Blood lead levels and enzymatic biomarkers of environmental lead exposure in children in Córdoba, Argentina, after the ban of leaded gasoline

• Published in: Human & experimental toxicology 2013-05, Vol.32 (5), p.449-463
• Main Authors: Martínez, SA, Simonella, L, Hansen, C, Rivolta, S, Cancela, LM, Virgolini, MB
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Aminolevulinic acid; Argentina; Biological and medical sciences; Biomarkers; Biomarkers - blood; Catalase - metabolism; Chemical and industrial products toxicology. Toxic occupational diseases; Child; Child, Preschool; Children & youth; Environmental Exposure - adverse effects; Female; Gasoline - adverse effects; Gasoline - analysis; Human exposure; Humans; Infant; Lead; Lead - blood; Male; Medical sciences; Metals and various inorganic compounds; Porphobilinogen Synthase - metabolism; Social Class; Socioeconomic factors; Superoxide Dismutase - metabolism; Toxicology
• ISSN: 0960-3271; 1477-0903
• DOI: 10.1177/0960327112454893

Lead (Pb) is a developmental neurotoxicant found in industrial activities, many of them already prohibited worldwide. This study aimed to evaluate current blood Pb (PbB) levels in children in Cordoba, Argentina, and to compare these with similar studies performed before Pb was banned in gasoline in 1996. We also sought to identify mechanistically relevant biomarkers by measuring δ-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (δ-ALAD), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) activities. We finally aimed to determine whether sociodemographic characteristics are associated with Pb toxicity. Blood samples collected from 161 healthy children between September 2009 and February 2010 revealed mean PbB levels of 2.58 ± 0.30 µg/dl. Enzymatic δ-ALAD, CAT, and SOD activities showed no significant variations when plotted against PbB levels. Finally, children living in the suburbs have higher PbB levels than their city counterparts, while low socioeconomic status increased δ-ALAD inhibition compared with that of middle-income children. Overall, these results evidenced a substantial reduction in exposure to Pb in this pediatric population over a decade after Pb was restricted in gasoline and reveal the importance of pursuing novel biomarkers of toxicity along with the sociodemographic profile to complement Pb diagnosis.