Lead in bone. IV. Distribution of lead in the human skeleton

LE Wittmers Jr, J Wallgren, A Alich… - Archives of …, 1988 - Taylor & Francis
LE Wittmers Jr, J Wallgren, A Alich, AC Aufderheide, G Rapp Jr
Archives of Environmental Health: An International Journal, 1988Taylor & Francis
Flameless atomic absorption spectroscopy was used to measure lead concentrations in
samples from 5 selected human skeletal sites (tibia, skull, rib, ilium, and vertebra) obtained
from 134 hospital autopsies. Lead was distributed unequally among the different bones in
distinct patterns that were age-, and to some extent, sex-dependent. To estimate lead
concentration of the entire skeleton, all skeletal bones were divided into 5 groups based on
their approximate compact/trabecular bone ratios, considering each of our 5 sampled sites …
Abstract
Flameless atomic absorption spectroscopy was used to measure lead concentrations in samples from 5 selected human skeletal sites (tibia, skull, rib, ilium, and vertebra) obtained from 134 hospital autopsies. Lead was distributed unequally among the different bones in distinct patterns that were age-, and to some extent, sex-dependent. To estimate lead concentration of the entire skeleton, all skeletal bones were divided into 5 groups based on their approximate compact/trabecular bone ratios, considering each of our 5 sampled sites to be the prototype for each such group. Regression analysis of the 10 possible bone site pair values at different ages yielded age-related constants. These constants were incorporated into an equation we developed that can be used both to estimate mean skeletal lead concentration (Pb) of the entire body skeleton and also to predict the lead concentration at any of the other 4 bone sites if any 1 of the 5 is measured. Applications of these data to in vivo bone lead measurements are detailed with respect to selection of the site to be measured, estimation of total skeletal lead burden, anticipated variations or error, and dependence of these factors on age and sex of the sampled population.
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