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Blood lead level and its relationship to essential elements in preschool children from Nanning, China
Jingwen Chen1, Muyan Li2, Qun Lv3
1Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
Insights
Blood lead levels in Chinese preschoolers increase with age and show gender differences. Even low lead exposure is linked to metabolic imbalances in essential elements like zinc, iron, and calcium.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Pediatric Nutrition
- Toxicology
Background:
- Lead exposure is a significant public health concern for children.
- Understanding the relationship between lead and essential minerals is crucial for child development.
- Data on blood lead levels and essential element status in Chinese preschool children is limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the distribution of blood lead levels (BLL) in urban Chinese preschool children.
- To investigate the association between BLL and essential elements (zinc, copper, iron, calcium, magnesium).
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 6741 children aged 0-6 years.
- Whole blood samples analyzed for lead and essential elements using atomic absorption spectrometry.
Main Results:
- Mean BLL was 5.26±4.08μg/dl, with 6.84% prevalence of BLL≥10μg/dl.
- BLL and intoxication prevalence increased with age; gender differences observed for lead, copper, zinc, and iron.
- Children with higher BLLs showed altered levels of zinc, iron, magnesium, and calcium, indicating metabolic disruption.
Conclusions:
- Age and gender significantly influence BLL and intoxication prevalence in preschool children.
- Metabolic disorders of essential elements occur even at low levels of lead exposure.
- Findings highlight the need for monitoring and intervention strategies for lead exposure in young children.
Objective:
Our study aimed to assess the distribution of blood lead level and its relationship to essential elements in preschool children in an urban area of China.
Design And Methods:
A total of 6741 children aged 0- to 6-year-old were recruited. Levels of lead, zinc, copper, iron, calcium, and magnesium in whole blood samples were determined using atomic absorption spectrometry.
Results:
The mean blood lead level (BLL) and the prevalence of BLL≥10μg/dl (5.26±4.08μg/dl and 6.84%, respectively) increased with age gradually, and there was a gender-difference for blood lead, copper, zinc and iron levels. Compared with the group of children who had BLLs<5μg/dl, the groups of 5≤BLLs<10μg/dl and 10≤BLLs<15μg/dl showed higher blood zinc, iron and magnesium levels, and a lower blood calcium level. A positive correlation of lead with zinc, iron and magnesium, and a negative correlation of lead with calcium were found in the group of children with BLL<5μg/dl.
Conclusion:
Age- and gender-differences were found when assessing the BLL and intoxication prevalence in preschool children. Metabolic disorder of essential elements was found even with a low level of lead exposure.
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