Summary
There are few reports on lead exposure of children in or near large cities which compare the blood lead values of those who live towards the center of cities and those living in the suburbs. Since lead poisoning among children in the United States is a serious problem, the authors wished to study the effects of lead in the environment on the young population in and near Tokyo. The results indicated much lower blood lead levels in school children than in adults in Tokyo. There is a statistically significant difference in PbB levels between urban and suburban children although the actual difference was only 1 – 2 μg/100 g. Thus children living in urban Tokyo seem to have slightly higher body burdens of lead than suburban children. This difference in lead body burden is most probably not attributable to lead in ambient air but to other factors such as food. However, the possibility of the contribution of lead in ambient air cannot be totally rejected. Further investigation is required to identify the factor or factors which are responsible for this phenomenon.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Airborne lead in perspective. Washington, D.C.: Printing and Publishing Office, National Academy of Sciences 1972
Blanksma, L.A., Sachs, H.K., Murray, E.F., O'Connell, M.J.: Pediatrics 44, 661 (1969)
Finklea, J.F., Creason, J.C., Hasselblad, V., Hammer, D.I., Priester, L.E., Sandifer, S.H., Keil, J.E.: Paper presented before the Subcommittee on Toxicology of Metals, Permanent Commission and International Association on Occupational Health, Buenos Aires, September 1972
Griffin, T.B., Coulston, F., Wills, H., Russell, J.C., Knelson, J.H:: In: Lead, Suppl.Vol.II (F. Coulston and F. Korte, eds.), pp.221–239. Stuttgart: Thieme, New York: Academic Press 1975
Grimes, H., Sayers, M., Berlin, A., Recht, P., Smeets, J.: Commission of the European Community, Luxemburg, April 1975. Report V/F/1491/75
Hessel, D.: Atomic Absorption Newsletter 7, 55 (1968)
Horiuchi, K., Takada, I.: Osaka City Med.J. 1, 117 (1954)
Kobayashi, Y.: Jap.J.Hygiene 28, 381 (1974)
Robinson, M.J., Karpinski, F.E., Jr., Brieger, H.: Pediatrics 21, 793 (1958)
Specter, M.J., Guinee, V.F.: Epidemiology of lead poisoning in New York City — 1970. Paper presented at the 98th Annual Meeting of the American Public Health Association, Houston, Texas, October 26, 1970, 23 pp.
Tepper, L.B., Levin, L.S.: In: Lead, Suppl.Vol.II (F. Coulston and F. Korte, eds.), pp.152–197. Stuttgart: Thieme, New York: Academic Press 1975
Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Burea of Environmental Pollution (Kogai Kyoku). Report on the results of determination of pollutants at Surveillance Station in Tokyo (1972)
Tsuchiya, K., Iwao, S.: to be published
Tsuchiya, K., Sugita, M., Park, C.B.: Biologic effect of exposure to lead in ambient air among Tokyo inhabitants (to be published)
Tsuchiya, K., Sugita, M., Seki, Y., Kobayashi, Y., Hori, M., Park, C.B.: In: Lead, Suppl.Vol.II (F. Coulston and F. Korte, eds.), pp.95–146. Stuttgart: Thieme, New York: Academic Press 1975
U.S. Public Health Publication 99-AP-12 (1965)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Tsuchiya, K., Okubo, T., Nagasaki, M. et al. Biologic effects of lead on school children of urban and suburban Tokyo. Int. Arch Occup Environ Heath 38, 247–257 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00378336
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00378336