Skip to main content

Table 4 Blood mercury, lead and cadmium concentrations by gender, age and residence (1992, 2004)

From: Re-evaluation of blood mercury, lead and cadmium concentrations in the Inuit population of Nunavik (Québec): a cross-sectional study

 

1992

  

2004

    
 

N1

Geometric Mean

95% CI

N1

Geometric Mean

95% CI

Range

P-value2

Mercury (nmol/L)

All

492

74.8

(69.2–80.9)

917

51.2

(47,9–54,6)**

0.4–1200

 

Gender

        

Men

209

70.3

(62.1–79.6)

414

45.8

(41.5–50.5)**

0.4–1200

< 0,001

Women

283

79.9

(74.4–85.8)

503

57.6

(53.7–61.8)**

1.0–820

 

Age groups

        

18 to 24 years

107

50.6

(43.0–59.7)

206

31.5

(27.7–35.8)**

2.2–820

< 0.001

25 to 44 years

233

69.2

(62.3–76.7)

471

44.3

(40.1–48.9)**

0.4–420

 

45 to 74 years

152

135.9

(120.2–153.6)

240

106.6

(96.1–118.2)*

4.6–1200

 

Women of childbearing age (18 to 39 years)

175

64.5

(59.2–70.3)

308

41.7

(38.2–45.6)**

1.0–820

 

Region of residence

        

Hudson Bay

274

93.1

(84.2–102.8)

497

58.7

(53.1–64.8)**

0.4–1200

< 0.001

Ungava Bay

218

54.6

(48.4–61.6)

420

42.8

(38.4–97.1)**

1.0–520

 

Lead (μmol/L)

All

493

0.42

(0.40–0.44)

917

0.19

(0.18–0.20)**

0.028–2. 4

 

Gender

        

Men

209

0.46

(0.43–0.49)

414

0.22

(0.21–0.24)**

0.044–2.4

< 0,001

Women

284

0.38

(0.35–0.40)

503

0.17

(0.16–0.17)**

0.028–1.5

 

Age groups

        

18–24

107

0.31

(0.28–0.34)

206

0.14

(0.13–0.15)*

0.033–0.8

< 0.001

25–44

233

0.43

(0.40–0.46)

471

0.19

(0.17–0.20)*

0.028–2.4

 

45–74

153

0.56

(0.52–0.60)

240

0.29

(0.27–0.31)*

0.039–1.5

 

Women of childbearing age (18 to 39 years)

175

0.33

(0.31–0.36)

308

0.13

(0.12–0.14)*

0.028–1.0

 

Region of residence

        

Hudson Bay

274

0.48

(0.44–0.51)

497

0.20

(0.19–0.21)*

0.036–2.4

0.19

Ungava Bay

219

0.35

(0.33–0.37)

420

0.19

(0.18–0.20)**

0.028–1.4

 

Cadmium (nmol/L)

All

493

33.2

30.7–35.9

917

26.0

24.3–27.8**

1.4–130

 

Gender

        

Men

209

32.3

28.4–36.8

414

25.5

23.0–28.3*

2.1–110

0.6

Women

284

34.1

31.0–37.6

503

26.5

24.3–28.9*

1.4–130

 

Age groups

        

18–24

107

31.0

25.7–37.5

206

37.7

33.4–42.5

2.1–110

< 0.001

25–44

233

37.7

34.0–41.7

471

27.7

25.320.0**

1.4–110

 

45–74

153

28.0

24.2–32.5

240

17.6

19.5–20.0**

2.0–130

 

Women of childbearing age (18 to 39 years

175

46.7

42.9–50.5

308

38.1

36.0–40.3

1.4–110

 

Residence

        

Hudson Bay

274

35.4

31.8–39.4

497

28.7*

26.3–31.4

2.0–110

< 0.001

Ungava Bay

219

30.2

26.9–33.9

420

22.8*

20.5–25.2

1.4–130

 

Smoking status

        

Never Smoker

42

7.7

6.4–9.2

76

5.3 **

4.7–5.8

1.4–22

< 0.001

Ex Smoker

79

12.7

11.1–14.4

119

6.6**

6.0–7.3

2.0–23

 

Smoker

312

50.2

47.6–52.3

663

40.4**

38.9–42.1

3.2–130

 
  1. 1 Crude sample size
  2. 2 P-value for comparison between categories in 2004; based on the Satterthwaite χ2 test
  3. * Significant difference between health surveys p < 0.01
  4. ** Significant difference between health surveys p < 0.001
Back to article page

Environmental Health

ISSN: 1476-069X