Low-level environmental exposure to lead and renal adverse effects: A cross-sectional study in the population of children bordering the Mbeubeuss landfill near Dakar, Senegal

• Published in: Human & experimental toxicology 2012-12, Vol.31 (12), p.1280-1291
• Main Authors: Cabral, M, Dieme, D, Verdin, A, Garçon, G, Fall, M, Bouhsina, S, Dewaele, D, Cazier, F, Tall-Dia, A, Diouf, A, Shirali, P
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Air sampling; Aminolevulinic Acid - urine; Biomarkers - blood; Biomarkers - urine; Child; Child, Preschool; Children & youth; Comorbidity; Cross-Sectional Studies; Environmental Exposure - adverse effects; Environmental Monitoring; Female; Humans; Infant; Kidney - drug effects; Kidney - metabolism; Kidney Diseases - chemically induced; Kidney Diseases - epidemiology; Kidney Diseases - metabolism; L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; Landfill; Lead; Lead - blood; Lead - urine; Lead Poisoning - epidemiology; Lead Poisoning - etiology; Lead Poisoning - metabolism; Male; Oxidative Stress - drug effects; Population; Proteinuria - epidemiology; Proteinuria - etiology; Proteinuria - metabolism; Reactive Oxygen Species; Refuse Disposal; Senegal - epidemiology
• ISSN: 0960-3271; 1477-0903
• DOI: 10.1177/0960327112446815

This study deals with the health effects within a child population, neighbouring a landfill. After detecting metals in soil and air samples collected in the surroundings of the landfill and in a control site, we have studied: (i) levels of lead (Pb) and exposure biomarkers in blood and urine, (ii) oxidative stress biomarkers and (iii) renal injury by applying a set of early effect biomarkers. Levels of Pb were higher in the exposed site (i.e. 1129 mg/kg and 640 ng/m3 in soil and air samples, respectively) versus those in the control site (i.e. 14.3 mg/kg and 9.3 ng/m3 in soil and air samples, respectively). Pb impregnation and levels of delta-aminolevulinic acid in urine were influenced by the living site that shows the prevailingly alarming situation in the Mbeubeuss landfill. Malondialdehyde changes indicated Pb-induced excessive production of reactive oxygen species. Lactate dehydrogenase activities and proteinuria were found to be higher in the children living in the exposed site. These evidences may reveal the usefulness of these two effect biomarkers to monitor the kidney injury entailed by relatively low-environmental exposure to Pb. Overall, these results show that the Mbeubeuss landfill constitutes a real source of environmental and health risk, be it living or working on site, of the surrounding population, predominantly for children.