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Lead poisoning in children from townships in the vicinity of a lead–zinc mine in Kabwe, Zambia
- Source :
- Chemosphere. 119:941-947
- Publication Year :
- 2015
- Publisher :
- Elsevier BV, 2015.
-
Abstract
- Childhood lead poisoning is a serious public health concern worldwide. Blood lead levels exceeding 5 mu g dL(-1) are considered elevated. In Kabwe, the capital of Zambia's Central Province, extensive Pb contamination of township soils in the vicinity of a Pb-Zn mine and posing serious health risk to children has been reported. We investigated BLLs in children under the age of 7 years in townships around the mine; where blood samples were collected and analyzed using an ICP-MS. All of the sampled children had BLLs exceeding 5 mu g dL(-1). Children in these areas could be at serious risk of Pb toxicity as 18% of the sampled children in Chowa, 57% (Kasanda) and 25% (Makululu) had BLLs exceeding 65 mu g dL(-1). Eight children had BLLs exceeding 150 mu g dL(-1) with the maximum being 427.8 mu g dL(-1). We recommend that medical intervention be commenced in the children with BLL exceeding 45 mu g dL(-1). (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
- Subjects :
- medicine.medical_specialty
Lead poisoning
Environmental Engineering
Adolescent
Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis
Pb contamination
Zambia
Mining
Environmental health
Lead zinc
medicine
Humans
Environmental Chemistry
Health risk
Child
Children
business.industry
Public health
Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
Environmental engineering
Pb toxicity
General Medicine
General Chemistry
medicine.disease
Kabwe
Pollution
Zinc
Lead
Environmental Pollutants
business
Pb-Zn mine
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 00456535
- Volume :
- 119
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Chemosphere
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....a0e4fdfddd86979f295e44c7a7909f75