Abstract

CLARA MAGDALENA, López et al. Reference values of blood lead in the Buenos Aires area: Healthy adults people occupationally exposed. Acta bioquím. clín. latinoam. [online]. 2005, vol.39, n.4, pp.453-458. ISSN 0325-2957.

Blood lead levels were determined for an adult healthy population not occupationally exposed to lead, living in the City of Buenos Aires and Greater Buenos Aires. Venous blood samples from subjects of both genders (n = 278) were processed by means of electrothermal atomization - atomic absorption, at 283.3 nm. Lead blood values obtained for the total population ranged between 2.27 and 17.35 µg/dL. The female population studied (n =123) showed values between 1.99 and 15.8 µg/dL, which were not statistically different from those obtained for the male population (n =119), and which ranged between 3.06 and 17.67 µg/dL. The natural logarithms of all values were adjusted to the Gaussian distribution. Comparing these results to those obtained in previous studies conducted by some of the authors, a clear diminution of the reference values can be observed, which might be related to some corrective regulatory measures recently taken in Argentina such as the ban on the addition of lead to gasoline, and the substitution of lead welding by electric welding in preserved food cans.

Keywords : blood lead; reference values; Argentina; atomic absorption; electrothermal atomization.

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