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[ZD17] Levels of lead in children's blood in the Upper Meža Valley
Impacts

Key message
Neutral

Due to high levels of lead in the environment, area of Upper Meža Valley was proclaimed as a brownfield site in 2007 and received special remediation with the aim to protect human health, especially children. The data show that the burden of children with lead improved in the first years of the program, which was not the case after 2010. Prevalence study of blood lead burden of children from Meža Valley conducted in 2018 showed higher values of blood lead, than study conducted in 2013. For further improvement, it will be essential to implement appropriate measures, to improve the living environment and to maintain already achieved. In the future it will be required more targeted work with smaller groups and individual children, in which will be found an increased risk of lead and individual-oriented advice in favor of improving the state of lead in the blood of a child.

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, 2004-2018
Sources:

National Institute of Public Health RU Ravne na Koroškem, 2018

Show data
more than 100 µg/l 50 µg/l or more and less than 100 µg/l less than 50 µg/l
2004 85 10 5
2005 54.76 26.19 19.05
2006 50 26 24
2007 45.71 30 24.29
2008 20.55 46.58 32.88
2009 17.57 33.78 48.65
2010 9.48 18.97 71.55
2011 9.09 34.55 56.36
2012 14.29 34.52 51.19
2013 9.84 24.59 65.57
2014 16.70 34.80 48.50
2015 12 32.50 55.40
2016 7.90 33.70 58.40
2017 20 37.80 42.20
2018 16.10 33.30 50.60
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 µg/l blood)
Sources:

National Institute of Public Health RU Ravne na Koroškem, 2018

Show data
300-400 µg/l 200-300 µg/l 100-200 µg/l 50-100 µg/l 0-50 µg/l
Upper Mežica valley 0 0 16 33 51
Lower Mežica valley 0.50 0 0.50 10 89
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 µg /l blood)
Sources:

National Institute of Public Health RU Ravne na Koroškem, 2018

Show data
0-50 µg/l 50-100 µg/l 100-200 µg/l 200-300 µg/l 300-400 µg/l
2018 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 RU Ravne na Koroškem, 2018

Show data
average lead 2008 maximum level of lead 2008 average lead 2013 maximum level of lead 2013 average lead 2018 maximum level of lead 2018
1 to 2 years 79 256 56 227 48 147
2 to 3 years 94 335 57 330 69 172
3 to 4 years 71 358 56 212 51 137
4 to 5 years 68 178 43 192 57 123
5 to 6 years 74 393 47 232 46 138
more than 6 years 56 195 35 127 44 145
Figure ZD17-5: Forecast of shares of children with increased levels of lead in the coming years (the recommended limit of 100 µg /liter of blood)
Sources:

National Institute of Public Health RU Ravne na Koroškem, 2018

Show data
children with more than 100 µg/l forecast
2004 85 86.99
2005 55 63.11
2006 50 45.78
2007 46 33.21
2008 21 24.09
2009 18 17.48
2010 9 12.68
2011 9 9.20
2012 14 6.67
2013 10 4.84
2014 17 3.51
2015 12 2.55
2016 8 1.85
2017 20 1.34
2018 16 0.97
2019 0 0.71
Figure ZD17-6: Measures to address identified increased levels of lead in the blood
Sources:

National Institute of Public Health RU Ravne na Koroškem, 2018

Show data
Figure ZD17-7: 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, december 2009

Show data
lead exposure
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 ZD17-8: 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

Show data
lead exposure
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

Methodology

Date of data source summarization
Last modified
02.11.2018
Author(s)

Matej Ivartnik, Helena Pavlič, Neda Hudopisk; National Institute of Public Health, Regional Unit Ravne na Koroškem