Elevated hair levels of cadmium and lead in school children exposed to smoking and in highways near schools

Heavy metal pollution has become a serious health concern in recent years. Cadmium (Cd) and Lead (Pb) are toxic heavy metals. This study was aimed to determine the risk factors for high cadmium and lead levels in school children. The scalp hair samples were obtained from 760 children at 13 schools i...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Clinical biochemistry 2007, Vol.40 (1), p.52-56
Main Authors: Özden, Tülin Ayşe, Gökçay, Gülbin, Ertem, Hayriye Vehid, Süoğlu, Özlem Durmaz, Kılıç, Ayşe, Sökücü, Semra, Saner, Günay
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Cadmium
Cadmium - analysis
Child
Demography
Environmental Exposure
Female
Hair - chemistry
Hair analysis
Humans
Lead
Lead - analysis
Male
Regression Analysis
School children
Smoking
Students
Tobacco Smoke Pollution - adverse effects
Toxic metals
Vehicle Emissions - analysis
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Summary:Heavy metal pollution has become a serious health concern in recent years. Cadmium (Cd) and Lead (Pb) are toxic heavy metals. This study was aimed to determine the risk factors for high cadmium and lead levels in school children. The scalp hair samples were obtained from 760 children at 13 schools in Istanbul. A questionnaire was prepared to gather information about demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of the children. Hair cadmium and lead concentrations were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Household exposure to smoking and attending a school near to Main Streets were found to be the most important risk factors for the high hair cadmium and lead levels in our study. These findings support the public health recommendations that children should not have household exposure to smoking, schools should not be near to the main streets and unleaded gasoline use should be promoted.
ISSN:0009-9120
1873-2933
DOI:10.1016/j.clinbiochem.2006.07.006