Blood lead levels in children and environmental legacy of a lead foundry in Brazil

Carvalho, Fernando Martins; Neto, Annibal Muniz Silvany; Tavares, Tania Mascarenhas; Costa, Ângela Cristina Andrade; Chaves, Carolina d'El Rei; Nascimento, Luciano Dias; Reis, Márcia de Andrade

doi:10.1590/s1020-49892003000100003

Cited by 32 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…1a-c and 2a-c). Many studies have indicated that a number of people living near the smelter have been affected by potentially toxic elements, particularly Pb and Cd [1][2][3][4][5]. Epidemiological surveys showed high blood Pb levels in children that lived near the smelter born after the lead smelter closed down [5].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterization of the lead smelter slag in Santo Amaro, Bahia, Brazil

Lima

Bernardez

2011

Journal of Hazardous Materials

105

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterization of the lead smelter slag in Santo Amaro, Bahia, Brazil

Lima

Bernardez

2011

Journal of Hazardous Materials

105

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“…There were 13 studies of children living in the neighborhood of leadcontaminated areas in the northeast region, [80][81][82][83][84][85][86][87] the southeast region (State of Sao Paulo), [88][89][90][91] and the south region (State of Rio Grande do Sul). 92 One study was done in an area contaminated with aluminum 93 and another in an area contaminated with arsenic.…”

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confidence: 99%

A Systematic Review of Children's Environmental Health in Brazil

Asmus

Câmara

Landrigan

et al. 2016

Annals of Global Health

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In the region of the Americas, approximately 100,000 children under the age of 5 years die each year due to environmental hazards. Brazil, due to its large size and wide range of environmental challenges, presents numerous hazards to children's health. The aim of this study was to systematically review the scientific literature that describes children's exposures to environmental pollutants in Brazil and their effects on Brazilian children's health. A systematic review of the scientific literature was performed without language restrictions and time of publication (years). The literature search was conducted in the following key resources: PubMed (MEDLINE), Scopus and Web of Science with the MeSH Terms: Environmental exposure AND Brazil (filters: Human, Child [birth to 18 years] and Affiliation Author). The Virtual Health Library was also employed to access the databases Scielo and Lilacs. The search strategy was [DeCS Terms]: Child OR adolescent AND Environmental exposure AND Brazil. Health effects in children associated with exposure to environmental pollutants in Brazil were reported in 74 studies, during the period between 1995 and 2015. The most frequently cited effect was hospital admission for respiratory causes including wheezing, asthma, and pneumonia among children living in areas with high concentrations of air pollutants. A broad spectrum of other health effects possibly linked to pollutants also was found such as prematurity, low birth weight, congenital abnormality (cryptorchidism, hypospadia, micropenis), poor performance in tests of psychomotor and mental development, and behavioral problems. Exposure to pesticides in utero and postnatally was associated with a high risk for leukemia in children <2 years old. These results show that there is a need in Brazil for stricter monitoring of pollutant emissions and for health surveillance programs especially among vulnerable populations such as pregnant women and young children.

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“…A thick layer of residues could be found under the street stones, often surrounding the pipes of the domestic water supply system. The many environmental sanitation works performed in the city since 1998 contributed to increase the level of exposure of the population to the waste material, which was below the pavement, and to raise the blood concentration of the metal among the children living in the city (15).…”

Section: Subjects Materials and Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Modifications of the sympathetic skin response in workers chronically exposed to lead

Nora

Gomes

Saïd

et al. 2007

Braz J Med Biol Res

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The long-term effects of low-level lead intoxication are not known. The sympathetic skin response (SSR) was evaluated in a group of 60 former workers of a primary lead smelter, located in Santo Amaro, BA, Brazil. The individuals participating in the study were submitted to a clinical-epidemiological evaluation including questions related to potential risk factors for intoxication, complaints related to peripheral nervous system (PNS) involvement, neurological clinical examination, and also to electromyography and nerve conduction studies and SSR evaluation. The sample consisted of 57 men and 3 women aged 34 to 69 years (mean ± SD: 46.8 ± 6.9). The neurophysiologic evaluation showed the presence of lumbosacral radiculopathy in one of the individuals (1.7%), axonal sensorimotor polyneuropathy in 2 (3.3%), and carpal tunnel syndrome in 6 (10%). SSR was abnormal or absent in 12 cases, representing 20% of the sample. More than half of the subjects (53.3%) reported a history of acute abdominal pain requiring hospitalization during the period of work at the plant. A history of acute palsy of radial and peroneal nerves was reported by about 16.7 and 8.3% of the individuals, respectively. Mean SSR amplitude did not differ significantly between patients presenting or not the various characteristics in the current neurological situation, except for diaphoresis. The results suggest that chronic lead intoxication induces PNS damage, particularly affecting unmyelinated small fibers. Further systematic study is needed to more precisely define the role of lead in inducing PNS injury.

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Blood lead levels in children and environmental legacy of a lead foundry in Brazil

Abstract: The environmental legacy of the lead foundry, which was shut down in 1993, continues to represent a relevant risk factor for increased blood lead levels in children, especially those presenting pica.

Cited by 32 publications

References 16 publications

Characterization of the lead smelter slag in Santo Amaro, Bahia, Brazil

Characterization of the lead smelter slag in Santo Amaro, Bahia, Brazil

A Systematic Review of Children's Environmental Health in Brazil

Modifications of the sympathetic skin response in workers chronically exposed to lead

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