Department of Emergency Medicine, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon
Department of Emergency Medicine, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon.
Arch Dis Child. 2022 Mar;107(3):251-256. doi: 10.1136/archdischild-2021-322012. Epub 2021 Aug 24.
Lead damages most body organs and its effects are most profound in children. In a study in Beirut in 2003, before banning the leaded gasoline, 79% of the participants showed blood lead levels (BLLs) higher than 5 µg/dL. The prevalence of lead exposure in Lebanon after the ban on leaded gasoline has not been studied. This study assessed the BLL in Lebanese children aged 1-6 years.
This cross-sectional study was conducted in three hospitals in Beirut. The children's BLLs were tested, and their caregiver completed a questionnaire to identify subgroups at risk of exposure. Participants were provided with a WHO brochure highlighting the risks of lead.
Ninety children with a mean age of 3.5±1.5 years were enrolled in the study and had a mean BLL of 1.1±0.7 µg/dL, with all values being below 5.0 µg/dL, showing a marked decrease in BLL compared with the mean BLL before the ban on leaded gasoline in 2002. Having a father or a mother with a college degree (p=0.01 and p=0.035, respectively) and having a monthly household income greater than $1000 (p=0.021) were associated with significantly lower BLL. Having more rooms at home and residing close to construction sites were associated with a significantly lower BLL (p=0.001 and p=0.026, respectively). Residing in a house aged >40 years and receiving traditional remedies were associated with a significantly higher BLL (p=0.009 and p<0.0001, respectively).
BLLs have declined among Lebanese children and this could be attributed to multiple factors including the ban of leaded gasoline. It would be beneficial to conduct a larger study with a nationally representative sample to better characterise the BLL.
铅对大多数身体器官都有损害，对儿童的影响最为深远。2003 年在贝鲁特进行的一项研究中，在禁止使用含铅汽油之前，79%的参与者血液铅水平（BLL）高于 5μg/dL。黎巴嫩在禁止使用含铅汽油后，其儿童铅暴露的流行情况尚未得到研究。本研究评估了黎巴嫩 1-6 岁儿童的 BLL。
这是一项在贝鲁特的三家医院进行的横断面研究。检测了儿童的 BLL，并让其照顾者完成一份问卷，以确定有铅暴露风险的亚组。向参与者提供了世界卫生组织的宣传册，强调了铅的风险。
共有 90 名平均年龄为 3.5±1.5 岁的儿童参加了这项研究，平均 BLL 为 1.1±0.7μg/dL，所有值均低于 5.0μg/dL，与 2002 年禁止含铅汽油前的平均 BLL 相比，BLL 明显下降。父亲或母亲有大学学历（p=0.01 和 p=0.035）和家庭月收入大于 1000 美元（p=0.021）与显著较低的 BLL 相关。家中房间较多和居住地点靠近建筑工地与显著较低的 BLL 相关（p=0.001 和 p=0.026）。居住在 40 年以上的房屋和接受传统疗法与显著较高的 BLL 相关（p=0.009 和 p<0.0001）。
黎巴嫩儿童的 BLL 已经下降，这可能归因于多种因素，包括禁止使用含铅汽油。进行一项具有全国代表性样本的更大规模研究将有助于更好地描述 BLL。
