title: Arsenic exposure assessment of children living in a lead mining area in Southeastern Brazil.
abstract: Environmental contamination by arsenic compounds in the Ribeira River Valley, São Paulo, Brazil has already been observed. Lead mining and refining activities had been carried on since late colonial times and finished recently, at the end of 1995. The source of As in the region is known to be mainly from arsenopirite geological presence in the lead ore. Chronic exposure to arsenic compounds may cause peripheral vascular disorders, hyperpigmentation, hiperkeratosis and cancer of the skin, bladder, lung, liver and other internal organs. The purpose of this study was to assess children exposure to arsenic from environmental sources in the region. Urine samples from children between 7 to 14 years old were collected at the following localities: Cerro Azul (Paraná); urban areas of Ribeira (São Paulo) and Adrianópolis (Paraná); Vila Mota neighborhood (rural area of Adrianópolis) and Serra neighborhood (Iporanga, São Paulo), identified as groups 1, 2, 3 and 4, respectively. Group 1 was considered as non-exposed control group. Toxicologically relevant forms of As were determined by atomic absorption spectrometry with hydride generation system. The median values of urine arsenic levels obtained in groups 1, 2, 3 and 4 were respectively: 3.60, 6.30, 6.41 e 8.94 microg/L.
authors.affiliation: Instituto Adolfo Lutz, São Paulo, Brasil.
authors.forename: Alice Momoyo
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Sakuma
authors.forename: Eduardo Mello
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: De Capitani
authors.forename: Bernardino Ribeiro
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Figueiredo
authors.forename: Franca Durante de
authors.initials: FD
authors.lastname: Maio
authors.forename: Monica Maria Bastos
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Paoliello
authors.forename: Fernanda Gonçalves
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: da Cunha
authors.forename: Maria Cristina
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Duran
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001151:Arsenic / Q000652:urine*; D001938:Brazil; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007854:Lead; D008906:Mining; D013054:Spectrophotometry, Atomic
chemical_list: D007854:Lead; D001151:Arsenic