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. 2015 Apr 1;10(4):e0122710.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0122710. eCollection 2015.

Blood lead levels in children aged 0-6 years old in Hunan Province, China from 2009-2013

Jun Qiu  1 , Kewei Wang  2 , Xiaoli Wu  3 , Zhenghui Xiao  2 , Xiulan Lu  2 , Yimin Zhu  2 , Chao Zuo  4 , Yongjia Yang  2 , Youjie Wang  4
Affiliations

Blood lead levels in children aged 0-6 years old in Hunan Province, China from 2009-2013

Jun Qiu et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

Objectives: The aim of this study is to describe blood lead levels (BLLs) and the prevalence of elevated blood lead levels (EBLLs) in children aged 0-6 years old and to analyze the BLL trend in children from 2009 to 2013 in China.

Methods: A total of 124,376 children aged 0-6 years old were recruited for this study from January 1st 2009 to December 31st 2013. Their blood lead levels were analyzed using atomic absorption spectrometry.

Results: The median BLL was 64.3 μg/L (IQR: 49.6-81.0), and the range was 4.3-799.0 μg/L. Blood lead levels were significantly higher in boys (66.0 μg/L) than in girls (61.9 μg/L) (P<0.001). The overall prevalence of BLLs≥100 μg/L was 10.54% in children aged 0-6 years in Hunan Province. Between 2009 and 2013, the prevalence of EBLLs (≥100 μg/L) decreased from 18.31% to 4.26% in children aged 0-6 years and increased with age. The prevalence of EBLLs has dramatically decreased in two stages (2009-2010 and 2012-2013), with a slight fluctuation in 2010 and 2011.

Conclusions: Both BLLs and the prevalence of EBLLs in children aged 0-6 years old declined substantially from 2009 to 2013 in Hunan Province; however, both remain at unacceptably high levels compared to developed countries. Comprehensive strategies are required to further reduce blood lead levels in children.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. Blood lead levels in children aged 0~6 years living in Hunan Province in 2009–2013.
Fig 2
Fig 2. The detection rate of high BLL in different age groups from 2009 to 2013.
Fig 3
Fig 3. The detection rate of high BLL in different age groups from 2009 to 2013.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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