Metals In Children Research Articles

Environmental exposure to POPs and heavy metals in urban children from Dhaka, Bangladesh

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and heavy metals are well known environmental pollutants. Even though numerous studies have been carried out to assess human exposures to these compounds, there is still a lack of data on humans from developing countries, especially in underprivileged children. The objective of this study was to assess the exposure to POPs and heavy metals in children from Dhaka, Bangladesh. One specific aim was to investigate whether children working at, or living close to, open waste disposal sites (WDSs) were more heavily exposed than other urban children. In 2008, blood and serum were collected from 73 children aged 7-16 from five neighbourhoods. Some of the children lived and worked at WDSs (N = 31), others lived next to a WDS (N = 17), whereas some children lived far from such sites (N = 25). Blood levels of lead (B-Pb), cadmium (B-Cd), and selenium (B-Se) were determined by ICP-MS for all subjects. The metal levels were high, with B-Pb overall mean 120 μg L(-1) (range 40-220), B-Cd 0.74 μg L(-1) (0.22-4.1), and B-Se 120 μg L(-1) (81-170). There were no marked differences between children from the different neighbourhoods, or between WDS workers and other children. PCB levels were low and with no contrast between neighbourhoods, for CB-153 the overall mean was 7.0 ng g(-1) fat (2.8-51). In contrast, high levels of DDTs were observed in all children, for 4,4'-DDE 1300 ng g(-1) fat (420-4600), and for 4,4'-DDT 326 ng g(-1) fat (44-1400), indicating ongoing exposure. PBDE levels were low, and BDE-209 was quantitated mainly in children working at or living close to WDSs. In conclusion, the high levels of DDTs, lead and cadmium observed in children from Dhaka are of concern. Many children were exposed at levels where health effects have been observed, or at levels without safety margins.

Urinary levels of arsenic and heavy metals in children and adolescents living in the industrialised area of Ria of Huelva (SW Spain)

The Ria of Huelva (south-west Spain) is a highly polluted estuary as a consequence of long-term mining and industrial activities. Between 2003 and 2004, we conducted a biomonitoring study of exposure to arsenic and some heavy metals (cadmium, chromium, copper and nickel) in urine samples of a representative sample ( n = 227) of children and adolescents residing in this area, and of a reference group of 196 children and adolescents living in other less industrialised areas of Andalusia (south Spain). We also assessed the determinants of the variability in urinary metals within the population of the Ria of Huelva. There were no significant differences in the concentration of metal compounds between the two groups with the exception of Cd levels, which were significantly higher in the reference group. Levels of the five metal ions in both groups were generally within the range of values reported by other biomonitoring studies for general children population, although mean Cd levels tended to be higher as compared to other European studies. Among the population of the Ria of Huelva, the main determinants of the interindividual variation in urinary metals were age, sex, area of residence, and frequency of intake of certain food items (mainly fish and shellfish). Overall, results suggest that living in the Ria of Huelva is not increasing current levels of exposure to certain metals among children and adolescents above those found in other urban areas of Andalusia.

Comparative Study of Acid Extraction Tests of Metal Products Containing Lead

The international standard ISO 8124-3: 1997 "Safety of toys -Part 3: Migration of certain elements" and "Interim Enforcement Policy for Children's Metal Jewelry Containing Lead- 2/3/2005" by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to control the amount of eluted lead from metal accessories cannot be simply compared, because the acid extraction methods and the limit values are different from each other. Therefore acid extraction tests based on the ISO standard and the CPSC policy were conducted and the amounts of eluted lead from small metal products were compared between both tests. There was less eluted lead in the ISO method than in the CPSC method. Moreover, the amount of eluted lead in the ISO method did not even reach that of the first elution in the CPSC method. It became clear that the acid extraction test of the ISO standard was not as good as that of the CPSC policy, because of the difference in test conditions. In 16 small metal products, seven products were unsuitable for the ISO standard and 14 products were unsuitable for the CPSC policy; however, all these products were originally inapplicable to the ISO standard and the CPSC policy. The calculation grounds of the limit values were also different between the ISO standard and the CPSC policy. The standardization of an acid extraction test that simulates the lead elution to gastric juice is required so as to prevent adverse health effects in children due to their accidental ingestion of small metal products containing lead.

Biomonitoring of metal in children living in a mine tailings zone in Southern Mexico: A pilot study

Accumulation of metals in soil represents a health risk for individuals living near mining areas, especially for children who have a higher susceptibility to metal related diseases. The Taxco mining district in Southern Mexico was one of the largest Mexican metal producers of silver and gold, among other metals. The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate metal exposure on children aged 6-11 years living in and around the Taxco mine tailings zone. Lead in blood (PbB) was measured by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS). Urine arsenic (AsU) was measured by hydride generation AAS, urinary Hg (HgU) by flow injection cold vapor atomic absorption, and urinary concentration of other metals such as chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), cadmium (Cd), barium (Ba), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), molybdenum (Mo), strontium (Sr), and iron (Fe) were determined by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. Fifty samples were analyzed for PbB, AsU, and HgU, and 35 samples for the other metals. The mean concentration+/-SD for each metal was: PbB, 9.4+/-3.3 microg/dL; NiU, 75.4+/-30.7 microg/L; BaU, 18.4+/-4.1 microg/L; MnU, 5.2+/-0.7 microg/L; CuU, 29.6+/-6.8 microg/L; AsU, 16.5+/-8.3 microg/L; HgU, 0.7+/-0.86 microg/L; CdU, 4.7+/-2.7 microg/L; CrU, 15.1+/-4.45 microg/L; CoU, 18.3+/-9.7 microg/L; SrU, 49.2+/-30.7 microg/L; ZnU, 628.4+/-438.9 microg/L; FeU, 30.5+/-17.7 microg/L; and MoU, 52.1+/-29.3 microg/L. Results of this exploratory study show that children residing in the mining area of Taxco were environmentally exposed to several metals and a high percentage of these children had levels of Ni, Ba, Mn, Cr, Co, Cd, As, Hg, and Pb above reference values. Thus, further studies are needed to assess the effects of simultaneous exposure to toxic metals in children residing in mining areas.

Exposure to Heavy Metals in Children Working at a Waste Disposal Site, and in Reference Children from Managua, Nicaragua

ISEE-0906 Objective: The study aimed at assessing the exposure to heavy metals of children working at a waste disposal site in Nicaragua, and of referent children. Method: Concentrations of lead, mercury, cadmium and selenium were determined in blood samples obtained from 103 children aged 6–15 working at the Managua waste disposal site, 102 referent children from a nearby neighborhood (Acahualinca), and 34 children from a remote city area, being the socioeconomic conditions similar in all three cases. Exploratory soil sampling was also performed to investigate diffuse and point sources of lead contamination at the waste disposal area and in the neighborhood nearby. Results: The children working at the waste disposal site showed higher blood levels of lead, mercury and cadmium than the other children, 28% having lead levels higher than 100 μg/l, the level the Center for Disease Control (CDC) considers as action level; 36% of the referent having levels above 50 μg/l, a level suggested to induce subtle developmental and cognitive effects. In all the groups, the levels of mercury and cadmium observed were generally lower than those for which adverse health effects have been reported. The selenium status appeared adequate. The lead content in soil around homes located at the waste disposal site was higher than for homes in Acahualinca. Conclusions: Occupational and environmental exposure to heavy metals at the waste disposal site was observed. Lead is of major concern, both for the children themselves and the next generation. Many of the examined girls can be expected to soon be mothers since 21% of adolescent females in Managua have children or are pregnant. Urgent action is needed in order to reduce the impact on children's health of the condition noted.

Accessible and total lead in low‐cost jewelry items

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission has proposed a ban on children's metal jewelry containing more than 0.06% lead by weight. This ban would replace the current interim enforcement standard, which also includes a measurement of accessible lead. Under current guidelines, accessible lead for any component of a jewelry item must not exceed 175 microg. Critics argue that lead in jewelry is inaccessible if items are properly plated. The objective of this study was to determine whether highly leaded jewelry also has high accessible lead content. Sixty-four inexpensive, leaded jewelry items with a wide range of total lead content (all above the 0.06% threshold) were tested first for accessible lead and then for total lead, with analysis by atomic absorption spectrometry. Fifty of the items exceeded the 175-microg maximum allowed for accessible lead. Thirty-one of these items exceeded 1000 microg accessible lead, and 18 items exceeded 3000 microg accessible lead. The finding that a majority of tested items had both accessible and total lead content above current standards provides support for the rationale of simplifying the current standard by basing regulations on total lead content.

Use of human nails as bio-indicators of heavy metals environmental exposure among school age children in Kenya

Metal pollution and its health effects present a challenge currently facing the developing countries. Metal poisoning is usually difficult and expensive to assess or screen in these countries due to limited resources, which means that policies, guidelines, regulations and institutional managements are limited. Hair and nail as biopsy materials were suggested as more attractive biomarkers in assessing heavy metals environmental exposure. This paper deals with quantitative determination of lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), calcium (Ca), zinc (Zn), and iron (Fe) in fingernails of children ( n = 200) in urban and rural areas using atomic absorption spectrometry. Factors that were suspected to influence the accumulation of Pb and Cd in children were obtained through a questionnaire. The mean levels of heavy metals in children in urban areas were found to be higher (27.5 ± 1.8 μg/g Pb and 0.73 ± 0.08 μg/g Cd) than in rural areas (19.7 ± 0.9 μg/g Pb and 0.44 ± 0.06 μg/g Cd). The difference was significant ( P < 0.05; DF = 168, t-test). Other factors that were found to have significant influence were socio-economic background, health conditions, dietary habits and environmental risk exposure. The results also showed that the school location has more influence on the heavy metals level than the area of residence. The children in a school near the highway were found to have a mean of 34.4 ± 3.5 μg/g Pb as compared to those who lived near the highway (31.6 ± 2.8 μg/g Pb), however the difference was not significant ( P > 0.05), suggesting a common source of contaminants in the areas. The correlation results also indicated that a high level of Pb in the nail influenced negatively Zn and Fe but not Ca levels ( R = − 0.256 Zn; − 0.188 Fe) while high levels of Cd had a negative relationship with Fe only ( R = − 0.241). The association of toxic metals in the nails of children with environmental exposure, and nutritional status implies that policies and actions to reduce heavy metal levels must be implemented and reinforced to address the health issues affecting children and by extension the general public in this country.

Lead contamination of inexpensive plastic jewelry

The neurological hazards of lead to children are well-known. As a result of recent documented cases of lead poisoning, regulatory attention in the United States has focused on the lead content of children's metal jewelry. By contrast, little is known about the possible hazards of plastic jewelry items. The objective of this study was to determine whether inexpensive plastic jewelry is a possible source of toxic lead for children. Samples of more than 100 inexpensive plastic jewelry items were analyzed for lead content. Beads were screened by soaking in 1 M nitric acid. Nine items found to release more than 30 µg of lead per bead were further tested for accessible lead, and scrapings of the bead coatings were analyzed for total lead content. The maximum accessible lead found was 49 µg per bead, which is below the current US Consumer Product Safety Commission limit of 175 µg. However, when the number of beads in each item was taken into account, six of the nine leaded samples contained more than 175 µg accessible lead per item. The lead in these items appears to be associated with lead-based paints used to produce glossy coatings on imitation pearls and similar items. Coatings obtained by scraping individual beads contained 3.5–23% lead, which far exceeds the US regulatory limit of 0.06% lead in paints on items intended for children. Our results demonstrate that plastic jewelry items merit the attention of public health and consumer protection agencies seeking to limit the exposure of children to lead.

An integrated health risk assessment approach to the study of mining sites contaminated with arsenic and lead

AbstractIn order to test the value of an integrated approach for the analysis of health risks at contaminated sites, an integrated health risk assessment in a mining area was performed following 3 steps: 1) Environmental monitoring of surface soil, 2) assessment of exposure to metals in children and native rodents, and 3) DNA damage evaluation (comet assay) in children and rodents. These aspects also were studied in less exposed populations. Our results in humans showed that children living in the most polluted area (Villa de la Paz, Mexico) had higher lead blood concentrations (geometric mean of 13.8 μg/dL) and urinary arsenic levels (geometric mean of 52.1 μg/g creatinine) compared to children living in a control area (Matehuala, Mexico; blood lead of 7.3 μg/dL; urinary arsenic of 16.8 μg/g creatinine). Furthermore, the exposed children also had increased DNA damage (tail moment mean in Villa de la Paz of 4.8 vs 3.9 in Matehuala; p &lt; 0.05). Results in rodents were identical. Animals captured in the polluted area had higher levels of arsenic (geometric mean of 1.3 μg/g in liver and 1.8 μg/g in kidney), lead (0.2 μg/g in liver and 0.9 μg/g in kidney), and cadmium (0.8 μg/g in liver and 2.2 μg/g in kidney), and increased DNA damage (tail moment mean of 18.2) when compared to control animals (arsenic in liver of 0.08 μg/g and kidney of 0.1 μg/g; lead in liver of 0.06 μg/g and kidney of 0.3 μg/g; cadmium in liver of 0.06 μg/g and kidney of 0.6 μg/g; and tail moment of 14.2). With the data in children and rodents, the weight‐of‐evidence for health risks (in this case DNA damage) associated with metal exposure in Villa de la Paz was strengthened. Therefore, a remediation program was easier to justify, and a feasibility study at this site is under way.

An Integrated Health Risk Assessment Approach to the Study of Mining Sites Contaminated With Arsenic and Lead

In order to test the value of an integrated approach for the analysis of health risks at contaminated sites, an integrated health risk assessment in a mining area was performed following 3 steps: 1) Environmental monitoring of surface soil, 2) assessment of exposure to metals in children and native rodents, and 3) DNA damage evaluation (comet assay) in children and rodents. These aspects also were studied in less exposed populations. Our results in humans showed that children living in the most polluted area (Villa de la Paz, Mexico) had higher lead blood concentrations (geometric mean of 13.8 microg/dL) and urinary arsenic levels (geometric mean of 52.1 microg/g creatinine) compared to children living in a control area (Matehuala, Mexico; blood lead of 7.3 microg/dL; urinary arsenic of 16.8 microg/g creatinine). Furthermore, the exposed children also had increased DNA damage (tail moment mean in Villa de la Paz of 4.8 vs 3.9 in Matehuala; p < 0.05). Results in rodents were identical. Animals captured in the polluted area had higher levels of arsenic (geometric mean of 1.3 microg/g in liver and 1.8 microg/g in kidney), lead (0.2 microg/g in liver and 0.9 microg/g in kidney), and cadmium (0.8 microg/g in liver and 2.2 microg/g in kidney), and increased DNA damage (tail moment mean of 18.2) when compared to control animals (arsenic in liver of 0.08 microg/g and kidney of 0.1 microg/g; lead in liver of 0.06 microg/g and kidney of 0.3 microg/g; cadmium in liver of 0.06 microg/g and kidney of 0.6 microg/g; and tail moment of 14.2). With the data in children and rodents, the weight-of-evidence for health risks (in this case DNA damage) associated with metal exposure in Villa de la Paz was strengthened. Therefore, a remediation program was easier to justify, and a feasibility study at this site is under way.

24-Hour Provoked Urine Excretion Test for Heavy Metals in Children with Autism and Typically Developing Controls, a Pilot Study

Introduction. The complementary and alternative medicine practice of prescribing chelators to children with autism is based on the premise that the chronic symptoms of autism can be ameliorated by reducing heavy metal body burden. However, there has not been definitive evidence, published to date, to support the assertion that children with autism are at increased risk of an excess chelatable body burden of heavy metals. The oral chelator meso-2,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) can be used diagnostically to mobilize heavy metals from extravascular pools, enhancing the identification of individuals who have a chelatable body burden. Methods. Seventeen children with autism and five typically developing children were enrolled in a pilot study to test for chelatable body burden of Arsenic (As), Cadmium (Cd), Lead (Pb), and Mercury (Hg). Evaluation included a questionnaire regarding potential exposure to heavy metals, diet restrictions, a baseline 24-hour urine collection, and a DMSA-provoked urine collection. Urine collections were sent for As, Cd, Pb, and Hg quantification by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry. Unprovoked reference ranges were used in the interpretation of all collections. Results. Fifteen autistic children and four typically developing children completed the study. Three autistic subjects excreted one metal in greater quantity during the provoked excretion than baseline. Two of these were very close to the limit of detection. In the third case, the provoked excretion of mercury was between the upper limit of normal and lower limit of the potentially toxic reference range. Fish was removed from this child's diet for greater than one month, and the provoked excretion test repeated. The repeat excretion of mercury was within the normal range. Conclusion. In the absence a proven novel mode of heavy metal toxicity, the proportion of autistic participants in this study whose DMSA provoked excretion results demonstrate an excess chelatable body burden of As, Cd, Pb, or Hg is zero. The confidence interval for this proportion is 0–22%.

Interaction of lead with some essential trace metals in the blood of anemic children from Lucknow, India

BackgroundThe effects of lead on the hematological system results in the inhibition of heme synthesis and in anemia. Lead may affect the absorption and metabolism of essential trace metals also. There is little information especially from the northern region of India regarding the relationship between blood lead levels ≥10 μg/dl and anemia in children. We performed a cross-sectional study to evaluate the association of blood lead levels ≥10 μg/dl with anemia, and its effect on hematological system and some essential trace metals in children. MethodsA total of 75 children aged 1–7 years, 50 anemic (Hb ≤8 g%) and 25 non-anemic (Hb > 8 g%), drawn from Lucknow, India and nearby areas were recruited to determine blood levels of lead, iron, zinc, copper, and calcium along with hematological parameters [δ-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (δ-ALAD) hemoglobin (Hb), hematocrit, and ascorbic acid]. ResultsBased on Centre for Disease Control and Prevention's intervention level of blood lead, children were categorized into those with blood lead <10 μg/dl (6.89±2.44) (n=19) (GI) and those with blood lead <10 μg/dl (21.86±7.58) (n=56) (GII). After adjustment for child's age, sex, and area of residence, children with blood lead levels ≥10 μg/dl were 2.87 (95% CI: 1.60–2.87) times as likely to have anemia as children with blood lead levels <10 μg/dl. The differences of the adjusted mean values of Hb, δ-ALAD, and hematocrit were significantly lower in children from the GII group when compared to children from the GI group (p<0.01, p<0.01, and p<0.05, respectively). Among essential trace metals, adjusted mean levels of blood iron, zinc, and calcium were significantly lower in GII as compared to GI (P<0.05 each). There were significant negative correlations of blood lead levels with δ-ALAD (r=−0.612, p<0.01), hematocrit (r=−0.427, p<0.05), iron (r=−0.552, p<0.05) zinc (r=−0.427, p<0.05), and calcium (r=−0.324, p<0.05). ConclusionResults indicate that elevated blood lead levels (≥10 μg/dl) in children were significantly associated with risk of anemia and that blood lead levels also influenced the status of essential trace metals. However, results of this study may be limited due to limited sample size but certainly form the basis of a larger sample size study, taking into account all the known potential confounders of anemia in children.

Lemon-Flavored Cod Liver Oil and a Multivitamin-Mineral Supplement for the Secondary Prevention of Otitis Media in Young Children: Pilot Research

We measured blood levels of fatty acids, vitamin A, and trace metals in children undergoing ambulatory surgery for placement of tympanostomy tubes and a comparison group having other ambulatory surgical procedures. We then performed a small, outpatient, secondary prevention study using nutritional supplements chosen on the basis of those blood levels. The study subjects had lower levels of red blood cell eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) than did adult controls. Consistent with previous reports, the levels of vitamin A were < or = 40 microg/dL for 69% of our subjects, and the plasma selenium levels for children were lower than published values for adults. We then studied one otitis media (OM) season; 8 children (0.8 to 4.4 years of age) received 1 teaspoon of lemon-flavored cod liver oil (containing both EPA and vitamin A) and 1 half-tablet of a selenium-containing children's chewable multivitamin-mineral tablet per day. During this OM season, study subjects received antibiotics for OM for 12.3% +/- 13.4% (SD; p < .05) fewer days during supplementation than before supplementation. Larger, controlled trials are warranted to assess the utility of cod liver oil (of acceptable purity and taste) and a children's multivitamin-mineral preparation containing selenium, both for the prevention of OM and for the acceptance of delayed prescription of antibiotics for this disorder.

Lead Contamination: An Important Topic for Biology Courses

Research Article| March 01 1994 Lead Contamination: An Important Topic for Biology Courses Barry S. Kendler, Barry S. Kendler Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar Dominick J. Pirone Dominick J. Pirone Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar The American Biology Teacher (1994) 56 (3): 152–159. https://doi.org/10.2307/4449779 Views Icon Views Article contents Figures & tables Video Audio Supplementary Data Peer Review Share Icon Share Twitter LinkedIn Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Cite Icon Cite Search Site Citation Barry S. Kendler, Dominick J. Pirone; Lead Contamination: An Important Topic for Biology Courses. The American Biology Teacher 1 March 1994; 56 (3): 152–159. doi: https://doi.org/10.2307/4449779 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu nav search search input Search input auto suggest search filter All ContentThe American Biology Teacher Search This content is only available via PDF. Copyright 1994 National Association of Biology Teachers Article PDF first page preview Close Modal You do not currently have access to this content.

Influence of heavy metals on the immune system and development of atopic eczema in children

Redundant serum essential heavy metals in children with atopic eczema, bacterial infections and burdened heredity is due to influence of surrounding contaminations as well as expressed disbalance of zinc, copper and iron. Redundancy of studied heavy metals leads to injury of immune system. Severity of the atopic eczema and bacterial diseases is considerably determined by expression of disbalance.

Food sources of electrolytes, minerals and trace metals in children: The Bogalusa heart study

Food sources of electrolytes, minerals and trace metals in children: The Bogalusa heart study

Biological monitoring of metals in children and pregnant women in Poland

A pilot study was carried out on the concentration of cadmium, lead, mercury and selenium in blood and urine from 15 first grade school children, 7–8 years of age, living in Katowice‐Szopienice (Silesian Region), and eight pregnant women living in Krakow. The two Polish communities have high levels of pollution from the metallurgic and coal industry. The concentrations of lead in blood for the children ranged from 77 to 255 µg Pb 1−1 with a median (Md) of 163 µg Pb 1−1 and for the women from 32 to 64 µg Pb 1−1 with a Md of 38 µg Pb 1−1 The high lead levels in blood among the children were related to the distance from their home to a smelter. The analysis of lead in urine also identified the children with the highest levels of exposure. The median levels of cadmium in blood were for children 0.5 µg Cd 1−1 and for women 0.7 µg Cd 1−1 and in urine 0.4 µg Cd 1−1 for children and 0.5 µg Cd 1−1 for women. Mercury levels in blood were below 4 µg Hg 1−1 in both groups. The concentrations of selenium in plasma and blood were low and for children the range in blood was 57 to 79 µg Se 1−1 with a Md of 64 µg Se 1−1. The selenium in blood for the pregnant women ranged from 30 to 86 µg Se 1−1 with a Md of 50 µg Se 11.

Serum levels of trace metals in children with atopic eczema

The hypothesis that atopic eczema is associated with a non-specific decrease in the serum concentration of trace metals was examined by measurement of the levels of zinc, copper and iron in 134 children with atopic eczema and 112 controls. The results failed to confirm the hypothesis. There was no significant difference between patients and controls for the concentrations of serum zinc, iron, iron-binding capacity and albumin. Patients with eczema had a significantly higher copper concentration (median 21.0 mumol/l) than controls (median 17.0 mumol/l), and a significantly lower concentration of ferritin (median 11.9 ng/ml for patients and 16.5 ng/ml for controls). There was a highly significant correlation between the surface area of skin affected by eczema and the concentrations of albumin and orosomucoid.

The Anecdotal Antidotes

The author reviews obscure or unusual antidote recommendations, emphasizing antidotes or antidote uses that are not generally acknowledged or that have little experimental or clinical confirmation of their efficacy. Also included are unusual uses of well known antidotes. Among the antidotes considered are naloxone, physostigmine, folate, Prussian blue, n-acetylcysteine, cimetidine, subcutaneous magnesium salts, nicotinamide, and thioctic acid.