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Table 4 Median whole blood heavy metal concentrations by selected environmental characteristics1

From: Assessment of blood levels of heavy metals including lead and manganese in healthy children living in the Katanga settlement of Kampala, Uganda

 

n (%)

Antimony, μg/L

p2

Cadmium, μg/L

p

Cobalt, μg/L

p

Copper, μg/L

p

Lead, μg/dL

p

Manganese, μg/L

p

House

Wall material3

 Cement

53 (55.2)

6.7 (5.8, 7.3)

0.75

0.09 (0.04, 0.14)

0.78

0.39 (0.29, 0.53)

0.84

1142 (997, 1429)

0.62

5.6 (3.9, 6.9)

0.22

17.2 (10.4, 27.1)a

0.04

 Mud/dung

40 (43.8)

6.4 (5.5, 7.5)

 

0.08 (0.04, 0.13)

 

0.46 (0.33, 0.62)

 

1160 (1061, 1437)

 

6.1 (4.7, 8.9)

 

12.2 (9.4, 19.0)b

 

 Other

3 (3.1)

7.1 (6.6, 7.3)

 

0.11 (0.01, 0.14)

 

0.54 (0.21, 0.85)

 

1204 (945, 1260)

 

6.6 (3.7, 9.4)

 

9.0 (8.7, 20.8) a,b

 

Painted walls,3 doors, windows

 No

67 (69.8)

6.6 (5.7, 7.4)

0.56

0.09 (0.04, 0.14)

0.42

0.48 (0.31, 0.65)

0.08

1208 (1072, 1446)

0.84

6.1 (4.7, 8.8)

0.50

13.2 (9.4, 21.6)

0.87

 Yes

29 (30.2)

6.6 (5.5, 7.1)

 

0.06 (0.03, 0.12)

 

0.36 (0.28, 0.45)

 

1107 (977, 1386)

 

4.5 (3.9, 5.8)

 

15.5 (9.3, 24.7)

 

Floor material

 Cement4

51 (54.3)

6.6 (5.7, 7.2)

0.51

0.09 (0.04, 0.14)

0.78

0.40 (0.28, 0.52)

0.53

1135 (987, 1463)

0.39

5.6 (4.0, 6.3)

0.89

15.8 (9.3, 27.6)

0.04

 Mud/ dung/clay

43 (45.7)

6.6 (5.7, 7.4)

 

0.08 (0.04, 0.13)

 

0.45 (0.32, 0.58)

 

1171 (1050, 1355)

 

6.1 (4.7, 8.9)

 

12.0 (9.0, 18.5)

 

Windows5

 No

52 (67.5)

6.4 (5.5, 7.1)

0.08

0.09 (0.04, 0.14)

0.75

0.40 (0.29, 0.54)

0.77

1114 (978, 1345)

0.28

5.7 (4.1, 7.7)

0.30

12.9 (8.6, 19.7)

0.26

 Yes

25 (32.5)

7.0 (6.5, 7.7)

 

0.08 (0.06, 0.12)

 

0.41 (0.31, 0.54)

 

1260 (1106, 1260)

 

6.1 (4.6, 7.2)

 

15.1 (10.5, 19.6)

 

Water/Cooking

Drinking water

 Community tap

66 (66.0)

6.6 (5.8, 7.5)

0.88

0.08 (0.04, 0.13)

0.59

0.40 (0.28, 0.54)

0.49

1133 (997, 1382)

0.52

5.6 (3.9, 6.4)

0.10

13.0 (9.3, 20.9)

0.36

 Tap in home

18 (18.0)

6.4 (5.7, 6.8)

 

0.09 (0.03, 0.15)

 

0.41 (0.27, 0.63)

 

1227 (1063, 1467)

 

5.9 (4.7, 8.7)

 

13.5 (10.5, 15.8)

 

 Well or spring

16 (16.0)

6.6 (5.6, 7.3)

 

0.09 (0.05, 0.15)

 

0.48 (0.33, 0.55)

 

1492 (1092, 1493)

 

7.1 (5.7, 10.1)

 

20.2 (9.3, 30.1)

 

Cooking where?3

 Inside

53 (55.2)

6.5 (5.7, 7.3)

0.44

0.09 (0.04, 0.14)

0.40

0.45 (0.31, 0.55)

0.93

1159 (1050, 1444)

0.22

5.8 (4.5, 7.7)

0.26

13.0 (8.7, 19.7)

0.27

 Outside

43 (44.8)

6.6 (5.8, 7.3)

 

0.07 (0.03, 0.12)

 

0.41 (0.28, 0.53)

 

1160 (1005, 1427)

 

5.8 (4.4, 7.7)

 

15.0 (10.5, 25.3)

 

Home located near

Main road6

 5 m or less

32 (32.3)

6.7 (5.5, 8.2)

0.22

0.07 (0.04, 0.13)

0.66

0.44 (0.31, 0.60)

0.73

1135 (982, 1416)

0.60

6.0 (4.6, 8.1)

0.46

17.1 (9.7, 27.1)

0.10

 ¼ mile +

67 (67.7)

6.5 (5.7, 7.2)

 

0.09 (0.04, 0.14)

 

0.41 (0.28, 0.54)

 

1195 (1032, 1429)

 

5.7 (4.4, 7.7)

 

13.1 (9.0, 20.2)

 

Landfill6

 No

94 (94.9)

6.6 (5.7, 7.3)

0.57

0.09 (0.04, 0.13)

0.88

0.41 (0.28, 0.54)

0.01

1165 (1009, 1429)

0.87

5.7 (4.4, 7.4)

0.30

13.6 (9.3, 21.6)

0.65

 Yes

5 (5.1)

6.5 (6.5, 6.8)

 

0.06 (0.04, 0.11)

 

0.76 (0.39, 1.2)

 

1160 (1049, 1208)

 

7.9 (6.4, 8.9)

 

13.0 (12.5, 24.3)

 

Fuel station6

 No

89 (89.9)

6.6 (5.7, 7.3)

0.97

0.08 (0.04, 0.13)

0.71

0.42 (0.27, 0.55)

0.37

1171 (1038, 1429)

0.88

5.8 (4.5, 7.7)

0.70

14.7 (9.7, 24.1)

0.12

 Yes

10 (10.1)

6.7 (6.0, 7.3)

 

0.10 (0.02, 0.13)

 

0.39 (0.35, 0.45)

 

1055 (965, 1260)

 

4.7 (3.9, 6.6)

 

9.6 (8.6, 12.9)

 

Child’s School

Attends school?

 No

84 (84.0)

6.6 (6.8, 7.3)

0.64

0.08 (0.03, 0.12)

< 0.01

0.42 (0.29, 0.54)

0.37

1206 (1030, 1437)

0.93

5.8 (4.4, 7.3)

0.15

13.6 (9.4, 23.8)

0.94

 Yes

16 (16.0)

6.4 (5.2, 6.9)

 

0.12 (0.08, 0.20)

 

0.40 (0.27, 0.51)

 

1100 (1018, 1232)

 

6.9 (4.9, 9.7)

 

12.9 (8.5, 24.6)

 

Cigarettes

Smoke in home6

 No

83 (83.8)

6.6 (5.8, 7.4)

0.25

0.08 (0.03, 0.13)

0.31

0.41 (0.28, 0.58)

0.77

1195 (1009, 1429)

0.69

5.8 (4.4, 7.7)

0.34

13.5 (9.4, 20.9)

0.94

 Yes

16 (16.2)

6.3 (5.3, 6.8)

 

0.08 (0.06, 0.13)

 

0.43 (0.30, 0.50)

 

1124 (1041, 1429)

 

6.0 (4.9, 7.7)

 

15.0 (8.3, 26.6)

 
  1. 1Median blood metal values by potential environmental determinant in 100 Ugandan children living in Katanga urban settlement enrolled in a cross-sectional survey; 2P-value for dichotomous comparisons and from ANOVA for comparisons among three groups, with Tukey’s test for post-hoc pairwise comparisons. All metals were log-transformed before parametric analysis; 3n = 96; 4n = 94; 5n = 77; 6n = 99
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