Blood lead levels and enzymatic biomarkers of environmental lead exposure in children in Córdoba, Argentina after the ban of leaded gasoline

SAGE PUBLICATIONS LTD

Año: 2012 p. 1 - 1

ead (Pb) is a developmental neurotoxicant found in industrial activities, many of them already prohibited worldwide. This study aimed to evaluate current blood Pb (PbB) levels in Cordoba, Argentina, and to compare these to similar studies performed before Pb was banned in gasoline in 1996. We also sought to identify mechanistically-relevant biomarkers by measuring d-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (d-ALAD), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities. We finally aimed to determine whether socio-demographic characteristics are associated with Pb toxicity. Blood samples collected from 161 healthy children between September 2009 and February 2010 revealed mean PbB levels of 2.58 ug/dl. Enzymatic d-ALAD, CAT and SOD activities showed no significant variations when plotted against PbB levels. Finally, children living in the suburbs have higher PbB levels than their city counterparts, while low socio-economic status increased d-ALAD inhibition compared to that of middle-income