title: Blood cadmium, mercury, and lead in children: an international comparison of cities in six European countries, and China, Ecuador, and Morocco.
abstract: Children's blood-lead concentration (B-Pb) is well studied, but little is known about cadmium (B-Cd) and mercury (B-Hg), in particular for central Europe. Such information is necessary for risk assessment and management. Therefore, we here describe and compare B-Pb, B-Cd and B-Hg in children in six European, and three non-European cities, and identify determinants of these exposures. About 50 school children (7-14 years) from each city were recruited (totally 433) in 2007-2008. Interview and questionnaire data were obtained. A blood sample was analyzed: only two laboratories with strict quality control were used. The European cities showed only minor differences for B-Cd (geometric means 0.11-0.17 μg/L) and B-Pb (14-20 μg/L), but larger for B-Hg (0.12-0.94 μg/L). Corresponding means for the non-European countries were 0.21-0.26, 32-71, and 0.3-3.2 μg/L, respectively. For B-Cd in European samples, traffic intensity close to home was a statistically significant determinant, for B-Hg fish consumption and amalgam fillings, and for B-Pb sex (boys higher). This study shows that European city children's B-Cd and B-Pb vary only little between countries; B-Hg differs considerably, due to varying tooth restoration practices and fish intake. Traffic intensity seemed to be a determinant for B-Cd. The metal concentrations were low from a risk perspective but the chosen non-European cities showed higher concentrations than the cities in Europe.
authors.affiliation: Regional Authority of Public Health, Banská Bystrica, Slovakia. frantiska.hruba@vzbb.sk
authors.forename: Františka
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hrubá
authors.forename: Ulf
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Strömberg
authors.forename: Milena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Černá
authors.forename: Chunying
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Florencia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Harari
authors.forename: Raúl
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Harari
authors.forename: Milena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Horvat
authors.forename: Kvetoslava
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Koppová
authors.forename: Andreja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kos
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Krsková
authors.forename: Mladen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Krsnik
authors.forename: Jawhar
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Laamech
authors.forename: Yu-Feng
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Lina
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Löfmark
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lundh
authors.forename: Nils-Göran
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Lundström
authors.forename: Badiaa
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lyoussi
authors.forename: Darja
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mazej
authors.forename: Joško
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Osredkar
authors.forename: Krystyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pawlas
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pawlas
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Prokopowicz
authors.forename: Gerda
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rentschler
authors.forename: Věra
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Spěváčková
authors.forename: Zdravko
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Spiric
authors.forename: Janja
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tratnik
authors.forename: Staffan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Skerfving
authors.forename: Ingvar A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Bergdahl
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002104:Cadmium / Q000097:blood*; D002648:Child; D002681:China; D002947:Cities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004032:Diet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004484:Ecuador; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000097:blood*; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007854:Lead / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008628:Mercury / Q000097:blood*; D009018:Morocco; D018570:Risk Assessment
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D002104:Cadmium; D007854:Lead; D008628:Mercury