title: Granulocyte viability test in children from an environment with heavy metal pollution.
abstract: In a group of 43 school-children living near a zinc plant, the test of granulocyte viability by the method of Cocchi et al, the lead level by flame atomic absorptiometry, and the level of erythrocyte zinc-protoporphyrin by the fluorimetric method were determined in peripheral blood. The mean result of the granulocyte viability test was 6.49%. In 18 children, the proportion of abnormal granulocytes was raised abnormally above 6.0%. The lead level was in the range from 14.1 to 53 micrograms/dl, and the level of erythrocyte ZPP was from 0.3 to 2.1 micrograms/g Hb. No correlation was found between the results of the granulocyte viability test and the blood lead level. The result of a comparison with the ZPP value was of borderline significance (p = 0.05).
mesh_terms: D002470:Cell Survival; D002648:Child; D004787:Environmental Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000032:analysis; D006098:Granulocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007854:Lead / Q000097:blood; D011524:Protoporphyrins / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D011524:Protoporphyrins; C017803:zinc protoporphyrin; D007854:Lead