Assessment of Blood Lead Levels and Associated Risk Factors Among Children in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24079/cajms.2016.02.011Keywords:
Air Pollution, Environmental Monitoring, Child, Lead, MongoliaAbstract
Objectives: The objectives of this study were to determine BLLs with a LeadCare II analyzer in children living in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia and to identify potential risk factors influencing their BLLs with a lifestyle and residential environment questionnaire. Methods: A total of 153 children aged 6-8 years old were tested in 2014. Results: The geometric mean BLL was 5.3 µg/dL (95% CI: 4.9 – 5.7 µg/dL) and 69.3% of the children had blood lead levels ≥5 μg/dL (the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s current reference level). Factors that were significant (p<0.05) predictors of BLL in a multiple linear regression model were sex, age, father’s education level, and father’s job type. The BLL from this study in 2014 shows a 60% decrease since a prior 2005 study, likely due to the ban on leaded gasoline in the country. Conclusion: Academic performance was significantly influenced by BLL, indicating that actions still need to be taken to reduce lead exposure in Ulaanbaatar.
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Copyright (c) 2016 Mongolian National University of Medical Sciences
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.