title: Relationship of lead and essential elements in whole blood from school-age children in Nanning, China.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to investigate blood lead level and its relationship to essential elements (zinc, copper, iron, calcium and magnesium) in school-age children from Nanning, China.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 2457 children aged from 6 to 14 years were enrolled in Nanning, China. The levels of lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) were determined by an atomic absorption spectrometer.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean blood lead level (BLL) was 57.21±35.00μg/L. 188 (7.65%) asymptomatic children had toxic lead level higher than 100μg/L. The school-age boys had similar lead level among different age groups, while the elder girls had less BLL. The blood Zn and Fe were found to be increased in the boys with elevated BLL, but similar trends were not observed in the girls. Positive correlations between Pb and Fe or Mg (r=0.112, 0.062, respectively, p<0.01) and a negative correlation between Pb and Ca (r=-0.047, p<0.05) were further established in the studied children.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Lead exposure in school-age children was still prevalent in Nanning. The boys and girls differed in blood levels of lead and other metallic elements. Lead exposure may induce metabolic disorder of other metallic elements in body.
authors: Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
authors: Yong
authors: Y
authors: Li
authors: Medical Scientific Research Center, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
authors: Muyan
authors: M
authors: Li
authors: Maternity and Child Care Health Hospital of Guangxi, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
authors: Qun
authors: Q
authors: Lv
authors: Department of Pediatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
authors: Guoli
authors: G
authors: Chen
authors: Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
authors: Jingwen
authors: J
authors: Chen
authors: Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
authors: Shaojun
authors: S
authors: Li
authors: Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
authors: Yuhuan
authors: Y
authors: Mo
authors: Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
authors: Shiyan
authors: S
authors: Ou
authors: Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
authors: Zongxiang
authors: Z
authors: Yuan
authors: Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
authors: Guodong
authors: G
authors: Lu
authors: Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China. Electronic address: ymjianggxmu@163.com.
authors: Yueming
authors: Y
authors: Jiang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002681:China; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007854:Lead / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008659:Metabolic Diseases / Q000097:blood; D012574:Schools; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D014131:Trace Elements; D007854:Lead
keywords: Blood lead level; Correlation; Lead exposure; Metallic elements; School-age children