title: Age-Dependent Changes in Pb Concentration in Human Teeth.
abstract: The result of exposure to Pb is its accumulation in mineralized tissues. In human body, they constitute a reservoir of approx. 90 % of the Pb reserve. The conducted research aimed at determining the accumulation of Pb in calcified tissues of permanent teeth. The concentration of Pb in 390 samples of teeth taken from a selected group of Polish people was determined using the AAS method. Average concentration of Pb in teeth amounted to 14.3 ± 8.18 μg/g, range of changes: 2.21-54.8 μgPb/g. Accumulation of Pb in human body was determined based on changes in Pb concentration in teeth of subjects aged 13-84 years. It was found that in calcified tissues of teeth, the increase in concentration of Pb that occurs with age is a statistically significant process (p = 0.02, the ANOVA Kruskal-Wallis test). It was determined that the annual increase in concentration of Pb in tissues of teeth is approx. 0.1 μg/g. Moreover, a different course of changes in Pb concentration in tissues of teeth in people born in different years was observed. The level of Pb concentration in teeth of the oldest subjects (>60 years) decreased for those born in the 1930s compared to those in the 1950s. Teeth from younger persons (<60 years) were characterized by an increasing level of Pb concentration. The analysis of changes of Pb indicates that for low exposure, a relatively greater accumulation of Pb concentration in calcified tissues of teeth can occur.
authors.affiliation: Department of Toxicology, School of Pharmacy with the Division of Laboratory Medicine in Sosnowiec, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Katowice, Poland. afischer@sum.edu.pl.
authors.forename: Agnieszka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.affiliation: Department of Toxicology, School of Pharmacy with the Division of Laboratory Medicine in Sosnowiec, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Katowice, Poland.
authors.forename: Danuta
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wiechuła
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism*; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007854:Lead / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011044:Poland; D014070:Tooth / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D007854:Lead
keywords: Age; Environmental exposure; Pb accumulation; Teeth