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Cadmium, lead, and copper blood levels in normal children
Insights
This study measured cadmium, lead, and copper in children
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Pediatric Toxicology
- Analytical Chemistry
Background:
- Heavy metal exposure in children is a significant public health concern.
- Establishing reference ranges for essential and toxic metals in pediatric populations is crucial for accurate health assessments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the normal ranges of whole blood cadmium, lead, and copper concentrations in apparently healthy children.
- To provide reference intervals for these metals to aid in the interpretation of pediatric heavy metal exposure.
Main Methods:
- Atomic absorption spectroscopy was employed for metal analysis.
- Whole blood samples from 60 children (2 months to 13 years) were analyzed in duplicate.
- Dithizone extraction was used to concentrate cadmium prior to analysis.
Main Results:
- Average blood cadmium was 0.66 µg/100 gm (SD 0.25).
- Average blood lead was 15.7 µg/100 gm (SD 6.33).
- Average blood copper was 123 µg/100 gm (SD 35.5).
- Calculated 95% tolerance intervals for normal children were 0.22-1.70 µg/100 gm for cadmium, 0.87-30.5 µg/100 gm for lead, and 40.0-206 µg/100 gm for copper.
Conclusions:
- The study established reference ranges for whole blood cadmium, lead, and copper in a pediatric cohort.
- These established intervals are valuable for identifying potential heavy metal overexposure in children.
- The findings contribute to the understanding of normal metal burdens in childhood.
Abstract:
Cadmium, lead, and copper levels were measured in duplicate whole blood samples from 60 apparently normal children, ranging in age from 2 months to 13 years, who were hospitalized for elective surgery. Metals were measured by atomic absorption spectroscopy after the samples were chemically oxidized and digested. Cadmium was concentrated by dithizone extraction before analysis. Blood cadmium averaged 0.66 mug/100 gm, with a standard deviation of 0.25. No samples had cadmium concentrations less than could be detectable. The average concentration of lead was 15.7 mug/100 gm with a standard deviation of 6.33. Copper averaged 123 mug/100 gm with a standard deviation of 35.5. Tolerance intervals were calculated for each metal in order to estimate the bounds of whole blood metal values in normal children. The intervals containing 95% of normal values with a probability of .95 were 0.22-1.70 mug Cd/100 gm, 0.87-30.5 mug Pb/100 gm, and 40.0-206 mug Cu/100 gm.