusier MK et al[50] 2003; Oman (n = 1); El Tawila M resources, including cosmetics[41,43,51, 56,57, 60,75, 82], socio-economic and cultural[43, 84], and occupational sources that negatively affected both children and adults of both genders[47, 48,49,50, 63,70, 76,77, 88], residential factors that were not limited to paints, but extend to overseas the whole condition of a building (building age, status, ventilation, and whether it near to a generating lead source of pollution) [51, 59, 66, 68, 77, 84, 88], cooking habits[51, 60], oral intake of polluted lead substances[60, 83, 88…”

“…The residential genre is not an absolute one factor; it co-exists with the environmental genre. An Iraq-based study by Al-Dosky AH et al[59] in 2012 comprised 820 individuals living in urban, suburban, and rural areas. Age, place of residence, altitude, and distance from a gasoline generator all showed signi cant variances.…”

Lead poisoning epidemiology, challenges and opportunities: first systematic review and expert censuses of the MENA region

“…The systematic synthesis was carried out in only 34 studies that passed the MMAT analysis. The distribution of polluted sources of lead MENA was obtained from Iran (n = 9); Malekirad AA et al[63] 2013, Raissy M [78] 2016, Khatibi-Moghadam H et al [79] 2016, Daneshparvar M et al [89] 2016, Ahmadi M et al [81] 2017, Vahidinia A et al [82] 2018, Soltaninejad K et al [87] 2018, Mayel M et al [90] 2020, Samarghandian S et al [88] 2021; Saudi Arabia (n = 6); Al-Saleh I et al [43] 1996, Al-Saleh I et al [57] 2008, Zolaly MA et al [60] 2012, Ashraf MW et al [61] 2012, Salama AK et al [75] 2016, Chowdhury S et al [83] 2018; Lebanon (n = 5); Nuwayhid I et al [47] 2001, Nuwayhid I et al [51] 2003, Nasreddine L et al [53] 2006, Korfali SI et al [64] 2013, Bassil M et al [84] 2018; Egypt (n = 3); Mortada WI et al [49] 2001, Mandour RA et al [65] 2013, Moawad EM et al [77] 2016; Kuwait (n = 2); Shaltout A et al [41] 1981, Jallad KN et al [56] 2008; Morocco (n = 2); Bouftini S et al [66] 2014, Laamech J et al [68] 2014; Algeria (n = 1); Cher A et al [69] 2014; Iraq (n = 1); Al-Dosky AH et al[59] 2012; Israel (n = 1);Greenberg N et al [76] 2016; Jordan (n = 1); Nusier MK et al[50] 2003; Oman (n = 1); El Tawila M resources, including cosmetics[41,43,51, 56,57, 60,75, 82], socio-economic and cultural[43, 84], and occupational sources that negatively affected both children and adults of both genders[47, 48,49,50, 63,70, 76,77, 88], residential factors that were not limited to paints, but extend to overseas the whole condition of a building (building age, status, ventilation, and whether it near to a generating lead source of pollution) [51, 59, 66, 68, 77, 84, 88], cooking habits[51, 60], oral intake of polluted lead substances[60, 83, 88…”