Abstract
Background: Metal contamination is a longstanding and very well-known public health problem and its exposure can cause damages to several organs of the human body, especially on the central nervous system of young children and teenagers. Objective: This study has the aim of evaluating the lead, manganese, and cadmium contamination in children from six to thirteen years old. Methods: 120 children from contaminated areas (São Vicente, Cubatão–downtown, Cubatão Pilões - Água Fria, and Bertioga) were evaluated at a cross-sectional study through clinical examinations and enamel tests. All mothers lived in the areas since before the pregnancy. Lead, manganese, and cadmium levels (ppm) were measured on dental enamel samples through graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry searching for the occurrence of heavy metals on dental enamel and compared them to the samples of house dust that were collected and also analyzed in all areas that contain heavy metal. RESULTS: The mean lead concentrations were 139.48 (95%CI 102.7 - 176.2) in Pilões, 170.45 (95%CI 126.5- 214.4) in Cubatão downtown, 213.5 (95%CI 145- 281.9) in São Vicente, and 151 (95%CI 92.5 - 209.5) in Bertioga. The mean cadmium concentrations in contaminated areas were 10.83 (95%CI 8 - 13.6) in Pilões, 11.9 (95%CI 6.1 - 17.2) in Cubatão downtown, 10.7 (95%CI 7.2 - 14.3) in São Vicente, and 14.1(95%CI 2.5 - 25.7) in Bertioga. The mean manganese concentrations in contaminated areas were 23.5 (95%CI 17.9 - 29) in Pilões, 30.9 (95%CI 19.8 - 41.9) in Cubatão downtown, 41.4 (95%CI 24.1 - 58.7) in São Vicente, and 40.1 (95%CI 18.1 - 62.1) in Bertioga. CONCLUSIONS: Dental surface enamel may be used as an effective biomarker of past environmental exposure to lead, manganese, and cadmium which are associated to well-known sources of metal contamination. The results suggest that the evaluated children were exposed to sources of lead, manganese, cadmium since before their conceptions.
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