title: Blood levels of lead, cadmium, and mercury in the Korean population: results from the Second Korean National Human Exposure and Bio-monitoring Examination.
abstract: In Korea, there have been a number of efforts to measure levels of exposure to environmental pollutants among the population. This paper focuses on investigating the distribution of, extent of, and factors influencing the blood levels of lead, cadmium, and mercury in the Korean population, working from data obtained from the Second Korean National Human Exposure and Bio-monitoring Examination. To that end, blood metal concentrations were analyzed from a total of 2369 participants who were 18 years of age and older. The geometric mean concentrations and their 95% confidence intervals of metals in blood were found to be lead, 1.72 microg/dL (95% CI, 1.68-1.76); cadmium, 1.02 microg/L (95% CI, 1.00-1.05); and mercury, 3.80 microg/L (95% CI, 3.66-3.93). Regression analyses indicate that the levels of metals in the blood are mainly influenced by gender, age, and the education levels of the participants. Current smoking status is also found to be a significant factor for increasing both lead and cadmium levels. Although our study, as the first nationwide survey of exposure to environmental pollutants in Korea, has value on its own, it should be expanded and extended in order to provide information on environmental exposure pathways and to watch for changes in the level of exposure to environmental pollutants among the population.
authors: Department of Public Health, Graduate School of Hanyang University, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors: Ji-Young
authors: JY
authors: Son
authors: Jinheon
authors: J
authors: Lee
authors: Domyung
authors: D
authors: Paek
authors: Jong-Tae
authors: JT
authors: Lee
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002104:Cadmium / Q000097:blood*; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007723:Korea; D007854:Lead / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008628:Mercury / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012044:Regression Analysis; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D002104:Cadmium; D007854:Lead; D008628:Mercury