Arsenic exposure assessment of children living in a lead mining area in Southeastern Brazil.
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.
Sakuma
Alice Momoyo
AM
Instituto Adolfo Lutz, São Paulo, Brasil.
De Capitani
Eduardo Mello
EM
Figueiredo
Bernardino Ribeiro
BR
Maio
Franca Durante de
FD
Paoliello
Monica Maria Bastos
MM
da Cunha
Fernanda Gonçalves
FG
Duran
Maria Cristina
MC
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
D007854:Lead; D001151:Arsenic