title: Screening of the gasoline lead load in school children in the Czech Republic.
abstract: The determination of erythrocyte zinc protoporphyrin (ZZP) was implemented as an indirect method for assessing lead levels in the blood in the follow-up of Czech children regarding the lead load due to automobile traffic. Simultaneously, basic indicators of the red blood picture were studied. A screening study was conducted with 2668 school-age children residing permanently in three different regions of our country. The differences in basic hematological indicators, i.e. number of erythrocytes, hemoglobin content, hematocrit and red blood cell volume, like the differences in zinc protoporphyrin in the peripheral blood, did not confirm the initial hypothesis on the relatively greater load of the Czech child population due to lead from exhaust fumes of combustion motors. Also, no regional differences were observed. The differences found in the abovementioned indicators reflect the influence of an overall environmental pollution rather than that of a toxic effect of lead.
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Public Health, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pelech
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Malina
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cikrt
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Janousek
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D003604:Czechoslovakia; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000737:chemistry*; D005260:Female; D005742:Gasoline / Q000032:analysis; D006403:Hematologic Tests; D006801:Humans; D007854:Lead / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D011524:Protoporphyrins / Q000032:analysis*; D001335:Vehicle Emissions / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D005742:Gasoline; D011524:Protoporphyrins; D001335:Vehicle Emissions; C017803:zinc protoporphyrin; D007854:Lead