title: Source apportionment of lead in the blood of women of reproductive age living near tailings in Taxco, Guerrero, Mexico: An isotopic study.
abstract: The concentration and isotopic composition of lead in the blood of forty seven women of reproductive age (15-45y) exposed to multiple sources in two rural communities of the mining region of Taxco, Guerrero in southern Mexico were determined in order to identify specific contributing sources and their apportionment and to trace probable ingestion pathways. Our data indicate that >36% of the studied women have blood lead concentrations above 10μgdL-1and up to 87% above 5μgdL-1. Tailings contain between 2128 and 5988mgkg-1of lead and represent the most conspicuous source in the area. Lead contents in indoor dust are largely variable (21.7-987mgkg-1) but only 15% of samples are above the Mexican Regulatory Guideline for urban soils (400mgkg-1). By contrast, 85% of glazed containers (range: 0.026-68.6mgkg-1) used for cooking and food storage are above the maximum 2mgL-1of soluble lead established in the Mexican Guideline. The isotopic composition indicates that lead in the blood of 95% of the studied women can be modeled in terms of a mixing system between local ores (and derivatives), glazed pottery and Morelos bedrock, end-members, with the two former being largely the most important contributors. Only one sample shows influence of indoor paints. Indoor dust is dominated by ores and derivatives but some samples show evidence of contribution from a less radiogenic source very likely represented by interior paints. This study supports the application of lead isotopic ratios to identify potential sources and their apportionment in humans exposed to multiple sources of lead from both, natural and anthropogenic origin.
authors.affiliation: UA Ciencias Químico Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Guerrero, Av. Lázaro Cárdenas s/n. Ciudad Universitaria, Chilpancingo, Guerrero C.P. 39090, Mexico.
authors.forename: Analine Berenice
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Vázquez Bahéna
authors.affiliation: UA Ciencias Químico Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Guerrero, Av. Lázaro Cárdenas s/n. Ciudad Universitaria, Chilpancingo, Guerrero C.P. 39090, Mexico; UA de Ciencias de la Tierra, Universidad Autónoma de Guerrero, Exhacienda S. Juan Bautista, Taxco el Viejo, Guerrero C.P. 40323, Mexico. Electronic address: otalaver@email.arizona.edu.
authors.forename: Oscar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Talavera Mendoza
authors.affiliation: UA Ciencias Químico Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Guerrero, Av. Lázaro Cárdenas s/n. Ciudad Universitaria, Chilpancingo, Guerrero C.P. 39090, Mexico.
authors.forename: Ma Elena
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Moreno Godínez
authors.affiliation: UA de Ciencias de la Tierra, Universidad Autónoma de Guerrero, Exhacienda S. Juan Bautista, Taxco el Viejo, Guerrero C.P. 40323, Mexico.
authors.forename: Sergio Adrián
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Salgado Souto
authors.affiliation: Department of Geosciences, The University of Arizona, 1040 E. 4th St. Gould-Simpson Building #77, Tucson, AZ 85721, United States.
authors.forename: Joaquín
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ruiz
authors.affiliation: UA Ciencias Químico Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Guerrero, Av. Lázaro Cárdenas s/n. Ciudad Universitaria, Chilpancingo, Guerrero C.P. 39090, Mexico.
authors.forename: Gerardo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Huerta Beristain
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007854:Lead / Q000097:blood*; D008800:Mexico; D008906:Mining
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D007854:Lead
keywords: Binary/ternary mixing models; Lead contamination; Lead isotopic signature; Natural/anthropogenic sources; Southern Mexico