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Lead in human bones. Investigations on an occupationally non-exposed population in southern Bavaria (F.R.G.). II.
1Institut für Rechtsmedizin, Universität München, Federal Republic of Germany.
Insights
Lead (Pb) levels in children's bones increase with age, with the temporal bone showing the highest accumulation. Urban children had higher Pb concentrations than rural children, and sex differences emerged in older age groups.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Toxicology
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Lead exposure is a significant public health concern, particularly in children.
- Bone lead concentration serves as a long-term biomarker of cumulative lead exposure.
- Understanding age- and sex-related differences in bone lead is crucial for assessing health risks.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine lead (Pb) concentrations in three different bones of children across various age groups.
- To investigate the influence of age, sex, and geographic origin (urban vs. rural) on bone lead levels.
- To compare bone lead concentrations in sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) babies and controls.
Main Methods:
- Graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry was used to quantify lead concentrations.
- Bone samples were analyzed from 82 children across three age classes: <1 year, 1-6 years, and 10-20 years.
- Lead content was measured in the pelvic bone, mid-femur, and temporal bone.
Main Results:
- Lead concentration in all analyzed bones increased with age, most notably in the temporal bone.
- Bone lead differentiation increased with age, with temporal bone showing the highest levels in older children.
- Urban children exhibited higher bone lead levels than rural children, a statistically significant finding in 10-20 year olds' mid-femur.
- Sex-based differences emerged: girls had higher Pb in pre-schoolers, while males had higher Pb in youths.
Conclusions:
- Bone lead accumulation is a progressive process throughout childhood, with specific bones accumulating lead at different rates.
- Environmental factors like urban living contribute to increased lead burden in children.
- While no mean difference was found in SIDS babies, temporal bone lead distribution was higher, suggesting potential implications.
Abstract:
The concentration of lead in three different bones (pelvic bone, cortical part of the mid-femur, petrous portion of the temporal bone) of 82 children who died in 1984 was determined by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. Three age classes were selected: less than 1 year (n = 25); 1-6 years (n = 18); 10-20 years (n = 35). The Pb content of all three types of bone increased steadily with age, and was most pronounced in the temporal bone. The differentiation of the bones with respect to the Pb concentration, as seen in adults, increased from babies (geom. mean, temporal bone 0.33 mg/kg wet wt., femur 0.33, pelvic bone 0.26) to pre-school children (0.62; 0.74; 0.49) and to youths (1.76: 1.18; 0.63). Babies showed no dependence of the Pb concentration in bone on sex. For pre-school children, in all three bones the concentration of Pb in girls was higher, while for youths, the concentration in males exceeded that found in females. In any sub-group the bones from urban children showed on average higher Pb concentrations than those from rural areas. For the mid-femur, and the age class 10-20 years, this difference was statistically significant. No difference was seen in the mean Pb concentration in bones of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) and non-SIDS babies, but in the temporal bone the distribution of the Pb concentrations for the SIDS group was significantly greater than that of the control babies.2off