[Heavy metal and organochlorine pesticide blood levels in children of 1 to 10 years of age]. / Concentrações sangüíneas de metais pesados e praguicidas organoclorados em crianças de 1 a 10 anos.

A study of a sample of 251 children aged between 1 and 10 was carried out in 6 districts of Cubatão county, S. Paulo State, Brazil. This study showed the presence of organochlorine pesticides in the blood serum of 242 children. p-p' DDE was detected in 73 of the samples (30%) and HCH in 47 of them (19%). The mean value of p-p' DDE was 0.85 +/- 2.13 micrograms/l. and that of HCH was 0.28 +/- 0.79 micrograms/l. Lead and mercury were also detected in the blood serum. The mean value for lead was 17.8 +/- 5.8 micrograms/l. and for mercury was 9.1 +/- 0.79 micrograms/l. The levels found in consumers of aquatic organisms taken from the rivers of Cubatão showed a mean mercury level (mean = 14.7 +/- 7.1 micrograms/l.) higher than (p < 0.04) that of those who did not consume any aquatic organisms at all (mean = 10.0 +/- 6.5 micrograms/l.).