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Hoover C, Hoover GG, Specht AJ. Firearm licenses associated with elevated pediatric blood lead levels in Massachusetts. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2021; 202:111642. [PMID: 34252431 PMCID: PMC10627580 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.111642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Revised: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To determine the association between firearm-related lead exposure and pediatric blood lead levels. METHODS Using data available through the Massachusetts Departments of Public Health and Criminal Justice Information Services, we examined the association between active class A firearm licenses in a community with the prevalence of elevated blood lead levels in children aged 0-4. Correlational and hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted with potential confounders and other exposures such as lead paint, lead in water, presence of firing ranges, and social, economic, and occupational variables. RESULTS Data from 351 Massachusetts sub-counties were examined. Sub-counties with higher rates of firearm licensure also report higher rates of lead exposure among children. Children in the highest quartile communities were 2.16 times more likely to have elevated BLLs when compared to their peers in the lower quartiles. A one standard deviation change in firearm licensure percentage was found to reflect a 0.96% increase in elevated pediatric blood lead levels. Regression analyses demonstrated that the inclusion of firearm licensure significantly improved the prediction of pediatric BLL. Models were adjusted for percent of a population employed in construction, agriculture, forestry, fishing, hunting, and mining, income distribution, and potential lead paint exposure, which were found to be the primary predictors of elevated pediatric blood lead levels. DISCUSSION Firearm use and ownership remains one of the least researched areas in the public health sphere. While the risks of childhood lead exposure are widely understood, including the mechanisms of firearm-related lead exposure and tracking, to date no research has extensively examined it in children and on the community level. Our findings indicate a dire need for continued research on the risks associated with firearm use, ownership, and lead exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Hoover
- Department of Health Policy, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
| | | | - Aaron J Specht
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
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2
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Ochoa-Martínez ÁC, Cardona-Lozano ED, Carrizales-Yáñez L, Pérez-Maldonado IN. Serum Concentrations of New Predictive Cardiovascular Disease Biomarkers in Mexican Women Exposed to Lead. ARCHIVES OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY 2018; 74:248-258. [PMID: 29264639 DOI: 10.1007/s00244-017-0491-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2017] [Accepted: 12/11/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to evaluate lead exposure and its relationship with serum levels of predictive CVD biomarkers [asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), adipocyte fatty acid-binding protein (FABP4), adiponectin, and chemerin] in women living in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. A mean blood lead level (BLL) of 11.5 ± 9.00 μg/dL (mean ± standard deviation) was found after all blood samples were analyzed. Regarding serum predictive CVD biomarkers, mean serum level of 0.68 ± 0.38 μmol/L, 20.5 ± 16.5 ng/mL, 12.5 ± 3.30 μg/mL, and 255 ± 130 ng/mL were found for ADMA, FABP4, adiponectin, and chemerin, respectively. Simple significant associations (Pearson´s correlations) between BLL and ADMA (r = 0.17; p = 0.04) and FABP4 (r = 0.23; p = 0.03) were found. Furthermore, a multivariate linear regression model showed that BLL was a significant predictor of serum ADMA (β = 0.06; p = 0.001) and FABP4 (β = 1.75; p = 0.0004) concentrations after adjusting by confounders. For serum chemerin and adiponectin levels, no associations were found with BLL. In conclusion, high serum ADMA and FABP4 (predictive CVD biomarkers) levels were found in women exposed to lead. Consequently, this research can be used as a point of departure for the prevention of CVD events in populations living in sites environmentally impacted with lead.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ángeles C Ochoa-Martínez
- Laboratorio de Toxicología Molecular, Centro de Investigación Aplicada en Ambiente y Salud (CIAAS), Coordinación para la Innovación y Aplicación de la Ciencia y la Tecnología (CIACYT), Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, Avenida Sierra Leona No. 550, Colonia Lomas Segunda Sección, 78210, San Luis Potosí, SLP, Mexico
- Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, San Luis Potosí, Mexico
| | - Elvia D Cardona-Lozano
- Laboratorio de Toxicología Molecular, Centro de Investigación Aplicada en Ambiente y Salud (CIAAS), Coordinación para la Innovación y Aplicación de la Ciencia y la Tecnología (CIACYT), Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, Avenida Sierra Leona No. 550, Colonia Lomas Segunda Sección, 78210, San Luis Potosí, SLP, Mexico
- Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, San Luis Potosí, Mexico
| | - Leticia Carrizales-Yáñez
- Laboratorio de Toxicología Molecular, Centro de Investigación Aplicada en Ambiente y Salud (CIAAS), Coordinación para la Innovación y Aplicación de la Ciencia y la Tecnología (CIACYT), Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, Avenida Sierra Leona No. 550, Colonia Lomas Segunda Sección, 78210, San Luis Potosí, SLP, Mexico
- Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, San Luis Potosí, Mexico
| | - Iván N Pérez-Maldonado
- Laboratorio de Toxicología Molecular, Centro de Investigación Aplicada en Ambiente y Salud (CIAAS), Coordinación para la Innovación y Aplicación de la Ciencia y la Tecnología (CIACYT), Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, Avenida Sierra Leona No. 550, Colonia Lomas Segunda Sección, 78210, San Luis Potosí, SLP, Mexico.
- Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, San Luis Potosí, Mexico.
- Unidad Académica Multidisciplinaria Zona Media, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, Rio-Verde, San Luis Potosí, Mexico.
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Ngueta G, Verner MA, Fiocco AJ, Lupien S, Plusquellec P. Blood lead levels and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal function in middle-aged individuals. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2018; 160:554-561. [PMID: 29102031 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2017.10.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2017] [Revised: 09/10/2017] [Accepted: 10/19/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Experimental and epidemiological studies suggested that exposure to lead (Pb) may influence the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. However, previous studies have yielded mixed results. We evaluated changes in basal salivary cortisol levels and acute cortisol responsivity to psychological stress in relation with blood Pb levels (BPb), in Caucasian individuals 50-67 years of age. Data were collected through the Study of Genetics, Stress and Cognitive Development (2004-2006). Diurnal basal and stress-reactive salivary cortisol levels were collected and BPb levels were determined using inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy. A total of 65 participants were included in the current study. General linear mixed models were used to assess the association between BPb level and change in cortisol secretion over time, for diurnal basal pattern and stress-reactive pattern, respectively. The geometric mean BPb was 2.70μg/dL (± 1.44) and two exposure groups were created based on the median value of 2.48µg/dL. No difference in geometric mean of salivary cortisol (µg/dL) at awakening was observed between High and Low BPb groups (0.23 (± 0.11) vs 0.20 (± 0.11), p = 0.36). The overall pattern of change in both diurnal basal (from the awakening to bedtime) and reactive salivary cortisol (during the stress induction protocol) did not differ between groups. In these middle-aged and older adults, we concluded that Pb exposure, within the range observed in the current study, was associated with neither diurnal nor stress-reactive cortisol secretion. Further investigation with larger datasets are needed to confirm our observations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gérard Ngueta
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada; Université de Montréal Public Health Research Institute, Montreal, Canada.
| | - Marc-André Verner
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada; Université de Montréal Public Health Research Institute, Montreal, Canada
| | | | - Sonia Lupien
- Center for Studies on Human Stress, Montreal Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Pierrich Plusquellec
- Center for Studies on Human Stress, Montreal Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, Canada; School of Psychoeducation, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada.
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4
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Stroustrup A, Hsu HH, Svensson K, Schnaas L, Cantoral A, Solano González M, Torres-Calapiz M, Amarasiriwardena C, Bellinger DC, Coull BA, Téllez-Rojo MM, Wright RO, Wright RJ. Toddler temperament and prenatal exposure to lead and maternal depression. Environ Health 2016; 15:71. [PMID: 27312840 PMCID: PMC4910201 DOI: 10.1186/s12940-016-0147-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2016] [Accepted: 05/30/2016] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Temperament is a psychological construct that reflects both personality and an infant's reaction to social stimuli. It can be assessed early in life and is stable over time Temperament predicts many later life behaviors and illnesses, including impulsivity, emotional regulation and obesity. Early life exposure to neurotoxicants often results in developmental deficits in attention, social function, and IQ, but environmental predictors of infant temperament are largely unknown. We propose that prenatal exposure to both chemical and non-chemical environmental toxicants impacts the development of temperament, which can itself be used as a marker of risk for maladaptive neurobehavior in later life. In this study, we assessed associations among prenatal and early life exposure to lead, mercury, poverty, maternal depression and toddler temperament. METHODS A prospective cohort of women living in the Mexico City area were followed longitudinally beginning in the second trimester of pregnancy. Prenatal exposure to lead (blood, bone), mercury, and maternal depression were assessed repeatedly and the Toddler Temperament Scale (TTS) was completed when the child was 24 months old. The association between each measure of prenatal exposure and performance on individual TTS subscales was evaluated by multivariable linear regression. Latent profile analysis was used to classify subjects by TTS performance. Multinomial regression models were used to estimate the prospective association between prenatal exposures and TTS performance. RESULTS 500 mother-child pairs completed the TTS and had complete data on exposures and covariates. Three latent profiles were identified and categorized as predominantly difficult, intermediate, or easy temperament. Prenatal exposure to maternal depression predicted increasing probability of difficult toddler temperament. Maternal bone lead, a marker of cumulative exposure, also predicted difficult temperament. Prenatal lead exposure modified this association, suggesting that joint exposure in pregnancy to both was most toxic. CONCLUSIONS Maternal depression predicts difficult temperament and concurrent prenatal exposure to maternal depression and lead predicts a more difficult temperament phenotype in 2 year olds. The role of temperament as an intermediate variable in the path from prenatal exposures to neurobehavioral deficits and other health effects deserves further study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annemarie Stroustrup
- Department of Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
- Division of Newborn Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 1508, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
| | - Hsiao-Hsien Hsu
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Katherine Svensson
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Lourdes Schnaas
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, National Institute of Perinatology, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Alejandra Cantoral
- Center for Nutrition and Health Research, National Institute of Public Health, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Maritsa Solano González
- Center for Nutrition and Health Research, National Institute of Public Health, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Mariana Torres-Calapiz
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, National Institute of Perinatology, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Chitra Amarasiriwardena
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - David C Bellinger
- Departments of Neurology and Psychiatry, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Brent A Coull
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Martha M Téllez-Rojo
- Center for Nutrition and Health Research, National Institute of Public Health, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Robert O Wright
- Department of Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Rosalind J Wright
- Department of Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
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La-Llave-León O, Lugo-Soto R, Aguilar-Durán M, Estrada-Martínez S, Salas-Pacheco JM, Sandoval-Carrillo A, Castellanos-Juárez FX, Barraza-Salas M, Vázquez-Alanís F, García-Vargas G. Relationship Between Blood Lead Levels and Hematological Indices in Pregnant Women. Women Health 2014; 55:90-102. [DOI: 10.1080/03630242.2014.972019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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Eum KD, Weisskopf MG, Nie LH, Hu H, Korrick SA. Cumulative lead exposure and age at menopause in the Nurses' Health Study cohort. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2014; 122:229-34. [PMID: 24398113 PMCID: PMC3948024 DOI: 10.1289/ehp.1206399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2012] [Accepted: 01/03/2014] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Early menopause has been associated with many adverse health outcomes, including increased risk of cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality. Lead has been found to be adversely associated with female reproductive function, but whether exposures experienced by the general population are associated with altered age at menopause has not been explored. OBJECTIVE Our goal was to assess the association between cumulative lead exposure and age at natural menopause. METHODS Self-reported menopausal status and bone lead concentration measured with K-shell X-ray fluorescence-a biomarker of cumulative lead exposure-were obtained from 434 women participants in the Nurses' Health Study. RESULTS The mean (± SD) age at natural menopause was 50.8 ± 3.6 years. Higher tibia lead level was associated with younger age at menopause. In adjusted analyses, the average age of menopause for women in the highest tertile of tibia lead was 1.21 years younger (95% CI: -2.08, -0.35) than for women in the lowest tertile (p-trend = 0.006). Although the number of cases was small (n = 23), the odds ratio for early menopause (< 45 years of age) was 5.30 (95% CI: 1.42, 19.78) for women in the highest tertile of tibia lead compared with those in the lowest tertile (p-trend = 0.006). There was no association between patella or blood lead and age at menopause. CONCLUSIONS Our results support an association between low-level cumulative lead exposure and an earlier age at menopause. These data suggest that low-level lead exposure may contribute to menopause-related health outcomes in older women through effects on age at menopause. CITATION Eum KD, Weisskopf MG, Nie LH, Hu H, Korrick SA. 2014. Cumulative lead exposure and age at menopause in the Nurses' Health Study Cohort. Environ Health Perspect 122:229–234; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1206399
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Affiliation(s)
- Ki-Do Eum
- Department of Environmental Health, and
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Pollack AZ, Mumford SL, Wactawski-Wende J, Yeung E, Mendola P, Mattison DR, Schisterman EF. Bone mineral density and blood metals in premenopausal women. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2013; 120:76-81. [PMID: 23122770 PMCID: PMC3534953 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2012.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2012] [Revised: 05/23/2012] [Accepted: 06/01/2012] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to metals, specifically cadmium, lead, and mercury, is widespread and is associated with reduced bone mineral density (BMD) in older populations, but the associations among premenopausal women are unclear. Therefore, we evaluated the relationship between these metals in blood and BMD (whole body, total hip, lumbar spine, and non-dominant wrist) quantified by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry in 248 premenopausal women, aged 18-44. Participants were of normal body mass index (mean BMI 24.1), young (mean age 27.4), 60% were white, 20% non-Hispanic black, 15% Asian, and 6% other race group, and were from the Buffalo, New York region. The median (interquartile range) level of cadmium was 0.30 μg/l (0.19-0.43), of lead was 0.86 μg/dl (0.68-1.20), and of mercury was 1.10 μg/l (0.58-2.00). BMD was treated both as a continuous variable in linear regression and dichotomized at the 10th percentile for logistic regression analyses. Mercury was associated with reduced odds of decreased lumbar spine BMD (0.66, 95% confidence interval: 0.44, 0.99), but overall, metals at environmentally relevant levels of exposure were not associated with reduced BMD in this population of healthy, reproductive-aged women. Further research is needed to determine if the blood levels of cadmium, lead, and mercury in this population are sufficiently low that there is no substantive impact on bone, or if effects on bone can be expected only at older ages.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Z Pollack
- Epidemiology Branch, Division of Epidemiology, Statistics, and Prevention Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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Lee BK, Kim Y. Association between bone mineral density and blood lead level in menopausal women: analysis of 2008-2009 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2012; 115:59-65. [PMID: 22480535 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2012.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2011] [Revised: 03/08/2012] [Accepted: 03/16/2012] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION We present data from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2008-2009 on the association of blood lead levels with bone mineral density (BMD) in menopausal women. METHODS This cross-sectional analysis was restricted to female participants ≥ 40 years of age who completed the health examination survey, including blood lead measurement and BMD (n=832). Menopausal status was categorized into pre- and postmenopausal. Postmenopausal status was further categorized into natural and surgical menopause. Multivariate linear regression analyses were performed to determine significant predictors of blood lead level among menopause- and BMD-related variables after adjustment for covariates. RESULTS Premenopausal women had a geometric mean blood lead level of 2.000 μg/dL, compared with 2.274 μg/dL and 2.336 μg/dL for naturally and surgically menopausal women, respectively. The data suggested that menopausal status and BMD were predictors of blood lead level among women aged ≥ 40 years. BMD was significantly inversely associated with blood lead level in menopausal women after adjustment for covariates. DISCUSSION This study found a significant inverse association between BMD and the blood lead level in menopausal women in a representative sample of Korean women. A few reports have shown an association between BMD and the blood lead level in Asian populations. This study suggests that postmenopausal bone mineral resorption is related to increased blood lead levels in menopausal women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Byung-Kook Lee
- Institute of Environmental & Occupational Medicine, Soonchunhyang University 646 Eupnae-ri, Shinchang-myun, Asan-si, Choongnam, 336-745 South Korea
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Neurotoxicity of lead. Hypothetical molecular mechanisms of synaptic function disorders. Neurol Neurochir Pol 2012; 46:569-78. [DOI: 10.5114/ninp.2012.31607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Jackson LW, Cromer BA, Panneerselvamm A. Association between bone turnover, micronutrient intake, and blood lead levels in pre- and postmenopausal women, NHANES 1999-2002. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2010; 118:1590-6. [PMID: 20688594 PMCID: PMC2974698 DOI: 10.1289/ehp.1002158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2010] [Revised: 05/24/2010] [Accepted: 08/05/2010] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Blood lead levels (BLLs) have been shown to increase during periods of high bone turnover such as pregnancy and menopause. OBJECTIVES We examined the associations between bone turnover and micronutrient intake with BLLs in women 20-85 years of age (n = 2,671) participating in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999-2002. METHODS Serum bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BAP) and urinary cross-linked N-telopeptides (NTx) were measured as markers of bone formation and resorption, respectively. Lead was quantified in whole blood. The association between tertiles of BAP and NTx, and BLLs was examined using linear regression with natural log transformed BLLs as the dependent variable and interpreted as the percent difference in geometric mean BLLs. RESULTS In adjusted analyses, mean BLLs among postmenopausal women in the upper tertiles of NTx and BAP were 34% [95% confidence interval (CI), 23%-45%] and 30% (95% CI, 17%-43%) higher than BLLs among women in the lowest tertiles of NTx and BAP, respectively. These associations were weaker, but remained statistically significant, among premenopausal women (NTx: 10%; 95% CI, 0.60%-19%; BAP: 14%; 95% CI, 6%-22%). Within tertiles of NTx and BAP, calcium intake above the Dietary Reference Intake (DRI), compared with below the DRI, was associated with lower mean BLLs among postmenopausal women but not premenopausal women, although most of the associations were not statistically significant. We observed similar associations for vitamin D supplement use. CONCLUSIONS Bone resorption and bone formation were associated with a significant increase in BLLs among pre- and postmenopausal women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leila W Jackson
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio 44106-4945, USA.
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Gould E. Childhood lead poisoning: conservative estimates of the social and economic benefits of lead hazard control. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2009; 117:1162-7. [PMID: 19654928 PMCID: PMC2717145 DOI: 10.1289/ehp.0800408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 183] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2008] [Accepted: 03/31/2009] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study is a cost-benefit analysis that quantifies the social and economic benefits to household lead paint hazard control compared with the investments needed to minimize exposure to these hazards. OBJECTIVES This research updates estimates of elevated blood lead levels among a cohort of children < or = 6 years of age and compiles recent research to determine a range of the costs of lead paint hazard control ($1-$11 billion) and the benefits of reduction attributed to each cohort for health care ($11-$53 billion), lifetime earnings ($165-$233 billion), tax revenue ($25-$35 billion), special education ($30-$146 million), attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder ($267 million), and the direct costs of crime ($1.7 billion). RESULTS Each dollar invested in lead paint hazard control results in a return of $17-$221 or a net savings of $181-269 billion. CONCLUSIONS There are substantial returns to investing in lead hazard control, particularly targeted at early intervention in communities most likely at risk. Given the high societal costs of inaction, lead hazard control appears to be well worth the price.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elise Gould
- Economic Policy Institute, Washington, DC 20005, USA.
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12
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Gangoso L, Alvarez-Lloret P, Rodríguez-Navarro AAB, Mateo R, Hiraldo F, Donázar JA. Long-term effects of lead poisoning on bone mineralization in vultures exposed to ammunition sources. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2009; 157:569-574. [PMID: 18995938 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2008.09.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2008] [Revised: 08/10/2008] [Accepted: 09/01/2008] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Long-lived species are particularly susceptible to bioaccumulation of lead in bone tissues. In this paper we gain insights into the sublethal effects of lead contamination on Egyptian vultures (Neophron percnopterus). Our approach was done on the comparison of two populations (Canary Islands and Iberian Peninsula) differing in exposures to the ingestion of lead ammunition. Blood lead levels were higher in the island population (Canary Islands range: 5.10-1780 microg L(-1) n=137; Iberian Peninsula range: 5.60-217.30 microg L(-1) n=32) showing clear seasonal trends, peaking during the hunting season. Moreover, males were more susceptible to lead accumulation than females. Bone lead concentration increased with age, reflecting a bioaccumulation effect. The bone composition was significatively altered by this contaminant: the mineralization degree decreased as lead concentration levels increased. These results demonstrate the existence of long-term effects of lead poisoning, which may be of importance in the declines of threatened populations of long-lived species exposed to this contaminant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Gangoso
- Department of Conservation Biology, Estación Biológica de Doñana, C.S.I.C., Avda M(a) Luisa s/n, 41013 Sevilla, Spain.
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