title: Blood lead level and its relationship to essential elements in preschool children from Nanning, China.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Our study aimed to assess the distribution of blood lead level and its relationship to essential elements in preschool children in an urban area of China.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 6741 children aged 0- to 6-year-old were recruited. Levels of lead, zinc, copper, iron, calcium, and magnesium in whole blood samples were determined using atomic absorption spectrometry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean blood lead level (BLL) and the prevalence of BLL≥10μg/dl (5.26±4.08μg/dl and 6.84%, respectively) increased with age gradually, and there was a gender-difference for blood lead, copper, zinc and iron levels. Compared with the group of children who had BLLs<5μg/dl, the groups of 5≤BLLs<10μg/dl and 10≤BLLs<15μg/dl showed higher blood zinc, iron and magnesium levels, and a lower blood calcium level. A positive correlation of lead with zinc, iron and magnesium, and a negative correlation of lead with calcium were found in the group of children with BLL<5μg/dl.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Age- and gender-differences were found when assessing the BLL and intoxication prevalence in preschool children. Metabolic disorder of essential elements was found even with a low level of lead exposure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
authors.forename: Jingwen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Medical Scientific Research Center, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
authors.forename: Muyan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Maternity and Child Care Health Hospital of Guangxi, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
authors.forename: Qun
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Lv
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
authors.forename: Guoli
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
authors.forename: Shaojun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
authors.forename: Yuhuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mo
authors.affiliation: Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
authors.forename: Shiyan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ou
authors.affiliation: Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
authors.forename: Zongxiang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.affiliation: Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
authors.forename: Mingli
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China. Electronic address: ymjianggxmu@163.com.
authors.forename: Yueming
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jiang
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007854:Lead / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D014131:Trace Elements; D007854:Lead
keywords: Blood lead; Essential element; Preschool children