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

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)

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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

Methodology

Date of data source summarization

Related indicators

Last modified
13.10.2021
Author(s)

Matej Ivartnik, Helena Pavlič, Neda Hudopisk; National Institute of Public Health