Blood lead monitoring in a former mining area in Euskirchen, Germany: results of a representative random sample in 3- to 17-year-old children and minors.

ABSTRACT: Heavy metal residues in former mining areas can pose a burden to the local environment and population even decades after closure of the mining sites. In the North Rhine-Westphalian (Germany) communities of Mechernich and Kall, both parts of the district of Euskirchen, lead residues are a source of health concerns for local residents. A statistically representative collective of both communities depending on sex, age, and area of residence was created, mirroring the local underage population. The blood lead levels (BLL) of 182 children and minors in the two adjacent communities were assessed via ICP-MSMS. The results were compared to German lead reference values, valid for the general underage population. In total, 32 (17.6%) of the subjects investigated exceeded the according reference val

SUBMITTER: Bertram J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9584279 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature