Hygiena 2021, 66(1):5-9 | DOI: 10.21101/hygiena.a1741

Contribution to understanding copper and zinc concentrations in the hair of children from the foothills of the Krušné hory mountains

Eva Rychlíková1, Ivan Beneš1, David Šubrt1, Hana Smolíková1, Eva Hrdličková1, Milan Tuček2, Vladimír Bencko2
1 Zdravotní ústav se sídlem v Ústí nad Labem, Ústí nad Labem, Česká republika
2 Univerzita Karlova, 1. lékařská fakulta, Ústav hygieny a epidemiologie a Všeobecná fakultní nemocnice, Praha, Česká republika

Objectives: The objective of the project was to investigate if and how much copper and zinc enter the environment during coal mining and incineration exposing the child population from foothills of Krušné Hory mountains.

Methodology: After informed consent of parents 258 children's hair were sampled and analysed for Cu and Zn. Children visited the third class of elementary schools in Sokolov, Královské Poříčí, Litvínov, Horní Jiřetín, Lom u Mostu, Osek u Duchcova and Duchcov in two coal mining areas. Sampling was accompanied with a questionaire completing exposure information. The results of questionaires and analyses were evaluated with descriptive statistics and analysed with nonparametric tests. Measurment of metals in the aerosol particles of PM10 took part in Sokolov and Lom u Mostu.

Results: The median of the Cu value found in children's hair in individual localities was at 9.8-16.2 mg/kg. For zinc 163-200 mg/kg. Analyses of copper and zinc at aerosol particles PM10 showes values comparable to background levels. Median of copper in Sokolov reached 4.4 ng/m3 and in Lom u Mostu 2.5 ng/m3, zinc was 13.4 ng/m3 resp. 10.9 ng/m3.

Conclusion: The results of zinc and copper in hair of children are not explained by high exposure from coal mining. To explain individual high levels of copper and zinc it is necessary to find sources in nutrition, food additives, cosmetics or dermatology medications and have an interest in children's health.

Keywords: essential elements - exposure, children, coal mining

Received: December 2019; Accepted: January 12, 2021; Published: March 21, 2021  Show citation

ACS AIP APA ASA Harvard Chicago Chicago Notes IEEE ISO690 MLA NLM Turabian Vancouver
Rychlíková E, Beneš I, Šubrt D, Smolíková H, Hrdličková E, Tuček M, Bencko V. Contribution to understanding copper and zinc concentrations in the hair of children from the foothills of the Krušné hory mountains. Hygiena. 2021;66(1):5-9. doi: 10.21101/hygiena.a1741.
Share...
Download citation
  • BibTeX (.bib)
  • Bookends (.ris)
  • EasyBib (.ris)
  • EndNote (.enw)
  • EndNote 8 (.xml)
  • ISI WoS (.isi)
  • Medlars (.medlars)
  • Mendeley (.ris)
  • MODS (.xml)
  • Papers (.ris)
  • RefWorks (.txt)
  • RefManager (.ris)
  • RIS (.ris)
  • MS Word (.xml)
  • Zotero (.ris)
    • Open full article

    References

    1. Contaminated sites and health. Report of two WHO workshops: Syracuse, Italy, 18 November 2011; Catania, Italy, 21-22 June 2012. Copenhagen: WHO Regional Office for Europe; 2013.
    2. Haines DA, Saravanabhavan G, Werry K, Khoury C. An overview of human biomonitoring of environmental chemicals in the Canadian Health Measures Survey: 2007-2019. Int J Hyg Environ Health. 2017 Mar;220(2 Pt A):13-28. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    3. WHO, International Programme on Chemical Safety. Biomarkers in risk assessment : validity and validation. Environmental health criteria 222 [Internet]. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2001 [cited 2021 Jan 7]. Available from: http://www.inchem.org/documents/ehc/ehc/ehc222.htm.
    4. Cohen Hubal EA, Sheldon LS, Burke JM, McCurdy TR, Berry MR, Rigas ML, et al. Children's exposure assessment: a review of factors influencing Children's exposure, and the data available to characterize and assess that exposure. Environ Health Perspect. 2000 Jun;108(6):475-86. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    5. Human biomonitoring: facts and figures. Copenhagen: WHO Regional Office for Europe; 2015.
    6. Bencko V, Symon K. Test of environmental exposure to arsenic and hearing changes in exposed children. Environ Health Perspect. 1977 Aug;19:95-101. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    7. Černá M, Batáriová A, Beneš B, Pastorková A, Rössner P, Šmíd J. a kol. Systém monitorování zdravotního stavu obyvatelstva ve vztahu k životnímu prostředí. Subsystém 5. Zdravotní důsledky expozice lidského organismu toxickým látkám ze zevního prostředí. Odborná zpráva za rok 2003. Praha: SZÚ; 2004.
    8. Spěváčková V, Krsková A, Čejchanová M, Wranová K, Šmíd J, Černá M. Biologický monitoring v České republice - stopové prvky a profesionálně neexponovaná populace. Klin Biochem Metab. 2011;19(40)2:101-7.
    9. Rychlíková E. a kol. Dílčí hodnocení zdravotního rizika obyvatel lokality Kutná Hora-Kaňk [online]. Ústí nad Labem: Zdravotní ústav se sídlem v Ústí nad Labem; 2015 [cit. 2021-01-07]. Dostupné z: https://www.kutnahora.cz/file/1281_1_1/download/.
    10. Wilhelm Z. a kol. Analýza rizik znečištění pocházejícího z těžebních odpadů v lokalitě Kaňk [online]. Kunovice: EPS-biotechnology; 2018 [cit. 2021-01-04]. Dostupné z: htps://docplayer.cz/186994656-Mesto-kutna-hora-analyza-rizik-znecisteni-pochazejiciho-z-tezebnich-odpadu-v-lokalite-kank-zaverecna-zprava.html.
    11. Měď. In: Bencko V, Cikrt M, Lener J. Toxické kovy v životním a pracovním prostředí člověka. 2. vyd. Praha: Avicenum Grada Publishing; 1995. s. 177-88.
    12. Zinek. In: Bencko V, Cikrt M, Lener J. Toxické kovy v životním a pracovním prostředí člověka. 2. vyd. Praha: Avicenum Grada Publishing; 1995. s. 273-9.
    13. INCHEM.International Programme for Chemical Safety, Environmental Health Criteria 200. Copper [Internet]. Geneva: World Health Organization; 1998 [cited 2019 Sep 9]. Available from: http://www.inchem.org/documents/ehc/ehc/ehc200.htm.
    14. INCHEM. International Programme for Chemical Safety, Environmental Health Criteria Environmental Health Criteria 221. Zinc [Internet]. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2004 [cited 2021 Jan 4]. Available from: https://www.who.int/ipcs/publications/ehc/ehc_221/en/.
    15. Baars AJ, Theelen RMC, Janssen PJCM, Hesse JM, van Apeldoorn ME, Meijerink MCM, et al. Re-evaluation of human-toxicological maximum permissible risk levels. Bilthoven: RIVM; 2001.
    16. Plum LM, Rink L, Haase H. The essential toxin: impact of zinc on human health. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2010 Apr;7(4):1342-65. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    17. Mayo-Wilson E, Junior JA, Imdad A, Dean S, Chan XH, Chan ES, et al. Zinc supplementation for preventing mortality, morbidity, and growth failure in children aged 6 months to 12 years of age. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2014 May 15;(5):CD009384. doi: 10.1002/14651858. Go to original source...
    18. Bertazzo A, Costa C, Biasiolo M, Allegri G, Cirrincione G, Presti G. Determination of copper and zinc levels in human hair: influence of sex, age, and hair pigmentation. Biol Trace Elem Res. 1996 Apr;52(1):37-53. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    19. Zinc in Drinking -water. Background dokument for development of WHO Guidelines for Drinking Water Quality. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2003.
    20. Tobin DJ, editor. Hair toxicology. Cambridge (MA): RSC Publishing; 2005. Go to original source...
    21. Cassandri M, Smirnov A, Novelli F, Pitolli C, Agostini M, Malewicz M, et al. Zinc-finger proteins in health and disease. Cell Death Discov. 2017 Nov 13;3:17071. doi: 10.1038/cddiscovery.2017.71. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    22. ATSDR. Toxicological profile for copper [Internet]. Atlanta: Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry; 2004 [cited 2021 Jan 10]. Available from: https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ToxProfiles/TP.asp?id=206&tid=37.

    Return to the content