Lead levels in ancient and contemporary Japanese bones

Biological Trace Element Research
A HisanagaN Ishinishi

Abstract

During the past few centuries, lead production, consumption and emissions, to our total environment have increased remarkably. We have determined the concentrations of lead in 41 well-preserved ancient and 11 contemporary rib bones of a mature age (40-60 y), with a view of historically evaluating lead exposure in humans. The oldest Japanese bones (1000-300 B.C.) were found to contain a mean of 0.58 microgram Pb/g dry wt and a mean molar ratio of lead to calcium of 0.6 x 10(-6), compared with 4.7-5.2 x 10(-6) in the bones of the Edo era (1600-1867 A.D.) and contemporary residents in Japan. The mean molar ratios of female bones were always higher than those of male bones for each era. From this fact we may assume that facial cosmetics were one of the main routes of lead exposure among the ancient Japanese, especially those who lived during the Edo era.

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Citations

Dec 1, 1989·Biological Trace Element Research·A HisanagaY Eguchi
Oct 10, 2009·Environmental Science and Pollution Research International·Megumi Matsumoto, Jun Yoshinaga
May 7, 2011·Biological Trace Element Research·Barbara Brodziak-DopierałaŁukasz Cieliński
Jul 2, 2009·Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine·Akio KoizumiAri Ide-Ektessabi
Sep 1, 1991·The Science of the Total Environment·C PattersonH Shirahata
Sep 16, 2008·The Science of the Total Environment·Danuta WiechułaKrzysztof Loska
Jan 1, 1996·The Tohoku Journal of Experimental Medicine·J Yoshinaga
Aug 15, 2012·Perspectives in Public Health·Christina MillsRenee Ferguson
Jan 30, 2013·Nihon eiseigaku zasshi. Japanese journal of hygiene·Jun YoshinagaHajime Ishida

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