Blood lead levels of Chinese children from 1991 to 2020: Based on Monte Carlo simulation. (1st June 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wang, Shuo; Jin, Yuan; Chen, Jing; Lu, Lin; Li, Yanan; Zhao, Qianwen; Bu, Shuhua; Geng, Xue; Guan, Ge; Qu, Weidong; Zheng, Yuxin; Tang, Jinglong
• Is Part Of: Environmental pollution. Volume 278(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-06-01
• Subjects: Lead pollution -- Monte Carlo simulation -- Blood lead levels -- Chinese children; BLLs Blood lead levels -- SD Standard deviation -- GSD geometric standard deviation -- AM arithmetic mean -- GM geometric mean -- LOD the limit of detection -- CV coefficient of variation; Pollution -- Periodicals; Pollution -- Environmental aspects -- Periodicals; Environmental Pollution -- Periodicals; Pollution -- Périodiques; Pollution -- Aspect de l'environnement -- Périodiques; Pollution -- Effets physiologiques -- Périodiques; Pollution; Pollution -- Environmental aspects; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 363.73
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.116823
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0269-7491

Abstract

Abstract: Chinese children have been exposed to high level of lead due to polluted air, dust, contaminated foods and water, etc. In this research, we investigated published blood lead levels (BLLs) reflecting 1, 057, 832 Chinese children aged at 0–12 and teenagers aged at 13–18 in the past 30 years (1991–2020). The data mining and estimation were performed innovatively by Monte Carlo simulation to remedy the skewed distribution-induced bias. The temporal trend of Chinese children's BLLs showed an obvious decrease in the past decades from 88.74 μg/L (Geometric SD = 4.09) during 1991–1995 to 27.32 μg/L (Geometric SD = 4.18) during 2016–2020. This study also indicated that children's BLLs of Yunnan, Guizhou, Shanxi were at relatively high levels and most provinces showed a downward trend. Chinese boys aged at 1–18 years old had higher BLLs (GM: 44.03 μg/L) compared to girls (GM: 41.32 μg/L) (p < 0.001). At different age groups, Chinese children's BLLs were 42.04 μg/L (1–3 years old), 52.88 μg/L (4–6 years old), 50.49 μg/L (7 and above years old), respectively. Although the BLLs of Chinese children exhibited a continuous declined trend in the past 30 years, it was still higher than that in developed countries, which indicated that more efforts are needed in children's BLLs control. Graphical abstract: Image 1 Highlights: Monte Carlo simulation is first used to analysis blood lead levels origin from database. BLLs of Chinese children exhibited a tremendous decrease since 1991. The proportion of children with BLLs above 100 μg/L decreased from 65.7% in 1991–1995 to 2.21% in 2016–2020. Chinese children's BLLs are higher than American and Canadian children.