Lead Poisoning: An Alarming Public Health Problem in Bangladesh

Abstract

Abstract:To assess the risk of lead poisoning among preschool and school-aged children in Bangladesh, 345 children were screened for blood lead levels (BLLs) from one rural and two urban areas in Bangladesh from September 2007 through January 2008. An urban industrial area at Tongi was identified as a disaster area, where 99% (104/105) of those tested had BLLs ≥10 µg/dL. Industrial emissions and use of leaded gasoline by two-stroke engine vehicles were identified as possible sources of lead in that area. A rural nonindustrial area at Chirirbandar, Dinajpur was identified as another high-risk area, where 14% of the children screened had BLLs ≥10 µg/dL. BLLs at the urban industrial area were significantly higher than those at the rural and urban nonindustrial areas (24.58 ± 10.32, 7.24 ± 6.31, and 2.47 ± 3.32 µg/dL, respectively; p <0.001). Weight-for-age z-scores of the urban children were significantly lower than that of the rural children (-1.41 ± 1.88 vs. 0.20 ± 1.16, p <0.001). Children with elevated BLLs had poorer nutritional status (p = 0.05) than those with normal BLLs. Over 90% of the parents did not know that lead causes health problems. In conclusion, the problem of lead poisoning in children was found to be high in both urban and rural Bangladesh. A universal lead screening for preschool and school-aged children and a lead education program for parents are recommended for implementation in Bangladesh.

The uptake and bioaccumulation of heavy metals by food plants, their effects on plants nutrients, and associated health risk: a review

“…At higher concentration, metal moves from roots to shoots of the plant (Rodríguez-Celma et al 2010). Misra and Mani (1991) have suggested that metal concentrations in plant tissues were in the range of 0.02-7, 0.1-2.4, 0.2-1.0, 4-15, 1.0, and 1-13 mg kg −1 for As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, and Pb, respectively.…”

“…Some metals are required by human body, while others (As, Cd, Pb, etc.) are toxic in nature even at trace concentrations (Yargholi and Azimi 2008;Khan et al 2010a;Mitra et al 2009;Gebrekidan et al 2013) and associated with carcinogenic health risks (Abbasi et al 2013). Similarly, consumption of As-contaminated vegetables can cause serious health risks (Batista et al 2011).…”

Geospatial Analysis of Lead Concentration in the Soil of Anka, Zamfara State, Nigeria

“…Human exposure to lead is estimated to account for 143, 000 deaths every year and 0.6% of the global burden of disease (WHO, 2010). Exposure to lead affects multiple health outcomes and physiological systems, including hypertension, the gastrointestinal systems, anaemia, nephropathy, vitamin D metabolism, decreased growth, the immune system, the nervous system, behavioural/cognitive/IQ effects and as a result, multiple social effects including increased risk of violence and drug abuse, nerve conductive effects, hearing loss, effects on reproduction and development, and death from encephalopathy (O'Dwyer, 1998;Tong et al, 2000;Fewtrell et al, 2003 andPruss-Ustun et al, 2004;CDC, 2004 and2005;Battersby, 2008;Mitra et al, 2009;WHO, 2010WHO, , 2011aWHO, and 2011bDooyema et al, 2012;Lo et al, 2012;Udiba et al, 2012).…”

Protective Effect of Morocco Carob Honey Against Lead-Induced Anemia and Hepato-Renal Toxicity

“…Epidemiological studies showed that blood lead level are related to renal function and has an impact on age-related decreases in renal function in the general population [1][2][3]. Acute lead poisoning and consequent nephropathy are usually observed in children aged three months to six years [4]. Studies showed that environmental exposure to lead, even at low levels, is associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD) in the general population [5][6][7][8].…”