Vol. 36 (2026): Volumen 36
Artículos de investigación

Blood lead levels in child population from Velardeña, Durango: a preliminary study

Edgar Héctor Olivas Calderón Universidad Juárez del Estado de Durango Facultad de Ciencias Químicas Gómez Palacio
Rolando Adair Facio Campos
Cristo Omar Puente Valenzuela Universidad Juárez del Estado de Durango Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas Gómez Palacio
Jorge Alejandro Sosa Gutiérrez Universidad Juárez del Estado de Durango Facultad de Ciencias Químicas Gómez Palacio

Published 2026-09-30

How to Cite

Olivas Calderón, E. H., Facio Campos, R. A., Puente Valenzuela, C. O., & Sosa Gutiérrez, J. A. (2026). Blood lead levels in child population from Velardeña, Durango: a preliminary study. Acta Universitaria, 36, 1-9. https://doi.org/10.15174/au.2026.4766

Abstract

Lead (Pb) is particularly harmful to children because their bodies are more sensitive to its toxic effects. Even low levels of environmental exposure can affect the nervous system, neurological development, and growth. The purpose of this study was to measure blood Pb levels in children aged 6 to 12 years living in Velardeña, Durango. For this, the atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS) technique was applied to whole blood samples from 20 children. An average concentration of 10.90 µg/dL was obtained, with no significant differences between sexes or age groups. All participants exceeded the maximum limit (5 µg/dL) established by the World Health Organization (WHO), highlighting the need for continuous monitoring of Pb exposure in vulnerable communities and the implementation of preventive actions against likely metal exposure.

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