Journal of Dental Research, Vol 69, 90-93, Copyright © 1990 by International & American Associations for Dental Research Online Journals
Comparison of lead levels in human permanent teeth from Strasbourg, Mexico City, and rural zones of Alsace
R. M. Frank, M. L. Sargentini-Maier, J. C. Turlot and M. J. Leroy
Centre de Recherches (Unite mixte CNRS-INSERM), Faculte de Chirurgie Dentaire, Universite Louis Pasteur, Strasbourg, France.
A comparative study of the mean lead concentrations in enamel and dentin of
human premolars and permanent molars was conducted by means of a systematic
sampling procedure with energy-dispersive x-ray fluorescence analysis. In a
first series of analyses, no significant statistical differences in mean
lead concentrations at various levels of enamel and dentin were noted
between young patients of Strasbourg and those of small villages of Alsace,
nor between elderly patients living in these two locations, despite the
fact that motor traffic was significantly lower in the rural zones.
However, in both locations, a significantly higher concentration of lead
was observed in enamel and dentin in relation to age. In a second series of
analyses, the mean lead concentrations of both dental hard tissues of
premolars and permanent molars of young individuals from Strasbourg, rural
Alsace, and Mexico City were compared. Significantly higher mean lead
concentrations were found in enamel and dentin samples from Mexico City.
This was most evident for inner coronal dentin (5.7 and 6.1 times greater
than in teeth of Strasbourg and rural zones of Alsace, respectively) and
for pulpal root dentin (6.9 and 8.9 times greater than in teeth of
Strasbourg and rural zones of Alsace). It is proposed that the higher lead
concentrations are related to the higher lead content of motor gasoline and
to more intense traffic conditions. The dental hard tissues appear to be of
value for the study of environmental lead pollution.
