CHILDREN'S EXPOSURE TO LEAD AND CADMIUM IN BAIA MARE AREA, ROMANIA

Andreea  BRAD; Andrea Brigita  BLAGA; Cristian  POP

Authors

Andreea BRAD Researcher PhD, Environmental Health Center (Research, consultancy, education in the field of environmental/occupational health.), Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Email: andreea.brad@ehc.ro.
Andrea Brigita BLAGA Faculty of Environmental Science and Engineering, Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Email: andrea.blaga@ehc.ro.
Cristian POP Faculty of Environmental Science and Engineering, Babeş-Bolyai University; Physicochemical and bio-toxicology laboratory analysis, Environmental Health Center (Research, consultancy, education in the field of environmental/occupational health.), Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Email: lucian.pop@ubbcluj.ro. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4940-9654

Keywords:

urinary cadmium, blood lead levels, children, exposure

Abstract

The objective of this study was to assess children's exposure to lead and cadmium in the Baia Mare area, a place known for its heavy metal contamination resulted from the mining activities carried out in the past. Blood and urine samples were collected from 33 children ages between 2 years and 8 months to 14 years. The parents of all 33 children completed a questionnaire; the questionnaire provided information on the demographic characteristics, playground activities and health data in particular. Urinary cadmium was measured with the help of atomic absorption spectrometers with a graphite furnace, and the lead in the blood was determined with the help of anodic stripping voltammetry. The median values of the biomarkers were of 0.99 μg/L (ranging between 0.40-2.66 μg/L) for urinary cadmium and 3.3 μg/dL (ranging between 1.3-13 μg/dL) for lead in the blood, both being below the general reference levels of the population. A positive association was found between urinary cadmium and the age of the participants: the concentration of the cadmium levels in the urine increased with age (p = 0.026). Statistically significant differences were found between blood lead levels and children playing in the sand (p = 0.018). Although such an approach requires substantial resources in order to develop scientific models to analyze the environment-health relationship, it is very important to expand this pilot study to a larger population, children representing the group of population with an increased susceptibility to lead and cadmium exposures.

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