Abstract
Abstract
Introduction. Lead (Pb) is a priority toxicant that adversely affects the health of young children, particularly during periods of intensive neurocognitive and somatic development [4]. Despite the existence of local environmental protection and sanitary-epidemiological safety programs, until 2024 the Kyrgyz Republic lacked systematic population-based data on blood lead concentrations among children aged 13–72 months. This gap hindered objective assessment of the problem’s magnitude, risk stratification, and planning of evidence-based preventive measures. [1]. Objective. To assess blood lead levels among children under 6 years of age and to estimate the prevalence of elevated blood lead. Materials and Methods. The study was conducted in 21 settlements of the Republic. Of these, 18 were classified as lead-safe areas; a total of 930 children aged 13–72 months were included from these locations. In the remaining three settlements, elevated lead levels were identified — the so-called lead-affected provinces — namely Sovetskoye village (Batken Region), the city of Mailuu-Suu (Jalal-Abad Region), and Ak-Tyuz village (Chui Region). Data were collected from 173 children in these areas. In total, 1,103 children were included in the study.The sample was formed using a multistage random sampling design with sequential selection of regions, settlements, households, and children, ensuring representativeness by geographic distribution, settlement type, and socio-environmental living conditions. Laboratory screening of blood lead concentration was performed on capillary blood using the portable LeadCare II analyzer with a minimum detection limit of 3.3 µg/dL [2]. The environmental component included household assessments using X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis to detect lead on surfaces and household items [4,5]. In addition, questionnaires administered to parents and caregivers were used to examine behavioral, household, and environmental factors of potential exposure that may increase the risk of lead intoxication among children [1,4,5]. Results. At the national level, one in five children (21%) in Kyrgyzstan had elevated blood lead levels exceeding the threshold requiring action according to WHO recommendations (5 µg/dL). This finding is of concern, as the data represent population-level lead exposure among young children in the general population, not only among those living in environmentally contaminated areas. Nationwide, blood lead exposure varied by demographic characteristics and region in the nationally representative sample. Higher blood lead levels were observed among boys, older children, children living in rural areas, and those whose parents/caregivers had lower educational attainment. Children residing in contaminated areas had significantly higher blood lead levels compared with the national population average. Mean blood lead levels were higher among boys than girls in contaminated areas. Conclusions. The study provides the first national evidence-based assessment of lead burden among children aged 13–72 months in Kyrgyzstan, confirming territorial heterogeneity, the cumulative nature of Pb exposure, and the applicability of portable and reference laboratory methods for future surveillance cycles. The findings constitute a factual basis for deeper analytical and epidemiological assessments and for the subsequent expansion of blood lead monitoring programs in the pediatric population.
