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Interactions between essential and toxic elements in lead exposed children in Katowice, Poland

K Osman1, A Schütz, B Akesson

  • 1Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. katarina.osman@imm.ki.se

Clinical Biochemistry
|January 7, 1999
PubMed

Insights

Essential elements like selenium and iron may affect how the body processes lead. Low iron stores increased absorption of lead and cadmium in children, while selenium influenced lead levels.

Area of Science:

  • Environmental toxicology
  • Nutritional biochemistry

Background:

  • Industrialized areas pose risks of toxic metal exposure in children.
  • Essential element status can influence toxic metal kinetics and health outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between essential element levels and toxic metal concentrations in children.
  • To explore how nutritional status impacts lead, cadmium, and mercury absorption and metabolism.

Main Methods:

  • Assessed blood and serum concentrations of lead, cadmium, mercury, selenium, zinc, copper, and magnesium in 157 Polish children.
  • Examined correlations between these elements, serum ferritin, hematological parameters, selenoprotein P, and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-px).

Main Results:

  • Blood lead levels showed a negative association with selenium status and related antioxidant enzymes, particularly at lower lead concentrations.
  • Children with low serum ferritin (iron stores) exhibited higher blood cadmium and a trend for higher blood lead, suggesting increased metal absorption.
  • Blood lead correlated negatively with mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, indicating an impact on hemoglobin synthesis.
  • Blood mercury and selenium levels were associated, suggesting a shared dietary source, likely fish consumption.

Conclusions:

  • Selenium and iron status appear to play a role in modulating the body's handling of lead.
  • Nutritional deficiencies can enhance the absorption and potentially the toxicity of environmental metals.
Abstract

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