Экология 1.Состояние биосферы и его влияние на здоро­вье  человека

INFLUENCE OF THE ENVIRONMENT POLLUTED BY LEAD ON CHILDREN ECOPATOLOGY

Erezhepova Zh.B1., Zhylysbayeva A.N.2

1.     2nd year master student

2.     Candidate of chemical sciences, Associate professor

M.Auezov South Kazakhstan State University

Kazakhstan, Shymkent

 

Abstract (annotation)

There have been shown the influence of heavy metal plant to human health in the sample of Shymkent lead plant (now JSC “Juzhpolimetall”). The lead concentration exceeds maximum allowable concentration in the land around the plant because of historical pollution  during the long time. There was suggested preventive measures to protect children’s health in a zone of extreme pollution.

It is known, that lead is one of the oldest industrial poisons and considerable quantities of works are devoted to studying its effect. However, problems of lead poisoning both lead intoxication pathogenesis and treatment-and-prophylactic actions have been urgent for many years.

One of the major environmental problems of the Republic of Kazakhstan is lead pollution of environmental objects.  The special attention is paid to high levels of this element content in the city of Shymkent. It is connected with historical lead pollution for years of working of Shymkent lead plant (now joint stock company “Juzhpolimetall”). The Shymkent lead plant has worked since 1934. And now I is 77 years old. The plant has been the leader of non-ferrous metallurgy of Soviet Union and Kazakhstan for a long time. The well-known Kazakh poet Zhambul Zhabaev wrote about Kazakhstan in days of war -”During the Great War 9 bullets out of  10 for fronts were cast by you”. And seven of these nine bullets were cast in Shymkent plant. Thus, our lead plant has made an invaluable contribution to the victory of our home land in the World War II.

But during the long years of plant’s operation a great amount of lead has been accumulated in soils surrounding the plant. This amount concentration exceeds admissible concentration limit of lead which is detrimental to health according to ecological parameters. 

Lead is one of the most toxic metals included by the United Nations in the lists of priority pollutants of environment. According to the World Health Organization the most widespread and dangerous illness of a person is connected with the environment influence of lead poisoning.

Lead poisoning risk group includes children. Moreover this type of concentration is especially harmful to 6-year-old and younger. The lead poisoning in children is a huge problem all over the world.

The basic sources of lead contamination of environment and its influences on health of adults and children are emissions of the industrial enterprises. Also sources of lead pollution are motor transport, lead glaze, paints, and medical products.

The risk of lead poisoning is especially high in the territories adjoining to industrial objects where the lead content in air and soil exceeds admissible norms. A good example is the territory of Abay district of Shymkent, the regional center of the South Kazakhstan, where lead plant is located.

Lead from the polluted soils gets in to a human body through a dust which is formed on the soil surface. The children’s growing organisms absorb lead from this dust 5 times more intensively, than adults. Even low levels of a lead intoxication in children of school age lead to serious decrease of physical and intellectual development (IQ), the ability to training, attention and working capacity, abilities to concentrate lead poisoning aggression, hyperactivity and other problems in child’s development. 

Lead contamination is also shown in changes of impellent activity, coordination of movements, visual and acoustical perception, memory. The minor motor function of finger slows down and the logic sequence of performance of tasks is broken. These changes in children are also possible at elder and are manifested in difficulty of training and entering higher educational institutions.

In the nineties of the 20th century experts of LLP “Center of health protection and ecological project” and scientists from the USA had conducted complex system research on the influence of lead contamination risk assessment on health of children of preschool age in Shymkent. Researches were carried out with application of the unique portable equipment (Lead Care, ZZP: Hematofluorimeter, NITON XL 700, NITON Xli, Electron Microprobe Analyses). Among the experts there was a well-known scientist-geochemist Roger L.Olsen. We want to quote his words [3]:”We have strongly amazed. On the territory of 14 square kilometers the concentration of lead in soil exceed the norm hundreds, thousand times. All examinated children living here, had high concentration of lead in blood. It was the result of long decades of  Shymkent lead plant operation. Today ten thousand children live in a zone of dangerous pollution. It is necessary to emphasize that there are n such polluted zones in the word today as in Shymkent and Aktobe”. In Shymkent the average content of lead in blood of examined children mad 20.1 mkg/dl. Lead level in blood of two children exceeded 100 mkg/dl. There was revealed up to 24900 mg/kg of lead in a soil cover in preschool institutions territory of Shymkent, while operating in Kazakhstan maximum concentration limit is 32 mg/kg.

In 2008 experts of LLP “Center of health protection and ecoprojects” determined lead content in blood of 37 children living around joint-stock company “Juzhpolymetall” on the polluted territory. Research was organized on the basis of city children’s polyclinic #2.  Selection of children for the research was organixed on the principle of random sampling: the level of the lead content in blood was determined in 37 children in the laboratory branch of polyclinic. Average concentration of lead in children’s blood was 22,72 mkg/dl. 34 children out of 37 showed the excess of 10 mkg/dl (92%), whereas the percent of children with lead concentration in blood exceeding 10mkg/dl shouldn’t exceed 5% according to world norms. Moreover two children showed the concentration of lead in blood exceeding 65 mkg/dl, that is, the lead content in their blood a minimum in 6,5 times above maximum concentration limit for this  element.

According to the data the World Health Organization, critical level of lead in blood is 10 mkg/dl. Excess of the given parameter testifies the presence of lead intoxication. At the same time there are publications specifying that the concentration of 8 mkg/dl gives subclinical manifestation of lead affect (on the central nervous system, D vitamin metabolism). The majority of children running the danger of lead poisoning showed subclinical effects.

The table shows the basic clinical effects at various lead concentrations in blood

№

Level of lead

Effects of lead

1

0-9 mkg/dl

Normal level of lead. But if throughout several years concentration has a range between 5 and 10 mkg/dl, it can negatively affect child’s health

2

10-19 mkg/dl

It can lead to problems in child’s behavior and training, minor motor disfunction

3

20-44 mkg/dl

Possible neurodinamic, malfunction urinary metabolism imbalance , intellect degradation

4

45-69 mkg/dl

Lead level is a life-threatening in the absence of timely intervention

5

More than 70 mkg/dl

It can arise epileptic attacks, a coma, death

 

 It is widely accepted that environment is one of the strongest factors influencing to children’s health. According to academician J.P.Lisitsin the contribution of environmental pollution to health constitutes on average 20%. Human health depends on the lifestyle by 50%.. Therefore following the principles of a healthy life-style is a powerful key factor in preventive health care.

So, well organized diet plays an important role in heavy metals poisoning prophylaxis and even in treatment of such poisoning. Foodstuffs rich in dietary fibers (a string bean, beans, peas, beet, carrots, garden radish, pumpkin, vegetable marrows, millet, buckwheat both other groats and vegetables),food rich in pectin (these are any fruits and berries: apples, currants, strawberries, honeysuckle, blueberries, gooseberries, cranberries, cowberries, sea-buckthorn berries, apricot, peaches, etc.) dairy and sour-milk products (kefir, cottage cheese, sour cream, etc.)  hamper absorption of lead and promotes its removal from the body. At the same time it is recommended to include the products raising immunity in diets: nuts, carrot juice, beet, pomegranate, etc. It is obligatory to include vegetable oil added to food without thermal treatment in daily diet.

Lead pollution is defined as historical pollution (75 years accumulation) in Shymkent and the polluted soil represents the basic danger to children. Lead gets into child’s organism not only with dust, but also with products of a local origin (milk, vegetables, fruit). Therefore urgent actions are required directed on protection of children’s health in a zone of extreme pollution.

  Necessary actions:

1.     Improvement of the environmental situation at the industrial enterprises.

2.     Training, distribution of the information on lead intoxication to children and ways of its prevention.

3.     The organization of biological monitoring for efficiency evaluation of carrying out of preventive programs and population health improvement. 

4.     Rectification of the polluted territory.

References

1. Свинец в окружающей среде под редакцией Добровольского В.В. М «Наука» 1987.  с 38-42

2. Научные основы управления гигиеническими факторами общественного здоровья / Белонг А., Онищенко Г., Слажнева Т., Корчевский А.- Алматы, 2003.- 290с.

3. Яковлева Н., Мартынова В. Дети ждать не могут. Биологический мониторинг содержания свинца в крови детей г.Шымкента – основа определения эффективности мероприятий по снижению риска. // Панорама Шымкента.- 2009.- № 51(1014).- С. 7.

4. Отчет о научно-исследовательской работе. По Договору № 05-02-59 от 15 июля 2009 г.по теме: «Комплексная оценка загрязнения окружающей среды свинцом и разработка технологии реабилитации и снижения экологических рисков».