Validity and interpretation of blood lead levels: a study of Danish school children

Serious problems emerge when evaluating evidence on lead neurotoxcity in children. The extent ofthese problems and ways to control them were expolored in a study of 1291 children from the first class in the schools of Aarhus municipality, Denmark. The lead retention in circumpulpal dentin in shed deciduous teeth was used as an indicator of cumulated lead exposure; it correlated most strongly with traffic density at the residence ofeach family and at the day-care institutions. In a nested case-control group selected on the basis ofdentin lead concentrations, 29 of200 children had encountered obstetrical complications and other medical risks for neurobehavioral dysnction; these children primarily belonged to the low-lead group. As lead-related neurobehaviora effects are nonspecific, inclusion of these children in the data analysis would therefore have distorted the results toward the null hypothesis. Children from the high-lead group who had experienced neonatal jaundice showed impaired performance when compared to other high-lead children; this finding may suggest a synergistic effect. The Bender gestalt test scored by the Gttingen system was the test that was most sensitive to lead exposure. The conclusion that neurobehavioral effects can be caused by the relatively low lead exposures in Denmark may not be surprising, as current exposures to this toxic metal greatly exceed the prepollution levels to which the human body originally adapted.

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“…2) (16). Although the dentin lead concentrations differed considerably between the two groups, the blood lead levels were quite similar.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 60%

Lessons from a Danish Study on Neuropsychological Impairment Related to Lead Exposure

Grandjean¹,

Lyngbye²,

Hansen³

1991

Environmental Health Perspectives

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“…The risk for contamination of the blood is higher with the finger puncture technique than with venipuncture. However, good agreement between the two methods has been achieved when measures have been taken to eliminate the risk for contamination (30). We tested our sampling tech-nique by collecting blood from the cubital vein and from finger puncture from adults .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Blood lead concentrations of Swedish preschool children in a community with high lead levels from mine waste in soil and dust.

Bjerre¹,

Berglund²,

Harsbo³

et al. 1993

Scand J Work Environ Health

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“…A cigarette generally contains 0.6-17 μg of lead [39,40]. Many studies showed that parents' smoking habits or passive smoking had an impact on children's BLLs [9,41]. Willers et al even found a dose-response relationship between the amount of tobacco smoked by the mother and BLLs of children [42].…”

Section: Ijomeh 2014;27(4)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Blood lead, cadmium and mercury among children from urban, industrial and rural areas of Fez Boulemane Region (Morocco): Relevant factors and early renal effects

Laamech¹,

Bernard²,

Dumont³

et al. 2014

International Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health

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Objectives: To describe blood lead (Pb-B), cadmium (Cd-B) and mercury (Hg-B) levels in children living in urban, industrial and rural areas in Fez city (north of Morocco) and to identify the determinants and some renal effects of exposure. Material and Methods: The study was conducted from June 2007 to January 2008 in 209 school children (113 girls, 96 boys), aged 6-12 years, from urban, industrial and rural areas in Fez city. Interview and questionnaires data were obtained. Blood and urinary samples were analyzed. Results: The mean of blood lead levels (Pb-B) in our population was 55.53 μg/l (range: 7.5-231.1 μg/l). Children from the urban area had higher blood lead levels (BLLs) mean (82.36 μg/l) than children from industrial and rural areas (48.23 and 35.99 μg/l, respectively); with no significant difference between boys and girls. BLLs were associated with traffic intensity, passive smoking and infancy in the urban area. The mean of blood cadmium levels (BCLs) was 0.22 μg/l (range: 0.06-0.68 μg/l), with no difference between various areas. Rural boys had higher BCLs mean than rural girls, but no gender influence was noticed in the other areas. BCLs were associated with the number of cigarettes smoked at children's homes. The blood mercury levels (BMLs) mean was 0.49 μg/l (range: 0.01-5.31 μg/l). The BMLs mean was higher in urban and industrial areas than in the rural area with no gender-related difference. BMLs were associated with amalgam fillings and infancy in the urban area. About 8% of the children had BLLs ≥ 100 μg/l particularly in the urban area, microalbuminuria and a decrease in height were noticed in girls from the inner city of Fez and that can be related to high BLLs (89.45 μg/l). Conclusions: There is a need to control and regulate potential sources of contamination by these trace elements in children; particularly for lead.

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Validity and interpretation of blood lead levels: a study of Danish school children

Cited by 37 publications

References 17 publications

Lessons from a Danish Study on Neuropsychological Impairment Related to Lead Exposure

Lessons from a Danish Study on Neuropsychological Impairment Related to Lead Exposure

Blood lead concentrations of Swedish preschool children in a community with high lead levels from mine waste in soil and dust.

Blood lead, cadmium and mercury among children from urban, industrial and rural areas of Fez Boulemane Region (Morocco): Relevant factors and early renal effects

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