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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
Last modified: 02.11.2018
Author(s): Matej Ivartnik, Helena Pavlič, Neda Hudopisk; National Institute of Public Health, Regional Unit Ravne na Koroškem

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