Exposición crónica a plomo ambiental en lactantes chilenos / Chronic exposure to environmental lead in Chilean nursing infants

RESUMO

Background: in Chile, there are several sources of environmental lead exposure. However, the few studies about lead levels in Chilean infants, do not allow to establish the prevalence of high lead in this population. Aim: to measure blood lead levels in nursing infants, living in rural and urban areas, from birth until two years of age. Subjects and methods: newborns from public maternity hospitals in Santiago and a rural area were selected for the study. An umbilical cord blood sample was obtained at bird and venous blood samples thereafter, every 6 months until the age of 24 months. Lead levels were measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometry atmospheric lead was measured simultaneously every week in Santiago and the rural area. Results: three hundred twelve children from Santiago and 113 from the rural area completed the 24 months follow-up. The mean lead exposure for infants living in Santiago and in the rural area was 1.23 ñ 0.66 and 0.19 ñ 0.15 µg/m3 respective (p < 0.001). Mean blood levels were always higher in infants from Santiago, compared to those from the rural area. At 24 months, 4,5 percent of children from Santiago and 0,7 percent of children from the rural area had blood lead levels over 10 µg/dl. Significant risk factors for high lead levels were recent paining of the house where the infant lives, eating soil bitting banisters and familiar labor exposure to lead. Conclusions: infants living in an urban area and exposed to increased atmospheric lead levels have higher blood lead levels than infants living in a rural area