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Effects of lead and cadmium exposure from electronic waste on child physical growth

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Abstract

Many studies indicate that lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) exposure may alter bone development through both direct and indirect mechanisms, increasing the risk of osteoporosis later in life. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between Pb and Cd exposure, physical growth, and bone and calcium metabolism in children of an electronic waste (e-waste) processing area. We recruited 246 children (3–8 years) in a kindergarten located in Guiyu, China. Blood lead levels (BLLs) and blood cadmium levels (BCLs) of recruited children were measured as biomarkers for exposure. Serum calcium, osteocalcin, bone alkaline phosphatase, and urinary deoxypyridinoline were used as biomarkers for bone and calcium metabolism. Physical indexes such as height, weight, and head and chest circumference were also measured. The mean values of BLLs and BCLs obtained were 7.30 μg/dL and 0.69 μg/L, respectively. The average of BCLs increased with age. In multiple linear regression analysis, BLLs were negatively correlated with both height and weight, and positively correlated with bone resorption biomarkers. Neither bone nor calcium metabolic biomarkers showed significant correlation with cadmium. Childhood lead exposure affected both physical development and increased bone resorption of children in Guiyu. Primitive e-waste recycling may threaten the health of children with elevated BLL which may eventually cause adult osteoporosis.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (21177080). We wish to thank Dr. Stanley Li Lin for his constructive comments.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Analytical Cytology Laboratory and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Immunopathology, Shantou University Medical College, No.22 Xinling Rd., Shantou, Guangdong, 515041, People’s Republic of China

    Hui Yang, Xia Huo, Taofeek Akangbe Yekeen & Xijin Xu

  2. Department of Orthopedics, People’s Hospital of Guangdong Province, Guangzhou, China

    Qiujian Zheng

  3. Department of Orthopedic Surgery, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, 6009, Australia

    Minghao Zheng

  4. Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Shantou University Medical College, No.22 Xinling Rd., Shantou, Guangdong, 515041, People’s Republic of China

    Xijin Xu

Authors
  1. Hui Yang
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  2. Xia Huo
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  3. Taofeek Akangbe Yekeen
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  4. Qiujian Zheng
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  5. Minghao Zheng
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  6. Xijin Xu
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Xijin Xu.

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Responsible editor: Philippe Garrigues

Hui Yang and Xia Huo contributed equally to this work and are Co- First authors.

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Yang, H., Huo, X., Yekeen, T.A. et al. Effects of lead and cadmium exposure from electronic waste on child physical growth. Environ Sci Pollut Res 20, 4441–4447 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-012-1366-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-012-1366-2

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