Lead effects on some Biochemical, parameters, Iintellectual Coefficient and Anthropometrical variables in school children

摘要

Lead toxicity has been known from ancestral times and the most vulnerable population to its toxic effects is that of children and it is very difficult to determine at what levels and when exposition to lead brings about structural functional changes at cellular level. A study on the incidence of lead levels in the blood of school children has never been carried out in the children population of Mérida State – Venezuela; that is why this cross section observation study main purpose is to determine lead effects on some biochemical parameters such as the metal’s concentration in blood, hemoglobin (Hb), hematocrites (Hto), reticulocites, as well as on the intellectual coefficient (IQ) and on some anthropometric variables (weight and size), in exposed and non exposed school children to lead. To such an end the sample was conformed by 72 school children between 9 and 12 years of age, from both sexes, selected at random, from four schools, two of them exposed to lead and two which were not, from Municipio Libertador in Merida State. Lead levels, Hb, Hto, reticulocites in blood, as well as weight and size were determined for these school children, IQ was measured using Cattell’s Test. Data was processed with the GraphPad InStat program and one way ANOVA and Tuckey post-test with p<0.05 was used for the interferential analysis and for blood Pb levels the Mann – Whitney Test with p<0.05 was used The Pearson correlation analysis was also done. Results showed a significant difference between the lead levels in the blood of school children exposed and those that were not exposed to it (p<0.001) Hb decreased by 12.4% (p<0.001) in children exposed. A statistically significant decrease in weight and size was also found for those children exposed to lead (p<0.001). When the different correlations were done there was evidence of a significant negative correlation between the blood lead levels for the exposed school children and weight and size (r= -0.55 p<0.005 and -0.77 p<0.001). We can conclude that school children exposed to lead have alterations in some of the biochemical parameters which were studied, as well as in the anthropometric variables with significant correlation