Abstract

Exposure to heavy metals can affect cell differentiation, neurocognitive development, and growth during early life, even in low doses. Little is known about heavy metal exposure and its relationship with nutrition outcomes in non-mining rural environments. We carried out a community-based cross-sectional study to describe the distribution of four heavy metal concentrations [arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), and mercury (Hg)] in the serum of a representative population of children aged 12 to 59 months old from the rural region of Popokabaka, Democratic Republic of Congo. The four metals were measured in 412 samples using inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (ICP–MS). Limits of detection (LoD) and quantification (LoQ) were set. Percentiles were reported. Statistical and geospatial bivariate analyses were performed to identify relationships with other nutrition outcomes. Arsenic was quantified in 59.7%, while Cd, Hg, and Pb were quantified in less than 10%, all without toxicities. The arsenic level was negatively associated with the zinc level, while the Hg level was positively associated with the selenium level. This common detection of As in children of Popokabaka requires attention, and urgent drinking water exploration and intervention for the profit of the Popokabaka community should be considered.

Details

Title
Heavy metals in children's blood from the rural region of Popokabaka, Democratic Republic of Congo: a cross-sectional study and spatial analysis
Author
Mbunga, Branly Kilola 1 ; Gjengedal, Elin L. F. 2 ; Bangelesa, Freddy 3 ; Langfjord, Mina M. 2 ; Bosonkie, Marc M. 1 ; Strand, Tor A. 4 ; Mapatano, Mala Ali 1 ; Engebretsen, Ingunn M. S. 5 

 University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (GRID:grid.9783.5) (ISNI:0000 0000 9927 0991) 
 Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Ås, Norway (GRID:grid.19477.3c) (ISNI:0000 0004 0607 975X) 
 University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (GRID:grid.9783.5) (ISNI:0000 0000 9927 0991); University of Würzburg, Institute of Geography and Geology, Würzburg, Germany (GRID:grid.8379.5) (ISNI:0000 0001 1958 8658) 
 University of Bergen, Centre for International Health, Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, Bergen, Norway (GRID:grid.7914.b) (ISNI:0000 0004 1936 7443); Innlandet Hospital Trust, Department of Research, Lillehammer, Norway (GRID:grid.412929.5) (ISNI:0000 0004 0627 386X) 
 University of Bergen, Centre for International Health, Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, Bergen, Norway (GRID:grid.7914.b) (ISNI:0000 0004 1936 7443) 
Publication year
2022
Publication date
2022
Publisher
Nature Publishing Group
e-ISSN
20452322
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
2731635964
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2022. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.