title: Blood lead levels and associated factors among children in Guiyu of China: a population-based study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Children's health problems caused by the electronic waste (e-waste) lead exposure in China remains. To assess children's blood lead levels (BLLs) in Guiyu of China and investigate risk factors of children's elevated BLLs in Guiyu.
  
  
  METHODS
  842 children under 11 years of age from Guiyu and Haojiang were enrolled in this population-based study during 2011-2013. Participants completed a lifestyle and residential environment questionnaire and their physical growth indices were measured, and blood samples taken. Blood samples were tested to assess BLLs. Children's BLLs between the two groups were compared and factors associated with elevated BLLs among Guiyu children were analyzed by group Lasso logistic regression model.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Children living in Guiyu had significant higher BLLs (7.06 µg/dL) than the quantity (5.89 µg/dL) of Haojiang children (P<0.05). Subgroup analyses of BLLs exceeding 10 µg/dL showed the proportion (24.80%) of high-level BLLs for Guiyu children was greater than that (12.84%) in Haojiang (P<0.05). Boys had greater BLLs than girls, irrespectively of areas (P<0.05). The number of e-waste piles or recycling workshops around the house (odds ratio, 2.28; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.37 to 3.87) significantly contributed to the elevated BLLs of children in Guiyu, and girls had less risk (odds ratio, 0.51; 95% CI, 0.31 to 0.83) of e-waste lead exposure than boys.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This analysis reinforces the importance of shifting e-waste recycling piles or workshops to non-populated areas as part of a comprehensive response to e-waste lead exposure control in Guiyu. To correct the problem of lead poisoning in children in Guiyu should be a long-term mission.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Statistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Pi
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Environmental Medicine and Developmental Toxicology, and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Immunopathology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China.
authors.forename: Xijin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Environmental Medicine and Developmental Toxicology, and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Immunopathology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China.
authors.forename: Binliang
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Environmental Medicine and Developmental Toxicology, and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Immunopathology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China.
authors.forename: Di
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Environmental Medicine and Developmental Toxicology, and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Immunopathology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China.
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Environmental Medicine and Developmental Toxicology, and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Immunopathology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China.
authors.forename: Xiaojuan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Good Clinical Practice Office, Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China.
authors.forename: Qin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Environmental Medicine and Developmental Toxicology, and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Immunopathology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China.
authors.forename: Xia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Huo
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Statistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Yuantao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hao
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China; D059029:Electronic Waste / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007854:Lead / Q000097:blood*; D007855:Lead Poisoning / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D059027:Recycling; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D007854:Lead