Lead-induced anemia: Dose-response relationships and evidence for a threshold

Journal Article · Thu Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1990 · American Journal of Public Health; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.80.2.165· OSTI ID:7167256

Schwartz, J; Landrigan, P J; Baker, Jr, E L; Orenstein, W A; von Lindern, I H ^[1]

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1. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC (USA)

We conducted a cross-sectional epidemiologic study to assess the association between blood lead level and hematocrit in 579 one to five year-old children living near a primary lead smelter in 1974. Blood lead levels ranged from 0.53 to 7.91 mumol/L (11 to 164 micrograms/dl). To predict hematocrit as a function of blood lead level and age, we derived non-linear regression models and fit percentile curves. We used logistic regression to predict the probability of hematocrit values less than 35 per cent. We found a strong non-linear, dose-response relationship between blood lead level and hematocrit. This relationship was influenced by age, but (in this age group) not by sex; the effect was strongest in youngest children. In one year-olds, the age group most severely affected, the risk of an hematocrit value below 35 percent was 2 percent above background at blood lead levels between 0.97 and 1.88 mumol/L (20 and 39 micrograms/dl), 18 percent above background at lead levels of 1.93 to 2.85 mumol/L (40 to 59 micrograms/dl), and 40 percent above background at lead levels of 2.9 mumol/L (60 micrograms/dl) and greater; background was defined as a blood lead level below 1.88 mumol/L (20 micrograms/dl). This effect appeared independent of iron deficiency. These findings suggest that blood lead levels close to the currently recommended limit value of 1.21 mumol/L (25 micrograms/dl) are associated with dose-related depression of hematocrit in young children.

• OSTI ID: 7167256
• Journal Information: American Journal of Public Health; (USA), Journal Name: American Journal of Public Health; (USA) Vol. 80:2; ISSN 0090-0036; ISSN AJHEA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560300* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AGE DEPENDENCE
AGE GROUPS
AIR POLLUTION
ANEMIAS
BIOLOGICAL ACCUMULATION
BLOOD COUNT
CHILDREN
DISEASES
DOSE-RESPONSE RELATIONSHIPS
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE
EPIDEMIOLOGY
FEDERAL REGION X
HEMIC DISEASES
IDAHO
INFANTS
LEAD
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MATHEMATICS
METABOLISM
METALS
NORTH AMERICA
POLLUTION
PROBABILITY
REGRESSION ANALYSIS
STATISTICS
SYMPTOMS
TOXICITY
USA