The Blood Lead Levels of Children and the Loss of Ca 2+ from Neurons Owing to Lead

Yifei Duan, Hua Shi and Yongmei Jiang
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Yifei Duan: Department of Laboratory Medicine, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
Hua Shi: Department of Laboratory Medicine, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
Yongmei Jiang: Department of Laboratory Medicine, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 22, 1-11

Abstract: In order to understand current blood lead levels (BLLs), we investigated the BLLs of children in Sichuan Province from 2011 to 2020. We then monitored the treatment effects of calcium in children with high BLLs to assess their treatment status. Finally, we explored the effects of lead on Ca 2+ through in-situ experiments. Whole blood samples were used for BLL tests. The BLLs of 76,362 children aged 0–7 years were measured using atomic absorption spectrometry. The median BLL was 35 ?g/L (interquartile range: 28–47). The BLLs were significantly higher in boys than in girls ( p < 0.001). The BLLs generally decreased annually and increased with age. The overall prevalence of BLLs ? 100 ?g/L was 1.20%. The children with high BLLs received subsequent check-ups, and the median time required for effective treatment was 18 months. We observed that lead exposure led to a gradual and persistent loss of Ca 2+ levels in neurons of mice brain slices, and the effect did not subside immediately even after the lead was removed. China has made rapid progress in pediatric healthcare, but the treatment status remains unsatisfactory. Because lead causes an irreversible loss of Ca 2+ , there is an urgent need to develop new standardized treatments to reduce the treatment duration.

Keywords: blood lead levels; treatment status; calcium supplement; Ca 2+ imaging (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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