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Concentration of metals in blood of Maine children 1-6 years old

Deborah C Rice1, Rebecca Lincoln, John Martha

  • 1Department of Health and Human Services, Environmental and Occupational Health Programs, Maine Center for Disease Control, Augusta, Maine 04333, USA.

Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology
|July 29, 2010
PubMed

Insights

This study measured metal concentrations in young children

Area of Science:

  • Environmental Health
  • Pediatric Toxicology
  • Analytical Chemistry

Background:

  • Young children exhibit higher blood lead levels compared to other age groups.
  • Limited data exists on blood concentrations of other metals in this demographic.
  • Assessing metal exposure in children is crucial for public health.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To quantify blood concentrations of various metals in children aged 1-6 years.
  • To investigate variations in metal levels based on age, season, and geographic region within Maine.
  • To evaluate the utility of blood as a biomarker for metal exposure in young children.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of blood samples from 1350 children (1-6 years) in Maine.
  • Measurement of arsenic (As), antimony (Sb), cadmium (Cd), manganese (Mn), mercury (Hg), selenium (Se), tin (Sn), and uranium (U) using samples submitted for lead testing.
  • Statistical analysis to assess age, seasonal, and regional differences, as well as metal correlations.

Main Results:

  • Manganese (Mn) and Selenium (Se) were ubiquitous; Arsenic (As) and Antimony (Sb) detected in >90% of samples.
  • Mercury (Hg) found in ~60%, Uranium (U) in ~30%, and Cadmium (Cd) in ~10% of samples; Tin (Sn) was undetectable.
  • Age-related trends observed: As, Hg, Se increased with age, while Sb decreased.
  • Seasonal and regional variations were noted for several metals.
  • Significant correlations were found between various metal pairs.

Conclusions:

  • Blood is a suitable matrix for monitoring exposure to most of these metals in young children.
  • Convenience sampling provided a cost-effective method for assessing metal exposure in Maine's children.
  • Findings highlight the need for continued monitoring of metal exposure in pediatric populations.

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