Non-parental caregivers, low maternal education, gastrointestinal problems and high blood lead level: predictors related to the severity of autism spectrum disorder in Northeast China

Background The prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has increased rapidly in recent years. Environmental factors may play an important role in the pathogenesis of ASD. These factors may include socioeconomic factors, nutritional factors, heavy metal exposure, air pollution, etc. Our aim is to analyze possible environmental factors associated with the severity of ASD. Methods All participating children were divided into two groups (mild and moderate/severe) according to the severity of their symptoms, as determined by their Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) scores. The socioeconomic, demographic factors and the nutritional factors that may affect the severity of ASD were included in the logistic regression to analyze whether they were predictors that affected the severity of ASD. Results Logistic regression showed that caregivers(P = 0.042), maternal education (P = 0.030), gastrointestinal problems (P = 0.041) and a high serum concentration of lead (P = 0.003) were statistically significantly associated with ASD severity. Conclusion Many environmental factors affect the severity of ASD. We concluded that non-parental caregivers, low maternal education, gastrointestinal problems and high blood lead level maybe predictors that affected the severity of ASD in northeast China.

Evaluation of total and differential white blood cell counts in workers exposed to lead

Introduction: Lead is a toxic heavy metal that has adverse health effects on blood parameters. About 80% of lead produced is used in batteries, especially vehicle batteries. Therefore, the present study aimed to assess the hematological changes, including total and differential white blood cell (WBC) counts in battery workers exposed to lead, and compare with the non-exposed group. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out in a battery industry in Semnan city. The study population consisted of 78 battery workers and 78 healthy non-exposed office workers. A hematology cell counter was used to determine the total, and differential WBC counts. Blood lead level was measured in accordance with the NIOSH method 8003. Results: Blood lead levels were about two times higher than the TLV recommended by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) for this compound (20 µg/dl). The level of WBC (8.07± 2.55 mm3 blood×103 vs. 7.27 ± 1.58 mm3 blood×103) was significantly higher, while the level of monocyte was significantly lower (6.96 ± 1.72 % vs. 7.67 ± 1.87 %) in the exposed group than in the non-exposed group. After adjustment for potential confounders such as age and work history, a significant association between exposure to lead and WBC and monocyte levels was reported. Conclusion: The present study's findings indicated that exposure to lead was associated with total and differential white blood cells changes in the exposed group compared to the non-exposed group.

Influence of lead on the activity of soil microorganisms in two Beskidy landscape parks

The aim of the study was to assess the potential impact of lead on soil metabolism in two landscape parks localized in the Beskid Śląski and Beskid Żywiecki mountains which were affected, among others, by air pollution from the Upper Silesian Industrial Region, the largest industrial zone in Poland. The study was carried out in six locations with different lead levels in the soil environment. Each plot was equipped with four pairs of vacuum ceramic lysimeters to assess the mobility of Pb in the soil. The metabolic activity was assessed by measuring: soil enzyme activity, soil respiration and by studying community-level physiological profiling (CLPP) using Biolog EcoPlates technique. The soil to the examination was collected near the stands with the lysimeters from two soil horizons (A and B layer). The analyses carried out showed that the factors that had the greatest influence on lead mobility were the organic carbon content and the soil pH. The elevated lead level in the topsoil (layer A) could affect the functional biodiversity of soil microorganisms, but low soil pH was a more likely limiting factor. In the subsoil (layer B), lower lead content was found and its probable effect on soil microbial activity was small. In summary, it can be concluded that the assessment of the influence of heavy metals on soil metabolism is not easy, and the Biolog system has proven to be a sensitive tool for assessing the potential impact of heavy metals on the soil environment.

Evaluation of blood lead among painters of buildings and cars

Exposure to lead-based paints is a major threat to the health of painters. This study aimed to evaluate the blood concentration of lead (Pb) in painters of buildings and cars. The present study was a cross-sectional study in which a semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect the socio-demographic information. Lead concentration in blood samples was determined using the atomic absorption spectrometry method. A total of 32 male painters were selected based on inclusion criteria. The mean blood lead level (BLL) in the painters was 8.1 ± 4.93 μg/dL. Pb levels in car and building painters were 9.42 ± 5.5 μg/dL and 6.7 ± 1.85 μg/dL, respectively. Pb concentration in none of the blood samples was more than 30 μg/dL. The prevalence of BLL ≥ 5 μg/dL and BLL ≥ 10 μg/dL was 97% and 19%, respectively. According to the findings, the rate of BLL among car painters was higher than building painters. Considering the presence of Pb in all blood samples, it seems necessary to increase the awareness of painters about the adverse effects of lead exposure even in low concentrations. However, the sample size in this study was small and more investigations are required in this regard.

Effect of Exterior Home Renovation on Community Lead Hazards: A Pilot Study in South Bend, Indiana

Communities across the US face challenges from legacy lead contamination. In South Bend, Indiana, over 68,000 homes were built before 1978, and most contain leaded paint. When these homes are repainted, repaired, or renovated, failure to use lead-safe practices can contaminate the surrounding soil with lead paint flakes and dust. In this study, we used X-ray fluorescence (XRF) to measure soil lead levels surrounding a home with exterior leaded paint (about 10% Pb w/w) after it was repainted in fall of 2019. The painted wooden exterior was prepared for painting by dry scraping without the use of tarps or plastic barriers. A total of 220 soil samples were collected from the home and its immediate neighbors, and an additional 102 samples were collected from 34 homes in the same neighborhood. The median lead level in dripline soil samples across the neighborhood was 434 ppm, but in the recently repainted house, the median soil lead was 1808.9 ppm, and it was 1,346.4 ppm in the four neighboring homes. The repainted house and its four neighbors were mulched by covering all bare soil to a 4-6 inch depth with chipped wood mulch. Two months later, another 100 soil samples were collected and analyzed. The surface lead level around the target house dropped to 13.8 ppm, showing that mulching is an effective strategy for interim control of high soil lead levels.

High Lead Exposure Associated With Higher Blood Pressure in Haiti: a Warning Sign for Low-Income Countries

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in lower-income countries including Haiti. Environmental lead exposure is associated with high blood pressure and cardiovascular mortality in high-income countries but has not been systematically measured and evaluated as a potential modifiable cardiovascular risk factor in lower-income countries where 6.5 billion people reside. We hypothesized lead exposure is high in urban Haiti and associated with higher blood pressure levels. Blood lead levels were measured in 2504 participants ≥18 years enrolled in a longitudinal population-based cohort study in Port-au-Prince. Lead screening was conducted using LeadCare II (detection limit ≥3.3 µg/dL). Levels below detection were imputed by dividing the level of detection by √2. Associations between lead (quartiles) and systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure were assessed, adjusting for age, sex, obesity, smoking, alcohol, physical activity, income, and antihypertensive medication use. The median age of participants was 40 years and 60.1% were female. The geometric mean blood lead level was 4.73µg/dL, 71.1% had a detectable lead level and 42.3% had a blood lead level ≥5 µg/dL. After multivariable adjustment, lead levels in quartile four (≥6.5 µg/dL) compared with quartile 1 (<3.4 µg/dL) were associated with 2.42 mm Hg (95% CI, 0.36–4.49) higher systolic blood pressure and 1.96 mm Hg (95% CI, 0.56–3.37) higher diastolic blood pressure. In conclusion, widespread environmental lead exposure is evident in urban Haiti, with higher lead levels associated with higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Lead is a current and potentially modifiable pollutant in lower-income countries that warrants urgent public health remediation. REGISTRATION: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov ; Unique identifier: NCT03892265.

Trace Metal Lead Exposure in Typical Lip Cosmetics From Electronic Commercial Platform: Investigation, Health Risk Assessment and Blood Lead Level Analysis

Lead (Pb) in lipstick products has become an increasing concern, which can cause safety problems to human body directly with diet. To investigate the Pb exposure and potential health risk level of typical popular lip cosmetics in Chinese e-commerce market, Python crawler was introduced to identify and select 34 typical popular lip cosmetics, including 12 lipsticks, 13 lip glosses, and 9 lip balms. And then this study used ICP-MS to determine the content of Pb. Furthermore, the ingestion health risk assessment method issued by United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and Monte Carlo simulation algorithm were applied to assess the probabilistic health risks of adults exposure. Finally, taking the possible exposure of children contacting with lip products, the health risk assessment of children blood Pb was carried out. The results showed that the concentration of Pb in lip products ranged from 0 to 0.5237 mg/kg, which was far lower than the limit set by various countries. The probabilistic non-carcinogenic risks and carcinogenic risks were 4.93 ×10−7~2.82 ×10−3 and 1.68 ×10−12~9.59 ×10−9, respectively, which were in an acceptable level. The results of blood Pb assessment suggested that the Pb content of lip cosmetics had no obvious influence on blood Pb concentration of children, and background Pb exposure is the main factor affecting children's blood Pb level (BLL). Overall, the samples of lip products are selected by Python crawler in this study, which are more objective and representative. This study focuses on deeper study of Pb, especially for the health risk assessment of blood Pb in children exposed to lip products. These results perhaps could provide useful information for the safety cosmetics usage for people in China and even the global world.

Effect of electroMagnetic Interference from smartPHone On cardiac implaNtable Electronic device (EMI-PHONE study)

Background: Smartphones can emit two types of electromagnetic waves, static field from magnet and dynamic field from calling. Previous evidence showed the interference effects from old generation of mobile phones to cardiac implantable electronic device (CIEDs). The current generation of smartphones and CIEDs are reportedly better designed to reduce electromagnetic interference (EMI). We seek to find the presence and the magnitude of EMI from the current generation of smartphones. Objectives: The primary objective was to find out the presence and the effect of electromagnetic interference from current generation smartphones on cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs). The secondary objectives were to demonstrate safety of using current generation smartphones on cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs). Methods: A total of 80 subjects with CIEDs (Pacemaker, ICD, CRT-D, CRT-P) were recruited from our CIEDs clinic. Each subject was tested with three different smartphones (Nokia 3310, Iphone 7, and Samsung Galaxy S9), resulted in a total of 240 tests. Each phone was placed on chest wall, at pulse generator site, at atrial lead level, and at ventricular lead level. During the tests, real-time interrogations were performed to detect any EMI from smartphones in stand-by mode, and during calling-in and out for 30 seconds. After the tests, post-test interrogation was performed to detect any parameters changes. Adverse events including pacemaker inhibition, false ICD shock, CIEDs device malfunction, and urgent electro- physiologist consultations were recorded. Results: 80 subjects (Mean age 70.5 year-old, 50% male) were recruited in the study, and all completed 240 tests according to our protocol. The most common type of CIEDs tested was pacemaker (N=56, 70%), followed by ICD (N=16, 20%), and CRT (N=8, 10%). Most patients (N=62, 77.5%) had more than one lead implanted. The mean age of CIEDs implantation was 5.2 years (Devices were implanted since 2008-2019). Of all the tests performed, no electromagnetic interference (EMI) or adverse events was observed. Conclusion: Current generation of smartphones have no EMI effect to CIEDs and can be used safely without any adverse events including pacemaker inhibition, false ICD shock and CIEDs malfunction.

Study of toxic elements in propolis

There is a threat of heavy metals and toxic elements entering the beekeeping products in relation to the deterioration of the ecological situation. In this regard, a study of one of the most popular beekeeping products, propolis, from the territory of two regions of Russia (Ryazan Oblast and Krasnodar Krai) for the level of Pb, Cd, Sr and the toxic element As was undertaken. The studies were made from 2004 to 2019. The amount of elements was determined spectrophotometrically with an atomic absorption spectrophotometer Spectr AA 220FS. Lead, cadmium and strontium levels were determined using an air-acetylene flame on a gas atomizer. The level of arsenic was determined on a graphite oven of a spectrophotometer using a palladium modifier made by “Mersk”. The lead level in propolis was from 0 to 0.19 mg/kg that exceeds the threshold limit value by a factor of 1.2-12.3. The concentration of cadmium, strontium, arsenic in the studied propolis samples does not exceed the threshold limit value: 0-0.164 mg/kg, 2.1-21.01 mg/kg, 0-1.04 μm/kg, respectively. The accumulated experimental data indicate the need to adjust the threshold limit value (SanPiN 2.3.2. 1078-01) of lead level in propolis. The dynamics of propolis pollution with toxic elements was evaluated in the course of the research. The results of this evaluation confirmed the possibility of using propolis as a bioindicator of environmental pollution with heavy metals and toxic elements. It is necessary to monitor the propolis safety to determine its level of contamination with heavy metals and toxic elements, when using it as a source of biologically active compounds and as a raw material for Pharmacy (making extracts, tablets, ointments, syrups, suppositories, plasters).