title: Screening for childhood lead poisoning in the industrial region of Fez, Morocco.
abstract: The study objectives were to estimate lead poisoning prevalence among children living next to an industrial area, to compare it to that in a control population, and to establish clinical and biological follow-up of the poisoned children. This is a descriptive cross-sectional study including 150 children (exposed and unexposed) performed between January 2012 and April 2013. It was meant to determine blood lead levels (BLLs) in children considered to be an exposed population (EP N 90), living in the industrial area Ain Nokb Fez compared with BLLs of children of other areas belonging to the same city supposed to be unexposed [UP (N = 60)]. A sociodemographic questionnaire was obtained, and a blood lead analysis was performed. Clinical and biological follow-up has been performed of poisoned children. The sample consisted of 90 EP children with an average age of 6.82 ± 3.32 years and male-to-female sex ratio (SR) of 1.5 and 60 UP children with an average age of 6.45 ± 3.29 years and an SR of 1.2. Among the 150 children recruited, the average of BLLs was 58.21 ± 36 µg/L (18-202.3 μg/L). The average of BLLs in EP children (71 ± 40 µg/L) was statistically greater (p < 0.0001) than that registered in UP children (38 ± 13 µg/L). All poisoned children belonged to the EP group at a prevalence of 21.1 %. The clinical and biological examinations of poisoned children showed a few perturbations such as anemia, hypocalcaemia, and deficiencies in magnesium and iron. No renal disease or objective neurological disorders were observed. In the follow-up of the children with BLL ≥100 µg/L (19 cases). BLL monitoring showed a significant decrease in average of blood concentration ranging from 136.75 ± 32.59 to 104.58 ± 32.73 µg/L (p < 0.0001) and in lead poisoning prevalence (p < 0.001), which decreased to 7.8 % from 21.1. Our study showed a high prevalence of lead poisoning (21.1 %) in EP children. The relocation of the industrial site associated with corrective and preventive measures has contributed to a decrease of exposure and lead poisoning prevalence in the aforementioned population.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Analysis and Modeling of Continental Ecosystems, Faculty of Science Dhar El Mehraz (FSDM), Université Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah (USMBA), Fez, Morocco, siham-bouftini@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bouftini
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bahhou
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lelievre
authors.forename: J M Chao
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: de la Barca
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Turcant
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Diquet
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Abourazzak
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chaouki
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hida
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Khattabi
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nejjari
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Amarti
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Achour
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007221:Industry; D007854:Lead / Q000097:blood*; D007855:Lead Poisoning / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D009018:Morocco / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D007854:Lead