Blood Lead (blood + lead)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Terms modified by Blood Lead

  • blood lead level

  • Selected Abstracts


    Low-level lead exposure and children

    JOURNAL OF PAEDIATRICS AND CHILD HEALTH, Issue 5 2001
    NR Wigg
    Abstract: The adverse effects of environmental lead exposure on the mental development of young children are well established. There is no safe level of blood lead below which children are not affected. Recent research expands our understanding of the impact of lead exposure continuing into later childhood, as well as its effects on children's behaviour. However, social and other environmental factors also contribute to variance in measures of developmental and behavioural outcomes. Lead is associated with only modest effects on children's development, but is a potentially modifiable risk factor. As environmental exposure to lead declines for the whole population, continued specific attention is needed for children living in industrial areas. [source]


    Growth of infants' length, weight, head and arm circumferences in relation to low levels of blood lead measured serially

    AMERICAN JOURNAL OF HUMAN BIOLOGY, Issue 2 2009
    Lawrence M. Schell
    To determine whether levels of blood lead during gestation and infancy that are below the CDC action level of 10 ,g/dl affect infant growth, we studied 211 disadvantaged mother,infant pairs from Albany, NY. Mothers' lead levels were low (second trimester = 2.8 ,g/dl) as were infants' ( = 3.3 ,g/dl at 6 months; 6.4 ,g/dl at 12 months). Multiple linear regression analyses showed that second trimester lead levels were related to reduced head circumference at 6 and 12 months. Infants of mothers with second trimester lead at or above the median (,3 ,g/dl) exhibited negative associations between blood lead and head circumference at 6 and 12 months, and with weight-for-age, weight-for-length, and upper arm circumference at 6 months, but those below the median did not. Infants' 6-month lead level was related to head circumference at 12 months in the total sample, and in the subsample of infants whose blood lead was above the infants' 6-month blood lead median. Infants were also grouped by changes in their relative blood lead status, that is, above vs. below the median, from second trimester to 12 months of age. Infants whose lead levels changed from above to below the median were larger than infants whose lead levels went from below to above the median. The results suggest that lead may affect some dimensions of infant growth at levels below 10 ,g/dl, but effects of lead levels less than 3 ,g/dl are not evident in this sample. Am. J. Hum. Biol., 2009. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


    Lead exposure in mexican radiator repair workers

    AMERICAN JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE, Issue 3 2002
    Ronald Dykeman
    Abstract Background Lead exposure was investigated among 73 Mexican radiator repair workers (RRWs), 12 members of their family (4 children and 8 wives), and 36 working controls. RRWs were employed at 4 radiator repair shops in Mexico City and 27 shops in Cuernavaca and surrounding areas. Methods Exposure was assessed directly through the use of personal air sampling and hand wipe samples. In addition, industrial hygiene inspections were performed and detailed questionnaires were administered. Blood lead levels were measured by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS). Results The mean (SD) values for blood lead of the RRWs, 35.5 (13.5) ,g/dl, was significantly greater than the same values for the working controls, 13.6 (8.7) ,g/dl; P,<,001. After excluding a single outlier (247 ,g/m3), air lead levels ranged from 0 to 99 ,g/m3 with a mean (SD) value of 19 (23) ,g/m3 (median,=,7.9 ,g/m3). In a final multivariate regression model of elevated blood lead levels, the strongest predictors were smoking (vs. non-smoking), the number of radiators repaired per day on average, and the use (vs. non-use) of a uniform while at work, which were associated with blood lead elevations of 11.4 ,g/dl, 1.95 ,g/dl/radiator/day, and 16.4 ,g/dl, respectively (all P,<,.05). Uniform use was probably a risk factor because they were not laundered regularly and consequently served as reservoir of contamination on which RRWs frequently wiped their hands. Conclusions Lead exposure is a significant problem of radiator repair work, a small industry that is abundant in Mexico and other developing countries. Am. J. Ind. Med. 41:179,187, 2002. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


    Measurement of inhibin A: a modification to an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay

    PRENATAL DIAGNOSIS, Issue 8 2001
    Prema P. Thirunavukarasu
    Abstract Inhibin A is a useful prenatal marker of Down syndrome. Currently, the available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) for inhibin A are based upon the same paired monoclonal antibodies. In the present study we have confirmed for one of those ELISAs that short-term sample storage as whole blood leads to a significant decline in detectable inhibin A and that this is most likely due to erythrocyte catalase interference with a critical oxidation step in the assay. While this interference can be eliminated by heating the samples pre-assay, this process is labour intensive. In the present study we have demonstrated that the addition of 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole (AT), a catalase ,suicide' inhibitor, also prevents the decline of inhibin A levels in samples stored as whole blood. We suggest that the addition of AT to samples prior to assay is a simple modification to the inhibin A ELISA that affords optimum performance. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]