RP16 Biomonitoring
Thursday, 17 November 2005: 8:00 AM - 6:30 PM in Exhibit Hall

(PAR-1118-113484) The monitoring of heavy metals in human bloods of middle school students.

Park, Hee Ra¹, Kwun, Ki-Sung¹, Kim, Meehye¹, Kim, Soon Ki², Lee, Hyo Min¹, Kim, Soo Yeon¹, Choi, Kwang Sik¹, ¹ Korea Food & Drug Administration National Institute of Toxicological Research, South of Korea² Inha University Medical School, South of Korea

ABSTRACT- This study was conducted to estimate the contents of heavy metals including lead, cadmium, zinc, copper as well as iron status(serum iron, total iron binding capacity, ferritin etc)in blood samples of middle school students(n = 300). The contents of heavy metals were determined using the GF-AAS (Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer). The microwave digestion method and dilution method were compared. The dilution method showed the better recovery and detection limit than microwave digestion method. The values of toxic metals in whloe blood of boys & girls were 3.46 & 3.05 for Pb, 0.063 & 0.065 for Cd respectively (ug/dL). Also the values of trace metals in serum of boys & girls were 105.9 & 92.6 for Zn, 98.3 & 99.0 for Cu respectively (ug/dL). The prevalence of iron deficiency was 7.5% in 146 boys and 14.3% in 156 girls. The mean values of lead in girls were higher in iron deficiency, iron deficiency anemia and anemia groups than normal group. The mean values of lead and zinc were higher in boys compared to those in girls(P<0.05), the mean values of cadmium and copper in boys were similar to those in girls. Our results of toxic metals such as Pb & Cd showed lower to CDC's(Centers for Disease Control) blood lead levels of concern for children, 10 ug/dL.

Key words: Lead, cadmium, zinc, iron