Lead absorption and psychological function in Zagreb (Croatia) school children

A cross-sectional study was performed on 275 pupils from the third and four th grade of three elementary schools (three urban areas with different traf fic conditions) in Zagreb. Lead exposure was environmental, mostly through leaded gasoline. The difference in traffic density around the schools was c onsistent with biological indicators of lead absorption. The aim of the stu dy was to clarify the relationship between characteristic biological indica tors of lead absorption including indicators of hematological status with s ome psychological functions. Lead absorption in pupils was relatively low ( moan blood lead: 70.8 +/- 17.88 mu g/L). Pupils' socio-economic status was evaluated by parents' education. The results obtained indicate that gender and school were associated with both biological and psychological variables . After adjusting for age, parental education, and gender, lead appears to have no association with cognitive or psyche-motor measures. The nonstandar dized regression coefficients for blood lead-as a measure of the size of le ad effect on VIQ, NIQ, and IQ-were -0.016, -0.031, and -0.025, respectively , all nonsignificant. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.