Correlation between concentration in urine and in blood of cadmium and lead among women in Asia

The objectives of the present study are to examine if there exists a quanti tative relationship between lead in urine (Pb-U) and that in blood (Pb-B), and also between cadmium in urine (Cd-U) and that in blood (Cd-B) among the general populations who are environmentally (and not occupationally) expos ed to these elements at various levels. For this purpose, peripheral blood and morning spot urine samples were collected in 1991-1998 from approximate ly 50 non-smoking adult women each in four cities in south-east Asia and fi ve cities in mainland China, and two cities each in Japan and Korea. The sa mples were wet-ashed and then analyzed by inductively-coupled plasma mass s pectrometry for Pb-B, Cd-B, Pb-U and Cd-U. Measured values were subjected t o analysis to detect possible correlation between the pairs of parameters. A significant correlation between Pb-B and Pb-U was observed when the inten sity of Pb exposure (as expressed by Pb-B) was relatively high so that the correlation was significant in all cases studied when Pb-B level was, e.g. 50 mu g/l or above. It was also observed that the correlation between Cd-B and Cd-U was significant when Cd-B was, e.g. > 1 mu g/l. Thus, it is possib le to deduce that, in environmental health, Pb-B and Cd-U levels can be est imated on a group basis from Pb-U and Cd-B, respectively, when Pb and Cd ex posure levels are relatively high, e.g. with Pb-B and Cd-B of > 50 mu g/l a nd > 1 mu g/l. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.