MP14 Design, Sampling, Measurement and Design
Monday, 14 November 2005: 8:00 AM - 6:30 PM in Exhibit Hall

(AGU-1117-779027) Lead contamination and its human health effect in South India.

Agusa, T¹, Kunito, T², Ramu, K¹, Subramanian, A¹, Tanabe, S¹, ¹ Center for Marine Environmental Studies (CMES), Ehime University, Matsuyama, Ehime, Japan² Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, Shinshu University, Matsumoto, Nagano, Japan

ABSTRACT- The present study examined lead levels and -aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALAD) activities in blood collected from residents in city, dumping site and three control sites in south India to understand the contamination status and toxicological effect of lead. To identify the source of lead contamination in the residents, concentration of lead and the isotope ratios were also analyzed in air dust, gasoline, paint and food samples. Lead was detected in all the blood samples, ranging from 2.33 to 25.2 g/dl. Concentrations of blood lead in females of dumping site and one control site were higher than those reported in other countries, and in some samples the concentrations exceeded the levels associated with the adverse effects such as hypertension and development inhibition of intelligence. A negative correlation was observed between ALAD activities and blood lead levels in residents, suggesting that heme biosynthesis was suppressed by lead in the residents. Concentrations of lead were low in air dust, gasoline and food, and their lead isotopic ratios were also different from those of residents. However, paint samples showed high lead concentrations and the isotopic ratios in some of them were similar to those of residents, suggesting that the residents might be exposed to lead from paint.

Key words: Lead, Lead isotope ratios, Human health effect, India