Lead concentrations in whole blood, serum, saliva and house dust in samples collected at two time points (12 months apart) in Santo Amaro, BA, Brazil

Author(s):Show less -

Guerra, Carolina de Souza ^{[1, 2]} ; Munoz Magna, Gustavo Alonso ^{[1, 3]} ; Machado, Sandro Lemos ^{[1, 3]} ; de Capitani, Eduardo Mello ^{[1, 4]} ; Ramos, Junia ^{[1, 5]} ; Alves Peixoto, Iza Teixeira ^{[1, 2]} ; Alves Peixoto, Anibal Araujo ^{[1, 6]} ; Moreno, Maria Lucia Vieira ^{[1, 7]} ; Alva, Juan Carlos Rossi ^{[1, 8]} ; Nakadi, Flavio Venancio ^{[9, 1]} ; Mesquita Silva da Veiga, Marcia Andreia ^{[9, 1]} ; Barbosa, Jr., Fernando ^{[1, 10]} ; Gerlach, Raquel Fernanda ^{[1, 5]} ; Carvalho, Miriam de Fatima ^{[9, 1]}

Affiliation

^[1] Catholic Univ Salvador UCSAL, Sch Engn, Salvador, BA - Brazil

^[2] State Univ Campinas FOP UNICAMP, Dept Morphol, Piracicaba, SP - Brazil

^[3] Fed Univ Bahia UFBA, Dept Sci & Technol Mat, Salvador, BA - Brazil

^[4] State Univ Campinas UNICAMP, Fac Med Sci, Poison Control Ctr, Dept Internal Med, Campinas, SP - Brazil

^[5] Univ Sao Paulo FORP USP, Dent Sch Ribeirao Preto, Dept Morphol Physiol & Basic Pathol, Ribeirao Preto, SP - Brazil

^[6] Private Pediatrician Works Santo Amaro, Santo Amaro, BA - Brazil

^[7] Fundacao Osvaldo Cruz FIOCRUZ, Inst Goncalo Moniz, Salvador, BA - Brazil

^[8] Catholic Univ Salvador UCSAL, Inst Biol Sci, Salvador, BA - Brazil

^[9] Univ Sao Paulo FFCLRP USP, Fac Filosofia Ciencias & Letras Ribeirao Preto, Dept Quim, Ribeirao Preto, SP - Brazil

^[10] Univ Sao Paulo FCFRP USP, Fac Pharm Ribeirao Preto, Dept Clin Toxicol & Bromatol Anal, Ribeirao Preto, SP - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Environmental Research; v. 142, p. 337-344, OCT 2015.
• Web of Science Citations: 5

Abstract

Whole Blood Lead Level (BLL) is the main marker used to verify lead contamination. The present study explores how BLL is associated with lead concentrations in serum, saliva and house dust. Samples were collected twice from Santo Amaro, BA, Brazil, a region that was contaminated by a lead smelter in the past; a time interval of 12 months was allowed between the two collections. It is noteworthy that the following measures have recently been taken to diminish exposure of the population to lead: streets have been paved with asphalt, and educational campaigns have been launched to reduce exposure to contaminated dust. Results: Compared with the first time point, all the samples collected at the second time point contained lower lead concentration (p < 0.05), which suggested that the adopted measures effectively reduced exposure of the population to lead present in contaminated soil and dust. Statistically significant correlations only existed between lead in blood collected in the first year and lead in blood collected in the second year (Spearman's r=0.55; p <0.0001; n=62), and lead in house dust collected in the first year and lead in house dust collected in the second year (Spearman's r=0.5; p <0.0001; n=59). Conclusions: Results support the validity of lead determination in blood and in house dust to assess lead exposure over time. However, lead in blood and lead in dust did not correlate with lead in serum or lead in saliva. (C) 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. (AU)