Reference values for heavy metals in the urine and blood of Saudi women derived from two human biomonitoring studies.

Reference values for heavy metals in the urine and blood of Saudi women derived from two human biomonitoring studies. Int J Hyg Environ Health. 2020 Feb 07;225:113473 Authors: Al-Saleh I Abstract We previously assessed the exposure of Saudi women to mercury, cadmium and lead based on reference values (RVs) established for other populations experiencing differences in environmental exposure, diet and lifestyle as an indicator of background exposure to pollutants. The present study aimed to (1) calculate RV95 for mercury, cadmium and lead in blood and urine from Saudi women based on the 95th percentile of the metal and its corresponding 95% confidence interval (95%CI) as defined by the German Human Biomonitoring Commission, and (2) compare with RV95s established in other countries. RV95s were derived using data from two different human biomonitoring studies measured three metals in the blood (2005-2006), and both urine and blood (2011-2013) from healthy non-smokers and non-occupationally exposed women living in Al-Kharj and Riyadh. RV95s for mercury, cadmium and lead in Al-Kharj (Riyadh) blood were 5.9 (1.6) μg/l, 1.4 (1.9) μg/l and 4.3 (4.8) μg/dl, respectively. RV95s for urinary mercury, cadmium and lead in Riyadh samples expressed in μg/l (μg/g creatinine) were 2.5 (1.9), 1.2 (0.96) and 14 (10.8), respectively. Values in both matrices remained high even when potential factors such as secondhand smoking, dental amalgam, and/or f...
Source: International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental health - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Tags: Int J Hyg Environ Health Source Type: research