Arsenic burden among children in industrial areas of eastern Germany.
Sci Total Environ
; 180(2): 95-105, 1996 Feb 09.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-8701301
ABSTRACT
The internal burden of arsenic among 5- to 14-year-old eastern German children in the heavily polluted areas of Hettstedt, a region of smelting and copper mining, and Bitterfeld, a center of chemical production and coal mining, was compared with that in a control area (Zerbst) by means of urinary arsenic concentrations in 1992-94. The unadjusted geometric mean among the 950 children was significantly higher in Hettstedt (5.1 micrograms/l; 95% C.I. 4.8-5.5) but not in Bitterfeld (4.3 micrograms/l; 95% C.I. 3.7-4.9) compared with the control area (4.0 micrograms/l; 95% C.I. 3.5-4.5). This difference persisted after adjustment for relevant confounders. Despite these regional differences, recent fish consumption was as strongly associated with urinary arsenic levels (42% increase, 95% C.I. 18-71%). Additionally, although the geometric mean among the children in Hettstedt (4.8 micrograms As/g creatinine; 95% C.I. 4.5-5.1) was higher than that found in an environmental survey of eastern German children (3.60 micrograms As/g creatinine; 95% C.I. 3.06-4.24), it was similar to that found among western German children (4.59 micrograms As/g creatinine; 95% C.I. 4.20-5.02). This suggests that the arsenic contamination in Hettstedt is not substantially increasing the internal burden of arsenic among children above that found in other German children.
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Banco de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Arsénico
/
Exposición a Riesgos Ambientales
Tipo de estudio:
Etiology_studies
/
Observational_studies
/
Prevalence_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Límite:
Adolescent
/
Child
/
Child, preschool
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
País/Región como asunto:
Europa
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Sci Total Environ
Año:
1996
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Alemania