Health risks related to residential exposure to cadmium in Zhenhe County, China

In this study, the authors examined the health risks to 1234 residents (15-80 yr of age) who lived near a lead-zinc mine and to 801 controls (15-80 yr of age) who lived 40 km from the mine. Subjects had higher levels of urinary cadmium, urinary beta2-microglobulin, and N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase (NAG) than controls (p < 0.0001), but subjects' urinary beta2-microglobulin and NAG were within normal ranges. Standardized death rates for cancer in the contaminated and control areas were 116.7/100,000 and 90.28/100,000, respectively, and for neonatal disease the respective rates were 89.83/100,000 and 16.74/100,000. Young girls residing in the contaminated areas had higher menstrual abnormalities than did controls (p = 0.002). The prevalence of difficulties in becoming pregnant and the proportion of premature births and stillbirths were higher among those in the contaminated areas (p < 0.0001). Individuals who lived around the lead-zinc mine had different health problems than those who lived far from the mine in Zhenhe County, Republic of China.