Long-term lead elimination from plasma and whole blood after poisoning.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Blood lead (B-Pb), one of the most used toxicological biomarker all kind, has serious limitations. Thus, the objective is to evaluate whether plasma lead (P-Pb) is more adequate.

Methods

A long-term follow-up study of five cases of lead poisoning. P-Pb was analysed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Kinetics after end of exposure was modelled.

Results

P-Pb at severe poisoning was about 20 μg/L; haematological effects at about 5 μg/L. Biological half-time of P-Pb was about 1 month; B-Pb decay was much slower.

Conclusion

P-Pb is a valuable biomarker of exposure to and risk, particularly at high exposure.

SUBMITTER: Rentschler G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3299963 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature