| Title: | Interdisciplinary assessment of children’s lead exposure in residential areas degraded by mining (Upper Meža Valley, Slovenia) |
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| Authors: | ID Bavec, Špela (Author)
ID Čeru, Teja (Author)
ID Kirinčič, Stanislava (Author)
ID Ivartnik, Matej (Author)
ID Golja, Viviana (Author)
ID Turšič, Janja (Author)
ID Teran, Klemen (Author)
ID Miler, Miloš (Author) |
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| Files: |  PDF - Presentation file, download (2,30 MB)
MD5: 01F1F0ED4ECE94A21E3B86E3B875A989
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| Language: | English |
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| Typology: | 1.01 - Original Scientific Article |
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| Organization: |  GeoZS - Geological Survey of Slovenia
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| Abstract: | Children’s lead exposure in three mining-impacted residential areas (Črna, Mežica and Žerjav) was modelled using the Integrated Exposure Uptake Biokinetic Model for Lead in Children (IEUBK). Site-specific environmental and dietary Pb source values were determined for modelling. For the first time, dietary exposure from both market and local foods was studied in detail. Children (Group 1: 24–36 and Group 2: 36–48 months) geometric mean blood lead levels (BLLs) were predicted and lead uptake from multiple sources was quantified according to the different dietary exposure scenarios. Biomonitoring data were used for validation. Site-specific soil, house dust and local food Pb contents are higher than legislative and background levels, remaining a cause for concern. Drinking tap water concentrations and outdoor air contents were found in acceptable levels. The determined dietary exposures, ranging from 0.7 to 3.3 µg/kg bw/day, were above the benchmark dose level of 0.5 µg/kg bw/day for developmental neurotoxicity set for Pb in children, indicating a health concern. In general, the estimated BLLs matched reasonably well with the observed BLLs in the Črna and Mežica area for both age groups and in the Žerjav area for Group 2. For Group 1, in the Žerjav area, the output of the IEUBK model overestimated the actual BLLs of the children. For both groups, the primary exposure pathway in Žerjav is from soil/dust, ranging from 55.3 to 84.8%. In Črna and Mežica, soil/dust exposure ranged between 24.2 and 57.8% and between 26.4 and 61.7%, respectively, indicating that dietary exposure predominates when local foods are included. The results of our study also suggest that using the IEUBK default diet value would reduce the dietary exposure up to 25.2% in Črna, 24.2% in Mežica and 8.6% in Žerjav. One of the main findings is that a diet containing local foods can be an important source of lead in mining-contaminated areas. |
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| Keywords: | IEUBK model, blood lead level, soil, house dust, dietary exposure, risk assessment |
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| Publication status: | Published |
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| Publication version: | Version of Record |
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| Publication date: | 14.06.2025 |
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| Publisher: | Springer Nature |
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| Year of publishing: | 2025 |
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| Number of pages: | str. 1159–1177 |
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| Numbering: | vol. 17, no. 5 |
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| PID: | 20.500.12556/DiRROS-23637  |
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| UDC: | 504.5 |
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| ISSN on article: | 2451-9685 |
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| DOI: | 10.1007/s12403-025-00716-1 |
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| COBISS.SI-ID: | 239572995 |
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| Publication date in DiRROS: | 18.09.2025 |
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| Views: | 318 |
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| Downloads: | 112 |
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