Accumulation of toxic metals of cadmium and lead in the deciduous teeth of children

Lead and cadmium are as main environment pollutants, and even in low concentrations have harmful effects on human health. Baby teeth are efficient indicators of environmental exposure of children to heavy metals. The aim of the present study is to determine the concentration of lead and cadmium in deciduous teeth of 5-12 year old girls and boys in Birjand in 2010.

In this applied research, teeth samples of children were collected from different clinics of Birjand. The samples were prepared by means of acidolysis method and metal levels were measured using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Data analysis was conducted thanks to SPSS software (version 16) and P<0.05 was taken as the significant level.

Mean amount of lead and cadmium in teeth samples was 1.96±1.62 and 0.2±0.17 µg/g, respectively. The highest levels of lead was found in children’s molar teeth, while children’s incisor teeth had a higher level of cadmium. Besides, the amount of lead and cadmium was more in the boy's samples rather than the girls'. However, the difference between the two genders was not significant.

Deciduous teeth are suitable bio indicators to monitor for environmental pollution with heavy metals. The metal levels of lead and cadmium in the teeth of boys are more than girls'. The main reason is the presence of these metals in the environment and the boy's long-term exposure to these pollutants. Keywords: Deciduous tooth, Bio indicator, Lead, Cadmium,