Research Article - Biomedical Research (2024) Volume 35, Issue 1

Study on lead exposure among school going children in Uttarakhand region and correlating blood lead levels with haematological and physiological parameters.

Aim: Children are exposed to chemicals in consumer products, household dust, food, air, water, and soil, some of which might interfere with healthy brain development, causing long-lasting neurodevelopmental effects. Children are still being exposed to lead despite of evidence of the adverse impact of lead exposure, even for children with blood lead levels below the currently recognized threshold for intervention.

Methods: We identified and determined the blood lead and Haemoglobin levels in children aged upto 12 years residing along the Rispana River in Dehradun in order to assess the effects of Lead (Pb) exposure. The study included 92 total subjects. Blood lead and haemoglobin levels were measured in blood samples of all subjects and Standard Deviation (SD) as well as p value was calculated by statistical analysis.

Results: The p value for blood lead levels in cases and controls was statistically significant. The blood lead levels were higher in male subjects and children having weight <30 kg, p value for which was also statistically significant probability (P) value for haemoglobin among cases and controls was borderline significant.

Conclusion: Lead exposure among children residing along the Rispana River has caused significantly high blood lead levels especially in male children. In addition to this, the haemoglobin of children getting exposed to lead is slightly lower than other subjects. The most significant source of lead exposure in children is consumption of tap water. This shows the detrimental effect of environmental heavy metal exposure in children.

Author(s): Rajeev Singh Kushwaha, Nandani, Sandeep Dabral, Kanika Kakkar, Rajendra Rana, Tariq Massod, RK Singh

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