KAZALCI OKOLJA

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Key message
Neutral

Due to high lead content in the environment, the Upper Meža Valley area was declared a brownfield site area in 2007 and underwent special remediation measures with the aim of protecting the health of people, especially children. Data shows that the lead exposure of children in the Upper Meža Valley improved rapidly in the early years of implementing the remediation measures, but no further improvement was observed after 2010. A prevalence study of lead levels in children's blood from the Meža Valley in 2018 even showed higher values compared to a study conducted in 2013. However, measurements taken between 2019 and 2021 showed lower values again, approaching the set goal. To further improve the situation, appropriately implemented measures, improvement of the living environment, and maintenance of the achieved results will be crucial. In the future, more targeted work with smaller groups and individual children will be necessary, focusing on those with a higher risk of lead exposure, along with providing individualized guidance to reduce children's exposure to lead.


Charts

Figure ZD17-1: Share of blood samples of children aged three living in the Upper Mežica Valley (according to lead content target value is 100 µg/l blood), 2004–2021
Sources: 

National Institute of Public Health, 2019 (12. 10. 2021)

Show data

number of children[numb.]

maximum level of lead[µg/l]

minimum level of lead[µg/l]

average lead[µg/l]

more than 100 µg/l[%]

50 µg/l or more and less than 100 µg/l[%]

less than 50 µg/l[%]

2004

20

375

23

174.80

85

10

5

2005

42

303

19

113.64

55

26

19

2006

50

480

10

115.30

50

26

24

2007

70

500

16

97.83

46

30

24

2008

73

358

13

82.42

21

47

33

2009

74

208

17

65.55

18

34

49

2010

116

301

9

46.55

9

19

72

2011

110

221

21

57.28

9

35

56

2012

84

279

15

65.58

14

35

51

2013

61

330

12

56.18

10

25

66

2014

66

517

22

76.20

17

35

49

2015

83

321

19

65.10

12

33

55

2016

89

316

18

57.40

8

34

58

2017

90

338

23

72.50

20

38

42

2018

87

172

17

59.80

16

33

51

2019

87

417

13

47.70

5

28

68

2020

80

209

11

37.90

4

16

80

2021

66

163

12

48.60

6

33

61

Figure ZD17-2: Share of three-year old children from Upper and Lower Mežica Valley according to the level of lead in blood samples in 2018 (target value is 100 mg / l blood);
Sources: 

National Institute of Public Health, 2018 (30. 10. 2019)

Show data

0-50 µg/l[µg/l]

50-100 µg/l[µg/l]

100-200 µg/l[µg/l]

200-300 µg/l[µg/l]

300-400 µg/l[µg/l]

number of children[numb.]

0-50 µg/l[%]

50-100 µg/l[%]

100-200 µg/l[%]

200-300 µg/l[%]

300-400 µg/l[%]

Upper Mežica valley

44

29

14

0

0

87

51

33

16

0

0

Lower Mežica valley

178

20

1

0

1

200

89

10

0.50

0

0.50

Figure ZD17-3: The proportion of children, aged 1-9 years, from the Upper Mežica Valley, according to the values ??of lead in blood samples in 2018 (target value is 100 mg / l blood);
Sources: 

National Institute of Public Health RU Ravne na Koroškem, 2018 (30. 10. 2019)

Show data

0-50 µg/l[µg/l]

50-100 µg/l[µg/l]

100-200 µg/l[µg/l]

200-300 µg/l[µg/l]

300-400 µg/l[µg/l]

number of children[numb.]

average - lead[µg/l]

maximum level of lead[µg/l]

0-50 µg/l[%]

50-100 µg/l[%]

100-200 µg/l[%]

200-300 µg/l[%]

300-400 µg/l[%]

2018

197

91

28

0

0

316

51

172

62.30

28.80

8.90

0

0

Figure ZD17-4: Average levels of lead in blood of children from the Upper Mežica Valley in 2008, 2013 and 2018 according to age groups (target value is 100 µg/l blood)
Sources: 

National Institute of Public Health, 2018 (30. 10. 2019)

Show data

number of children 2008[numb.]

average lead 2008[µg/l]

maximum level of lead 2008[µg/l]

number of children 2013[numb.]

average lead 2013[µg/l]

maximum level of lead 2013[µg/l]

1 to 2 years

41

79

256

31

56

227

2 to 3 years

35

94

335

26

57

330

3 to 4 years

38

71

358

35

56

212

4 to 5 years

31

68

178

51

43

192

5 to 6 years

48

74

393

46

47

232

more than 6 years

49

56

195

33

35

127

Figure ZD17-5: Measures to address identified increased levels of lead in the blood
Sources: 

National Institute of Public Health RU Ravne na Koroškem, 2019 NIJZ,  (30. 10. 2019)

Show data
Figure ZD17-6: The average of geometric levels of lead in blood of children (*arithmetic average) measured in children in some European countries for the period 1990–2008, with stated age of children
Sources: 

ENHIS, 2009 (21. 01. 2014)

Show data

lead exposure[µg/l]

Romania, 1-9 years, 1999/00

104

Hungary, 4-6 years, 1996

61

Hungary, 4-6 years, 2006

19

Bulgaria, 6-15 years, 2003*

58

Russia, 2-6 years, 1997

56

Russia, 8-9 years, 2003/05

30

Slovenia, 3 years, 2008

47

France, 1-6 years, 1995/96

37

France, 0,5-6 years, 2002/04

24

Poland, 8-13 years, 2000

36

Czech Republic, 8-11 years, 1996/01

34

Czech Republic, 8-10 years, 2006

28

Germany, 6-14 years, 1990/92

32

Germany, 3-14 years, 2003/06

15

Sweden, 3-19 years, 1991/94

27

Sweden, 7-11 years, 2007

13

Belgium, 14-15 years, 2003/04

21

Ukraine, 3-7 years, 1990/04

16

Figure ZD17-7: The average geometric levels of lead in blood of children (* arithmetic average) measured in children in some European countries in the period 1990-2007, with the stated age of children
Sources: 

ENHIS, 2009 (21. 01. 2014)

Show data

lead exposure[µg/l]

Ukraine, Dnepropetrovsk II., 3-7 years, 1990-04*

498

Ukraine, Dnepropetrovsk I., 3-7 years, 1990-04*

156

Bulgaria, Kuklen, 6-15 years, 1999/00

276

Bulgaria, Kuklen, 6-15 years, 2003

236

Bulgaria, Kurdzali, 6-15 years, 2003*

93

TFYR Macedonia, Veles, 10-14 years, 2003*

165

TFYR Macedonia, Veles, 10-14 years, 2004*

76

Russia, Far East, 3-7 years, 2007/08*

159

Russia, Lipezk, Gus, Podolsk, 5-7 years, 1998/04

46

Russia, Sverdlovsk Oblast, 3-7 years, 2007/08*

32

Poland, Silesia, 2-7 years, 1993/99

63

Poland, Legnica-Glogow, 8-13 years, 2000/03

53

Slovenia, Upper Mežica valley, 1-9 let, 2008

59

Madžarska, Heves County, 3-15 years, 2007

40



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