Health risk for children from lead and cadmium near a non-ferrous smelter in Bulgaria.

In an interdisciplinary approach the exposure to lead and cadmium of the population living in the vicinity of a Bulgarian non-ferrous metallurgical plant was studied to determine the routes of exposure. Two exposed villages situated 4 and 6 km SW and W, respectively,--in the plume of the plant's emissions--and a village for comparison situated 14 km SE of the plant were selected for the study. The blood of children aged 3-13 years from the exposed villages (n = 111) and the village for comparison (n = 18) was analyzed for lead (PbB) and cadmium (CdB) as well as for free erythrocyte protoporphyrin (FEP) and haematological parameters.

Comparative study on the effects of five benzoylphenylurea insecticides on haematological parameters in rats.

Five benzoylphenylurea insecticides were administered to male Wistar rats for 28 days at oral doses of 100 mg kg-1 each. Elevation of methaemoglobin was found only in the diflubenzuron- and triflumuron treated groups. The number of reticulocytes was increased in all of the treated groups.