Blood lead levels in urban children of Katowice Voivodship, Poland: results of the population-based biomonitoring and surveillance program.

The paper presents the results of the large-scale blood lead levels survey in pre-school urban children living in industrial area of Poland (Katowice Voivodship, Upper Silesian Industrial Zone-USIZ). The program, established in 1993, involves education, screening and medical care of case-children, as its major elements. Until December 1995 six thousand nine hundred sixty nine children aged 2-6 years have been examined in three towns (Chorzów, Kalowice, Sosnowiec). Geometric mean value of blood lead level (PbB) was slightly but not statistically significantly larger in boys (6.68 +/- 1.51 micrograms/dl) than in girls (6.58 +/- 1.54 micrograms/dl). In a multiple regression analysis the following variables explained variation in PbB: town (p = 0.0001), age (p = 0.005), floor on which apartment was located (p = 0.0001), number of siblings (p = 0.0001), apartment quality (p = 0.0001), carpet in a child's room (p = 0.0001), consumption of locally grown vegetables (p = 0.007), frequent trips outside the region (p = 0.0001). The results were verified with PbB as dichotomous variable. The occurrence of PbB above 10 micrograms/dl (frequency, 14.2%-17.2%) was associated with floor on which apartment was located, number of siblings, apartment's quality, the presence of carpet in child's room and frequent trips outside the region. The occurrence of PbB above 15 micrograms/dl (frequency: 2.5%-4.2% of children) was associated with the same variables and additionally, with the place of residence and intensity of vehicle traffic. The findings yield reliable population-based estimates of the risk of over-exposure of "non-hot-spot" urban children to environmental lead and highlight the important role of factors that could be classified as environmental and socio-economical determinants of blood lead level. Among environmental factors deposits of lead are still a problem in a densely populated industrial center of USIZ and the use of leaded gasoline adds to the magnitude of exposure.

Blood lead concentrations in school children of Upper Silesian Industrial Zone, Poland.

Upper Silesian Industrial Zone (Katowice Voivodship, Poland), the country most industrialized and densely populated region is well recognized for the magnitude of environmental problems. Due to local lead mining and processing environmental exposure to lead is considered one of the most important hazards to the health of children. In the past, clinically confirmed cases of lead intoxication in children have been found and recent blood lead monitoring in major point source impact areas have documented increased blood lead concentration in children. However, much less is known about blood lead concentrations in general population of children who are exposed to increased levels of lead in ambient and soil. The study was undertaken in order to estimate the mean blood lead concentration (PbB) and its range in children aged seven years residing in urban non-point source impact area of Katowice Voivodship, and to examine potential determinants of increased blood lead concentration in these children. In a systematic sample of 431 children aged 7 years (208 girls and 223 boys), living in two large cities in the centre of Upper Silesian Industrial Zone the geometric mean and standard deviation of PbB was 7.94 +/- 1.48 micrograms/dl (range 4.0-38.0 micrograms/dl) and did not depend on sex or the city of residence. PbB equal to or larger than 15 micrograms/dl was found in 8.1% of children and PbB equal to or larger than 10 micrograms/dl in 27.4% of children. Blood lead concentration was associated with a number of factors that could be classified as family factors, housing and environmental factors. The identified risk factors add credibility to suggested directions of preventive measures that should extend beyond already implemented lead emission control in the industry and involve increased use of unleaded gasoline, upgrading of housing conditions and promotion of proper hygienic standards on a household level. The findings of the study indicate that children living in urban area of Upper Silesian Industrial Zone are at risk of overexposure to lead in environment, and justify the implementation of population-based screening program targeting children in younger age groups in the region.

[Exposure to lead in selected population groups. IV. Lead exposure among nursery children in Chorzow]. / Narazenie na olów wybranych grup ludnosci. Cz. IV. Narazenie na olów dzieci zlobkowych Chorzowa.

Main goal of this studies was to determine the level of exposure to lead of selected representatives of children's population attended nursery school, aged 2 to 4 years, residing in three different districts of Chorzów as far as the traffic intensity is concerned. It is the most densely populated town in Poland with the high concentration of industry and considerable intensity of traffic. Number of tested samples of children were 41, 43, 40. The tests were made in summer. Lead (Pb-B), zinc protoporphyrin level (ZPP), hemoglobin (Hb), erythrocyte count in blood (E) and delta-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) and creatinine concentration in urine were determined. The highest Pb-B level observed was 300 micrograms/l, the geometric mean of the blood lead concentrations were: 131, 132, and 199 micrograms/l and were not statistically valid in their differences. Median ranges were 118, 133 and 144 micrograms/l. Averages above the level 200 micrograms/l were found in the case of 19.5%, 11.8% and 15% children. Data were estimated in comparison with WHO recommended admissible blood lead level in overall population. The obtained data suggest higher lead absorption in the examined children's population.

[Health status in cradled children from the city of Chorzow from districts of greatest atmospheric air pollution (morbidity, lead concentration in blood)]. / Stan zdrowia dzieci zlobkowych miasta Chorzowa z dzielnic o najwiekszym zanieczyszczeniu powietrza atmosferycznego (zachorowalnosc, stezenia olowiu we krwi).

The results are presented of health condition evaluation in 291 cradled children. High morbidity was found, mainly of respiratory tract diseases, and excessive exposure to lead was observed. The acceptable level of lead according to the WHO standards (10 micrograms/dl) was exceeded in 63.9% of the studied children. High per cent (47.6%) of children with lead level over 20 micrograms/dl showed rachitic bone deformities.

[Monitoring biological lead in Silesian populations with particular reference to elementary school children]. / Monitoring biologiczny olowiu w populacji Slaskiej ze szczególnym uwzglednieniem dzieci szkól podstawowych.

The national production of lead is concentrated in the Katowice region (voivodship). Another harmful factor observed in this area is a high intensity of motor transport. Hence, high contamination of air and surface layers of soil, particularly in the Upper Silesian Industrial District. The main objective of this work was to review the results of surveys of lead concentrations in the blood (Pb-B) of children and adults living in this area. The presented results of biological monitoring of lead were obtained from cohort, prospective and cross-sectional studies of groups of primary school children and their mothers, carried out by the Regional Sanitary and Epidemiological Station during the years 1981-1990 (N = 4570) as well as from examinations performed in 283 children (1-15 age group) by the Silesian Medical Academy and in 1028 children (1st and 8th grades of school) by the Institute of Environmental Protection. The concentration of lead was measured in samples of venous blood using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The Regional Sanitary and Epidemiological Station Laboratory involved in Pb-B measurements has successfully participated in the interlaboratory programme of quality assurance. The results indicated that the contamination of the environment with lead in the Katowice region is very much diversified, and, in general, three areas can be identified: 1. The vicinity of large industrial emissions of lead, where mean Pb-B concentrations were usually twice as high as in rural areas of the Katowice voivodship. In many cases the lead blood concentrations exceeded the safe limit of 19 micrograms/dl and the excess varied in time. 2. Large industrial urban agglomerations of the Upper Silesian Industrial District. The Pb-B concentrations in children living in this area were higher by 50% in comparison with rural areas. The excess of safe limit (19 micrograms/dl) was, however less frequent that in the area described above. 3. Rural areas. But even in those areas not all Pb-B concentrations were fully acceptable. A continuous biological monitoring of lead in representative samples of the population living in this area is necessary to obtain completely reliable assessment of exposure to lead in the Katowice voivodship.

Lead exposure among nursery children in Chorzów.

The main goal of this study was to determine the level of exposure to lead of selected representatives of the child population attending nursery school, aged 2 to 4 years, residing in three districts of Chorzów with different traffic intensities. The numbers of tested samples of children were 41, 43, 40. The tests were made in summer. Lead (Pb-B), zinc protoporphyrin level (ZPP), hemoglobin (Hb), erythrocyte count in blood (E), and delta-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) and creatinine concentration in urine were determined. The highest Pb-B level observed was 300 micrograms/l; the geometric means of the blood lead concentrations were 131, 132 and 119 micrograms/l and were not statistically different. Median ranges were 118, 133 and 114 micrograms/l. Ranges above the 200 micrograms/l level were found in 19.5%, 11.8% and 15% of the children. The obtained data suggest higher lead absorption in the examined child population.