LEAD EXPOSURE ON CHILDREN IN COPSA MICA AREA

Ovidiu-Traian POPA,a,b Iulia NEAMIU,b Liviu-Dorel BOBOSa and Maria TOMOAIA-COTISELa

Babes-Bolyai University, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Physical Chemistry Department, 11 Arany J. Str., 400028 Cluj-Napoca, Romania,
b

Environmental Health Center, 58 Busuiocului Str., 400240 Cluj-Napoca, Romania

Abstract Lead production in the Copsa Mica area resulted in serious contamination of the soil, with the values of lead concentration exceeding the normal soil lead concentration. The major aim of present paper is the assessment of the influence of Copsa Mica factory on the lead concentration in the blood of children from that area, and the quantification of that influence. To this purpose, we have used soil samples from inside the factory and from the factorys solid waste zone, as well as dust samples and vein blood samples taken from children aged between 4 and 6. The lead concentration in the soil and in the hand dust was determined using XRF (X ray Fluorescence), while that in the blood was determined using Lead Care System. The lead concentration in the soil and in the dust was found to be very high. Also, high blood lead values were found in children.

Key words: lead, lead biotoxicity, lead blood level, X ray fluorescence

Introduction Lead production in the Copsa Mica area resulted in serious contamination of the soil, with the values of lead concentration exceeding the normal soil lead concentration. The metallurgic processes polluted the environment with heavy metals, through emissions of particulate materials, waste water and solid waste. 1 Lead is absorbed primarily through the respiratory and gastrointestinal systems, which are the more important routes of entry in any exposures. Cutaneous absorption of inorganic lead is negligible. However, organic lead compounds, because of their lipid solubility, are readily absorbed through intact skin. Gastrointestinal absorption of lead is lower in adults than in children, with an estimated 10 to 15 percent of lead in an adult's diet absorbed gastrointestinally. 2, 3 After lead is absorbed into the bloodstream, through ingestion or inhalation, most of it is carried by erythrocytes. The free plasma fraction is distributed throughout tissues, reaching highest concentrations in bone, teeth, liver, lungs, kidneys, brain and spleen. 2, 4 Lead in blood has an estimated half-life of 35 days, in soft tissue 40 days and in bone 20 to 30 years. During the past years a great number of papers have tried to elaborate statistical models that will explain and quantify the bioavailability of Pb from soil to humans, especially children.5, 6 The major aim of the present paper is the assessment of the influence of Copsa Mica factory on the lead concentration in the blood of children from that area, and the quantification of that influence, using simple and fast methods of analysis.

Results and Discussion Source evaluation. In order to evaluate the influence of the source regarding the lead blood level, 70 soil samples were taken from the factory solid waste zone (Area 1, Fig. 1) and from 20 of these samples the Pb was leached out using distilled water in two different ratios, such as 1:2 solid:water and 1:10 solid:water. 7,8 The experimental results are given in Figs. 2 4 for soil samples taken from Area 1, noted in Fig. 1.

Figure 1. Areas from Copsa Mica included in this study: Area 1 is the factory and the factorys solid waste zone and Area 2 is the zone from which the dust and soil samples were taken and the children were selected for blood samples.

Fig. 2. Lead concentration, given in %, in soil from the factorys solid waste (Area 1, noted in Fig. 1).

Fig. 3. Lead concentration in liquid leachate (ratio solid:water 1:2) (Area 1, noted in Fig. 1).

Fig. 4. Lead concentration in liquid leachate (ratio solid:water 1:10) (Area 1, noted in Fig. 1).

In order to quantify the lead industrial pollution the following terms should be explained: Alert threshold: concentration of soil pollutant when the authorities will start to monitor that site and/or to take measures to reduce the pollutant concentration in soil; Intervention threshold: concentration of soil pollutant when the authorities will start studies for evaluation of that site and de-pollution measures. In table 1, the normal and limit values for Pb concentration in soil are given accordingly to the Romanian legislation ORD 756/1997.9

Table 1. Normal and limit values for Pb in soil according to ORD 756/1997. 9
Element Normal value in soil mg/kg 20 Sensitive use (Residential use) Alert threshold mg/kg 50 Intervention threshold mg/kg 100 Less sensitive use (Industrial use) Alert threshold mg/kg 250 Intervention threshold mg/kg 1000

Pb

The average value for Pb concentration in soil, collected from Area 1, is calculated from the data given in Fig. 1, and it is 2.82% (28200 mg/kg; standard deviation: RSD of about 5.41%). This lead concentration is much above the intervention threshold that is 1000 mg/kg (Table 1). The average value for Pb concentration in liquid leachate calculated from the data given in Figs. 3 and 4, is 1.33 mg/L respectively 1.74 mg/L, with an RSD of about 2.26 mg/L respectively 2.70 mg/L. As it can be seen, the lead concentration in the leachate is high enough to cause concerns regarding the environmental protection and human health. The lead concentration in leachate sample has almost the same values, regardless of the ratio solid: liquid used in the extraction. This might be related to the saturation of the solution during the lead extraction. After the completion of the lead measurements, it can be concluded that Area 1 (Fig. 1) is very polluted and constitutes a major risk factor for the inhabitants of Area 2 (Fig. 1).

Lead biotoxicity In order to establish the lead bio-toxicity in the Area 2 (Fig. 1), we investigated a lot of 51 subjects (21 males and 30 females), aged between 3 and 7 (33% aged between 6 and 7 years, the first graders). The blood lead level, dust lead level and soil lead level were measured and analyzed, and we gave a questionnaire to these subjects to fill in about their living habits. In table 2, the lead levels are presented from the dust and soil samples, collected from Area 2 (marked in Fig. 1).

Table 2. Lead levels from the dust and soil samples collected from Area 2 (see Fig. 1) Range of lead levels 0287 mg/m2 9.8 428.4 mg/m2 01185.6 mg/m2 1166726.4 mg/kg 4021080 mg/kg Average value 41.2 mg/m2 252.5 mg/m2 371.2 mg/m2 1751.8 mg/kg 731.2 mg/kg Standard deviation: RSD 70.27 126.74 490.11 2044.55 219.14 Number of samples

Sampling point for dust and soil samples taken from Area 2 Lead levels in dust collected from the room where children spent most of their time Lead levels in dust collected from the house entrance area Lead levels in street dust collected from the vicinity of the house Lead levels in soil samples collected from the vicinity of the house Lead levels in soil samples collected from the subjects gardens

15 8 9 15 11

If we compare the average value of lead in the soil samples collected from the vicinity of the houses where subjects live, it can be noticed that they exceed the intervention threshold (Table 1) for sensitive usage

soil.9 A similar situation occurs in the case of soil samples (Table 2) collected from the subjects gardens. From Table 2, it can be also observed that, in the dust, there is a high concentration of lead which can be easily ingested by children. From blood analysis, it is to be mentioned that, all investigated children have high lead concentration in blood. In the following, we try to determine if this lead concentration is related to their living habits. After the analysis of all samples collected and the evaluation of questionnaires, we try to establish a correlation between the high blood lead value and living habits. For the statistical interpretation of data we have used the linear regression. The Spearman correlation coefficients were calculated and their significance level was tested (t-test).6 So, we could assign the presence of lack of a positive or negative correlation between the lead concentration in blood and the respective possible risk factor. Further, the results are presented as following: Wet cleaning of the house does not have any statistical influence on the blood lead level; The time during which the subject (child) is playing outside does have a statistical influence (meaning that the blood lead level is increased if the subject spent more time playing outside); Having a family member with occupational exposure at work does not have any statistical influence on the subject blood lead level; Washing the hands before meals does have a statistical influence (meaning that the blood lead level was increased if the subjects did not wash their hands before meals); Family income does not have any statistical influence on the subject blood lead level; The time that the subject is spending outside when he/she is at kinder garden or school does have a statistical influence (meaning that the blood lead level was increased if the subject spent more time outside); Child height and weight development does have a statistical influence (meaning that if the blood lead level is higher consequently the subjects height and weight is less than the average value).

Experimental

All determinations of lead concentration in the soil and dust, as well as in leachate samples, were performed using XRF (X ray Fluorescence), while the lead concentration in the blood was determined using Lead Care System. The XRF method was preferred instead of atomic absorption because it is a fast and reliable method to assess the lead concentration from soil and dust samples. The particular used device NITON XL 722 is an FP-XRF (Field Portable X Ray Fluorescence). Analysis from soil samples were carried out using EPA Method 6200 Field Portable X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometry for the Determination of Elemental Concentration in Soil and Sediment, and that from dust samples using EPA/600/R-02/058 Lead in Dust Wipe Measurement Technology. This method offers a rapid field screening procedure. It is a fast, powerful, cost effective technology for site characterization. The FP-XRF instrument was calibrated using a method based on Compton peak ratios. The Compton peak is produced by backscattering of the source radiation. The LeadCare System was used for the determination of lead concentration in blood. This method is easy and safe to use. Blood samples were taken by qualified nurses and analyzed on site, using the LeadCare Blood Lead Testing System (LCBLTS). The LCBLTS portable technology quantifies the lead levels in minutes on fresh blood samples, via fingerstick, using reagents and an electrochemical sensor based on the principle of anodic striping voltammetry. All results are given as the average value of at least three independent experimental measurements. In conclusion, the results presented in the section of source evaluation indicate that the Copsa Mica area is over-polluted with lead. Furthermore, in the section of lead biotoxicity, the harmful potential of lead is evaluated in inhabitants, especially in children. Due to the high lead concentration in dust and soil samples, collected nearby houses, and to poor hygiene habits, children suffer from severe intoxication with lead. In the future, we intend to investigate the Copsa Mica area more thoroughly, in order to predict the percent of lead that could be mobilized from the factorys solid waste zone into the dust in the residential area.

Acknowledgments:

This work was supported by the Environmental Health Center in Cluj-Napoca and The Romanian Ministry of Education, through the project number 31-074/2007, and Project director Assoc. Prof. Dr. CS I, Eugen Stelian Gurzau. We are also thankful to Prof. Dr. Ossi Horovitz for fruitful discussions on this topic.

References 1. R. Lacatusu, C. Rauta, S. Carstea, I. Ghelase, Applied Geochemistry, 1996, 11, 105-107. 2. L. M. Fels, M. Wunsch, J. Baranowski, J. Norska-Borowka, Nephrol Dial Transplant, 1998, 13, 22482256. 3. M. Intawongse, J. Dean, Food Additives and Contaminants, 2006, 23(1), 36-48. 4. P.A. Baghurst, A.J. Mcmichael, N.R. Wigg, New Eng. J. Med., 1992, 327, 1279-1284. 5. B. Buszewski, T.Kowalkowsky, Environmental Engineering Science, 2006, 23(4) 589-595 6. B. Buszewski, T. Kowalkowsky, Polish Journal of Environmental Studies, 2002, 11, 135-139. 7. C. M. R. Rao, A. Sahuguillo, J.F. Lopez Sanchez, Water Air Soil Pollut., 2008, 189, 291333. 8. K.A. Yusuf, Journal of Agronomy, 2007, 6(2), 331-337. 9. Order No. 756 from November 3, 1997 on Approving Regulations Regarding Environmental Pollution Assessment, Monitorul Oficial, No. 303bis, November 6, 1997.