PMID: 25791312Mar 21, 2015Paper

Mercury and lead prevalence in a sample of people living in Bogotá, 2012-2013

Revista de salud pública
Samuel D Osorio-GarcíaNancy Patiño-Reyes

Abstract

Establishing mercury and lead prevalence in a sample of people living in Bogotá, potential effects on their health and the relationship with areas of environmental exposure. This was a cross-sectional study involving a randomly and proportionally distributed sample of 401 people living in Bogotá, according to locality and their high, medium and low risk environmental exposure. A medical assessment was made and lead (in blood) and mercury levels (blood, hair, urine) quantified. A preliminary descriptive analysis was made. The participants were aged 3-91 years-old (mean 46), the most frequently occurring occupation was that of housewife (45.1%, n=181). Mean mercury concentration in hair was 1µg/g, 3.13 µg/L in blood and 0.29 µg/L in urine; lead in blood was found to be 8.62 µg/dL. Fifty-four people (13.5%) had higher concentrations than international reference values for mercury (WHO) and 10 (2.5%) for lead (CDC). Clinical findings were non-specific; exposure areas did not seem to relate to the concentrations found. A significant percentage of the study population had high mercury and/or lead levels and such high prevalence highlights the need for identifying and controlling sources of exposure to mercury and lead which could hav...Continue Reading

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