title: The relationship between environmental exposure to cadmium and lead and blood selenium concentration in randomly selected population of children inhabiting industrial regions of Silesian Voivodship (Poland).
abstract: This study aimed at determining the relationship between environmental exposure to lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) and blood selenium (Se) concentration in randomly selected population of children inhabiting the industrial regions of Silesian Voivodship, Poland. The study was conducted on a group of consecutive randomly selected 349 children aged below 15 years and inhabiting the industrial regions in Upper Silesia. The examined variables included whole blood Cd concentration (Cd-B), whole blood Pb concentration (Pb-B) and whole blood Se concentration (Se-B). The concentration of Cd-B, Pb-B and Se-B in the studied group of children amounted to 0.26 ± 0.14, 37.62 ± 25.30 and 78.31 ± 12.82 μg/L, respectively. In the entire examined group a statistically significant negative linear relationship was noted between Pb-B and Se-B (r = -0.12, p < 0.05). Also, a statistically insignificant negative correlation was detected between Cd-B and Se-B (r = -0.02, p > 0.05) and a statistically insignificant positive correlation between Pb-B and Cd-B (r = 0.08, p > 0.05). A multivariate backward stepwise regression analysis demonstrated that in the studied group of children higher Pb-B and a more advanced age-represented independent risk factors for a decreased Se-B. Environmental exposure to Pb may represent an independent risk factor for Se deficit in blood of the studied population of children. In children, the lowered Se-B may create one of the mechanisms in which Pb unfavourably affects human body.
authors: Department of Hygiene, Wroclaw Medical University, Wrocław, Poland pawelgac@interia.pl.
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Gać
authors: Institute of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health, Sosnowiec, Poland.
authors: N
authors: N
authors: Pawlas
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Occupational Diseases and Hypertension, Wroclaw Medical University, Wrocław, Poland.
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Poręba
authors: Department of Pathophysiology, Wroclaw Medical University, Wrocław, Poland.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Poręba
authors: Department of Hygiene, Wroclaw Medical University, Wrocław, Poland Institute of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health, Sosnowiec, Poland.
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Pawlas
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002104:Cadmium / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015536:Down-Regulation; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007221:Industry; D007854:Lead / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000097:blood; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011044:Poland; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012307:Risk Factors; D012643:Selenium / Q000097:blood* / Q000172:deficiency
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D002104:Cadmium; D007854:Lead; D012643:Selenium
keywords: Environmental exposure; cadmium; children; industrial regions; lead; selenium