[An epidemiological survey on saturnism among children due to lead pollution released from township enterprise].
OBJECTIVE
To understand the current situations of saturnism and blood lead levels of children resided in village and circumjacent areas, and to know its relations with sex, age and other factors on children' s health as to providing some evidences for prevention and control.


METHODS
An epidemiological survey was conducted for finding out the pollution sources and for a better understanding of the surrounding environment. All 221 children under 14 years old, from the lead pollution villages and surrounding establishments were enrolled, and their blood lead levels were detected by graphite atomizer absorption spectrophotometer method. Symptoms of the saturnism were investigated through a standardized questionnaire. SPSS13.0 software was administrated for data analysis.


RESULTS
High blood lead level identification rate was 66.06% (146/221), and saturnism rate 32.13% (71/221). The children's blood lead levels among group 1, group 2, group 3 in this village and jade factory were (161.20 +/- 32.94), (176.60 +/- 43.62), (258.00 +/-106.08) and (238.01 +/- 55.20) microg/L respectively and the significant differences were observed through Kruskal-Wallis test (chi2 = 51.84, df= 3, P<0. 01). The blood lead levels of children from group 3 in this village and the jade factory were higher than those of other two groups. No correlation was found between children's age and blood lead level (r = 0.10, P = 0.13). There was a significant difference in blood lead levels between boys and girls (t' = 3.83, P<0.01). With the children's blood lead levels rising, the occurrence rate of main saturnism symptoms was significantly increased. This survey suggested that the pollution source was a coarse lead smelter.


CONCLUSIONS
The blood lead level should ke overwhelmingly increased among children who live nearby the higher level of lead blood, that living nearby the lead smeltery,might result in stautnism and negative effect on children's healthy.
Li
Heng-xin
HX
Xi'an Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, China. hengxin127@163.com
Song
Ya-li
YL
Li
Hong-guang
HG
Yuan
Yong-xin
YX
Xu
Qing
Q
Liu
En-xu
EX
Li
Jin-song
JS
D002648:Child; D004787:Environmental Pollution / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007220:Industrial Waste; D007854:Lead / Q000097:blood*; D007855:Lead Poisoning / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008669:Metallurgy
D007220:Industrial Waste; D007854:Lead