title: [Reference values for lead in blood in urban population in southern Brazil].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the reference values for lead in blood in an urban population in the city of Londrina, in the state of Paraná, Brazil.
  
  
  METHODS
  The reference population was composed of 520 adult volunteers who were assessed from November 1994 to December 1996. Exclusion criteria were: occupational exposure to lead, exposure through personal habits or practices, smoking more than 10 cigarettes per day, and living near industrial plants or other places that use lead in their production processes. Also excluded were individuals with abnormal clinical or laboratory results or with chronic diseases or cardiovascular disorders. Lead blood levels were determined using air-acetylene flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The detectable limit was 1.23 micrograms/dL. After the analyses of lead in blood, the following values were determined: minimum value, first quartile, median, third quartile, and maximum value; geometric mean; 95% confidence interval; experimental interval; and reference value.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The reference values for lead in blood ranged from 1.20 micrograms/dL to 13.72 micrograms/dL. The geometric mean was 5.5 micrograms/dL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In general, the values found in this study are lower than those that have been reported for other countries. Additional data should be gathered from Brazilian populations living in more-industrialized areas.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Centro de Ciências de Saúde, Departamento de Patologia Aplicada, Legislação e Deontologia, Londrina, PR, Brasil. monibas@onda.com.br
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Paoliello
authors.forename: P R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Gutierrez
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Turini
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsuo
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mezzaroba
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Barbosa
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Alvarenga
authors.forename: M I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Rezende
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Figueiroa
authors.forename: V G
authors.initials: VG
authors.lastname: Leite
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Gutierrez
authors.forename: B C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Lobo
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Cascales
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001938:Brazil; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007854:Lead / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D012016:Reference Values; D014505:Urban Population
chemical_list: D007854:Lead