The Impact of Lead Air Pollution Decrease on Human Exposure

Abstract

P-689 Introduction: The aim of this work was to evaluate the impact of Pb air pollution decrease during the last two decades on human exposure to lead. Methods: During the period of 1997–2003 we analyzed Pb concentrations in approximately 400 samples of each of the following biological materials: placenta, umbilical cord blood, breast milk, blood of children and adults. Pb concentrations were measured by GFAAS. Together with the previous data found in our country, we compared our results with data for Pb concentrations in ambient air in the period of 1990–2001 reported by the Meteorological Synthesizing Centre-East of EMEP. We did the same comparison for Pb concentrations in biological materials and ambient air reported in Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic. Results: During the period of 1990–2001, the mean annual Pb ambient air concentration in our country decreased from 32.7 to 9.8 ng/m3 (i.e. by 70.0%). Mean Pb concentrations in the studied biological materials decreased from 6.3 ug/kg in 1992 to 4.7 ug/kg in 1998 (by 25.4%) in human milk; from 41.9 ug/kg in 1987 to 25.6 ug/kg in 1998 (by 38.9%) in human placenta; from 61.1 ug/l in 1987 to 19.5 ug/l in 1998 (by 68.2%) with no other decline in 2003 (20.8 ug/l) in umbilical cord blood; from 86.6 ug/l in 1987 to 29.3 ug/l in 2003 (by 66.2%) in maternal blood; and from 36.9 ug/l in 1997 to 25.0 in 2003 (by 32.2%) in children's blood. The very similar trends were found also in the other three countries: the decrease of mean Pb concentrations in ambient air by 59.5–77.9% and in the biological materials by 19.1–40%. Discussion and Conclusions: Lead concentration in ambient air in Central European countries in the last 20 years significantly declined as a result of phasing out leaded gasoline, measures of air pollution policy, and also contraction of economic activities. This decline significantly reflected in human exposure to lead. Pb concentrations in different biological materials in the four studied countries decreased by 19–68%. We can conclude that this decreasing trend is very positive, especially concerning Pb exposure of children, who are very vulnerable to Pb, because even as low Pb concentration in their blood as 40 ug/l can have adverse effects on their neuromotor and cognitive performance. Acknowledgement: This study was supported by the Slovak Science and Technology Assistance Agency grants (APVT-21-025602, APVT-21-016504) and the Ministry of Health of the Slovak Republic grant (2005/41-SZU-19).