Blood lead level in school going children of Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India (original) (raw)
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Blood Lead Levels of Primary School children in Kathmandu Municipality, Nepal
2015
Lead is a toxic metal which has contaminated our environment and created health problems around the globe. Children are vulnerable to lead as the intake per unit body weight is higher and even low levels can cause neurological damage. Nepal lacks data on sources of lead exposure and its health impacts; hence screening of blood lead is mandatory.
Blood Lead Level (BLL) in the Adult Population of Jodhpur: A Pilot Study
Indian Journal of Clinical Biochemistry, 2015
Lead interferes with a variety of body processes and is toxic to many organs and tissues including the heart, bones, intestines, kidneys, and reproductive and nervous systems. Routes of exposure to lead include contaminated air, water, soil, food, and consumer products. The possibility of lead exposure in humans is therefore of great significance from health point of view. Occupational exposure is a common known cause of lead poisoning in adults but current status of adults exposed otherwise is not known. School teachers representing wide local population were selected and asked to furnish information regarding possible lead exposure. Blood lead level (BLL) was estimated using anodic stripping voltammetry. The mean BLL was 6.89 ± 9.5 lg/dl (\3.5-[65 lg/dl) in representative adult population. Out of the total 16 % were found to be having BLL [10 lg/dl which has significantly decreased from leaded gasoline era. Those with increased BLL ([10 lg/dl) were found to have common determinants like usage of old metallic pipes for plumbing, water consumption without any purification system, usage of cosmetics and Ayurvedic/herbal medicines.
Relation between Blood Lead Levels and Childhood Anemia in India
American Journal of Epidemiology, 2005
Lead pollution is a substantial problem in developing countries such as India. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has defined an elevated blood lead level in children as 10 lg/dl, on the basis of neurologic toxicity. The US Environmental Protection Agency suggests a threshold lead level of 20-40 lg/dl for risk of childhood anemia, but there is little information relating lead levels <40 lg/dl to anemia. Therefore, the authors examined the association between lead levels as low as 10 lg/dl and anemia in Indian children under 3 years of age. Anemia was divided into categories of mild (hemoglobin level 10-10.9 g/dl), moderate (hemoglobin level 8-9.9 g/dl), and severe (hemoglobin level <8 g/dl). Lead levels <10 lg/dl were detected in 568 children (53%), whereas 413 (38%) had lead levels 10-19.9 lg/dl and 97 (9%) had levels 20 lg/dl. After adjustment for child's age, duration of breastfeeding, standard of living, parent's education, father's occupation, maternal anemia, and number of children in the immediate family, children with lead levels 10 lg/dl were 1.3 (95% confidence interval: 1.0, 1.7) times as likely to have moderate anemia as children with lead levels <10 lg/dl. Similarly, the odds ratio for severe anemia was 1.7 (95% confidence interval: 1.1, 2.6). Health agencies in India should note the association of elevated blood lead levels with anemia and make further efforts to curb lead pollution and childhood anemia.
Children’s Health Articles Blood Lead Levels of Primary School Children in Dhaka, Bangladesh
2013
Dhaka, Bangladesh, has one of the highest air lead levels in the world. In February 2000, we evaluated children at five primary schools in Dhaka to determine blood lead (BPb) levels, sources of environmental exposure, and potential risk factors for lead poisoning. Selected schools represented a range of geographic and socioeconomic strata. A total of 779 students 4–12 years of age participated. The mean BPb level was 15.0 µg/dL (range 4.2–63.1 µg/dL). Most students (87.4%) had BPb levels above the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s level of concern (10 µg/dL). Elevated BPb levels correlated with soil eating [odds ratio (OR) = 3.31; 95 % confidence interval (CI), 1.30–8.39], low parental education (OR = 2.72; 95 % CI, 1.97–3.75), living close to major roads (OR = 2.30; 95 % CI, 1.23–4.29), and increasing age (OR = 1.11; 95 % CI, 1.06–1.16). BPb levels measured were similar to those in other countries that use leaded gasoline. No other potential sources of lead exposure were...
PloS one, 2017
Young children are at greatest risk of exposure to lead and its effects. Although lead is one of the most widely used elements with known health hazard, there is little data on the blood lead level (BLL) of children in the Kathmandu Valley. Thus, this study aimed to assess factors associated with high BLL in children who were 6-36 months of age and resided in the Kathmandu Valley. In this hospital-based cross-sectional study 6-36 month-old children visiting the Paediatrics Outpatient Department of Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, Patan Hospital, and Siddhi Memorial Hospital were enrolled. All three hospitals are located in different areas inside the Kathmandu Valley. Written informed consent was obtained from the parents, and exposure data were collected using a structured questionnaire. Portable Anodic Stripping Voltammetry (ASV) was used to determine BLLs in children. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 16. Of 312 children enrolled in the study, 64.4% had BLLs ≥5μg/dl. A ...
A meta-analysis of blood lead levels in India and the attributable burden of disease
Environment International, 2018
Multiple studies in India have found elevated blood lead levels (BLLs) in target populations. However the data have not yet been evaluated to understand population-wide exposure levels. We used arithmetic mean blood lead data published from 2010 to 2018 on Indian populations to calculate the average BLLs for multiple subgroups. We then calculated the attributable disease burden in IQ decrement and Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs). Our Pubmed search yielded 1066 articles. Of these, 31 studies representing the BLLs of 5472 people in 9 states met our study criteria. Evaluating these, we found a mean BLL of 6.86 μg/dL (95% CI: 4.38-9.35) in children and 7.52 μg/dL (95% CI: 5.28-9.76) in non-occupationally exposed adults. We calculated that these exposures resulted in 4.9 million DALYs (95% CI: 3.9-5.6) in the states we evaluated. Population-wide BLLs in India remain elevated despite regulatory action to eliminate leaded petrol, the most significant historical source. The estimated attributable disease burden is larger than previously calculated, particularly with regard to associated intellectual disability outcomes in children. Larger population-wide BLL studies are required to inform future calculations. Policy responses need to be developed to mitigate the worst exposures.
Journal of Health and Pollution
Background. Lead can cause significant biological and neurologic damage, even at small concentrations, and young children are at higher risk. Informal recycling of lead batteries and lead-based workshops/industries have increased the burden of lead toxicity in developing countries, including India. Many informal recycling lead battery workshops have been established by the local people of Patna, Bihar as self-employment opportunities. However, most of the residents are not aware of the risk factors associated with lead poisoning. Objectives. The present pilot study aimed to assess blood lead levels (BLLs) and hemoglobin levels among children aged between 3 to 12 years in the settlement of Karmalichak near Patna, India. Materials and Methods. Children residing near the informal lead battery manufacturing unit were selected for BLL assessment. A total of 41 children were enrolled in the questionnairebased survey. Results. All the children in the present study had detectable lead conce...