title: [An epidemiological survey on saturnism among children due to lead pollution released from township enterprise].
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Xi'an Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, China. hengxin127@163.com
authors.forename: Heng-xin
authors.initials: HX
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Ya-li
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Hong-guang
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yong-xin
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: En-xu
authors.initials: EX
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jin-song
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D007220:Industrial Waste; D007854:Lead