Lead and cadmium concentrations in blood of people living near a copper smelter in Legnica, Poland

• Published in: Science of the total environment 1993, Vol.134 (Suppl. Pts. 1-2), p.233-236
• Main Authors: Andrzejak, R., Antonowicz, J., Tomczyk, J., Lepetow, T., Smolik, R.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Environmental pollutants toxicology; General aspects; Medical sciences; Toxicology
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/S0048-9697(05)80023-3

Examination of 60 inhabitants (including 28 children) of a village 900 m from a copper smelter with concurrent monitoring of air pollution was performed. Blood levels of lead and cadmium were measured three times in five years. At the same time dust amounts and air-dust concentrations of Cu, Pb, Cd, Mn, Cr, Zn, Ni and As were measured. In the first phase of the investigation, for nearly 60% of days Pb and Cu air concentrations exceeded 2–5 times the norm. In the third stage, after significant reductions of gas-dust emissions (copper from 992 to 47 tons/year, lead from 1720 to 30 tons/year) no excessive metal air concentrations are noted. In the first examination the average blood lead concentration was 0.766 ± 0.14 μg/ml (in the group of children 0.52 ± 0.07 μg/ml). After five years, there was a statistically significant decrease in the blood concentrations of lead, to 0.44 ± 0.14 μg/ml (children 0.31 ± 0.05 μg/ml), and cadmium, to 0.028 ± 0.007 μg/ml (children 0.019 ± 0.004 μg/ml). A big lead and cadmium load in the villagers, despite the substantial reduction of gas and dust emission, points to the contamination of the surroundings of the cooper smelter.