[Acceleration of somatic development in the surroundings of zinc plant]

One of the most sensitive measures of health state depending on for example social conditions of the society and family as well as the degree of environmental pollution is somatic development of children. Changes in the somatic and descriptive values, which have been observed for the decades, are known as secular trend that is tendency for changes over centuries. One of its parts is enlargement of parameters of somatic development that is acceleration. Numerous studies on the development of children living in Silesia, the area of great economic potential, however, highly polluted, show the deterioration of developmental parameters of children in Silesia in comparison with their peers from other parts of Poland. The aim of the study is to evaluate the acceleration of somatic development of children living nearby zinc plant. Studies on the somatic development of children at the age between 7-15 years attending the same primary school were carried out in Miasteczko Slaskie at interval of 15 years (1983-1998). Miasteczko Slaskie is the town known for its zinc plant that emits the highest levels of pollution of all steelworks in Poland. This is related to metallurgy of non-ferrous metals. The results were compared with the results of body measurement of the peers from one of the schools in Tarnowskie Góry carried out in the years 1988 and 1998. It was shown that boys and girls from both communities presented lower body mass and height in all periods of study than the standards of The Institute of Mother and Child showed in 1983. No acceleration of somatic development was present among children in Tarnowskie Góry, which may be explained by deterioration of social conditions of these children. However, this acceleration is present in the population of children in Miasteczko Slaskie. This fact may be explained by significantly decreased emission of pollution by the zinc plant and intense care for children shown by the plant managers as well as the foundation for children "Miasteczko Slaskie". They improve life conditions of children in this area and health awareness of their families.