Ríos Juan Carlos, Villarroel Luis, Torres Marisa, Astaburuaga Juan Pablo, Leiva Cinthya, Cook Paz, Medel Patricio, Cortés Sandra
Centro de Información Toxicológica, Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
Departamento de Salud Pública, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
Rev Med Chil. 2020 Jun;148(6):746-754. doi: 10.4067/S0034-98872020000600746.
The presence of toxic metals in human populations is strongly associated with chronic diseases.
To determine levels of lead, chromium, cadmium, mercury and inorganic arsenic (AsIn) in the general population aged over 5 years in Antofagasta, Chile.
People living in Urban Antofagasta for at least five years were considered eligible. Biological samples were obtained to measure heavy metals.
One thousand two hundred three participants with a median age of 43 years (656 women) were studied. Their mean time of residence in the city was 30 years, and 52% smoked. Eight percent of the adult population and 12% of children had AsIn values above 35 µg/L, while 75% of the population had levels below 21.9 µg/L. The other metals were below the risk levels defined by the health authority (10 µg/L for chromium, 10 µg/L for mercury, 2 µg/L for cadmium, 5 and 10 μg/dL for blood lead for children and adults, respectively). The factors associated with high levels of AsIn in adults were male sex, living more than 200 meters from monitoring points, and low schooling. In children, the associated variables were high intake of seafood products and having a caregiver with less than 8 years of schooling. Contrary to expectations, the greatest risk of presenting altered levels of the metals occurred in the population living more than 500 meters from the identified risk sources (90% of the population).
The findings of this study suggest that all potential sources of exposure to AsIn should be evaluated, and surveillance actions should be established to reduce involuntary exposure to this metalloid.
人群中有毒金属的存在与慢性疾病密切相关。
测定智利安托法加斯塔5岁以上普通人群中铅、铬、镉、汞和无机砷（AsIn）的含量。
居住在安托法加斯塔市区至少五年的居民被视为符合条件。采集生物样本以测量重金属含量。
对1203名参与者进行了研究，他们的年龄中位数为43岁（女性656名）。他们在该市的平均居住时间为30年，52%的人吸烟。8%的成年人口和12%的儿童AsIn值高于35μg/L，而75%的人口含量低于21.9μg/L。其他金属含量低于卫生当局规定的风险水平（铬为10μg/L，汞为10μg/L，镉为2μg/L，儿童和成人血铅分别为5和10μg/dL）。与成年人体内高AsIn水平相关的因素包括男性、居住在距离监测点200米以上、受教育程度低。在儿童中，相关变量是海鲜产品摄入量高以及照顾者受教育年限少于8年。与预期相反，金属含量改变风险最大的人群是居住在距离已确定风险源500米以上的人群（占总人口的90%）。
本研究结果表明，应评估所有潜在的AsIn暴露源，并应采取监测行动以减少对这种类金属的非自愿暴露。
