Blood Lead Concentrations in Maternal and Cord Blood Evaluated by Two Analytic Methods

Abstract

In this study the authors determined the relationship between blood lead concentrations in pregnant women and newborns, using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS) and the LeadCare System (LCS). Fifty-five pregnant women admitted for delivery from June to August 2002 at a hospital in Brazil were included in the study. Blood samples were taken from the women and from umbilical cords to determine serum lead concentrations. Only 3 women had blood lead concentrations ⩾ 0.48 μmol/L. There were correlations between lead concentrations in women and newborns using either GFAAS (r = 0.83, p < .001) or the LCS (r = 0.75, p < .001). However, there were no statistically significant correlations between the GFAAS and LCS methods, probably because most of the women did not have high concentrations of lead (⩾ 0.48 μmol/L). Considering the discrepancy the authors found between the LCS method and the traditional GFAAS method, the authors advise against using the LCS method, especially in populations with levels of lead ⩽ 0.48 μmol/L.

Keywords:

• lead contamination
• maternal blood
• pregnant women
• umbilical cord