Lead in human blood and milk from nursing women living near a smelter in Mexico City

Journal Article · Thu Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1992 · Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1080/15287399309531714· OSTI ID:6500331

Namihira, D ^[1]; Saldivar, L; Pustilnik, N; Carreon, G J; Salinas, M E ^[2]

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1. Universidad Autonoma de Queretaro (Mexico)
2. Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Mexico City (Mexico)

The lead content in gasoline in Mexico City is the highest in the world (1g/L). The use of gasoline containing lead as an antiknock agent has been considered the major anthropogenic lead source in the area. Lead levels in breast milk and blood were determined in women living within a 200-m radius of 3 smelters in Mexico City. All samples were analyzed on a Perkin Elmer 460 atomic absorption spectrometer equipped with HGA 2200. The mean blood lead level was 45.88 [mu]g/dl (SD 19.88 [mu]g/dl), and the geometric mean of milk lead level was 2.47 [mu]g/100 ml. The correlation coefficient of these two variables was 0.88. Using the mean value of lead found in breast milk, an infant of 5.5 kg would ingest 8.1 [mu]g/kg/d in his diet. The daily permissible intake (DPI) established by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1972 for an adult is 5.0 [mu]g/kg/d. 32 refs., 3 figs., 1 tab.

• OSTI ID: 6500331
• Journal Information: Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health; (United States), Journal Name: Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health; (United States) Vol. 38:3; ISSN 0098-4108; ISSN JTEHD6
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550500 -- Metabolism
552000 -- Public Health
560300* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS
ABSORPTION SPECTROSCOPY
AGE GROUPS
AIR POLLUTION
ANIMALS
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
BLOOD
BODY FLUIDS
CHILDREN
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
DIET
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE
FEMALES
FOOD
FUELS
GASOLINE
INFANTS
LACTATION
LATIN AMERICA
LEAD
LIQUID FUELS
MAMMALS
MAN
MATERIALS
MAXIMUM PERMISSIBLE INTAKE
METALS
MEXICO
MILK
NORTH AMERICA
PETROLEUM PRODUCTS
POLLUTION
PRIMATES
SAFETY STANDARDS
SMELTERS
SPECTROSCOPY
STANDARDS
VERTEBRATES
WOMEN