Startseite Medizin Clinical significance of detectable blood lead and cadmium in the Sarno river basin population: results from the PREVES-STOP study
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Clinical significance of detectable blood lead and cadmium in the Sarno river basin population: results from the PREVES-STOP study

  • Giuseppe Di Lorenzo , Carlo Buonerba EMAIL logo , Felice Crocetto , Raffaele Baio , Antonio Verde , Vittorino Montanaro , Federica Fortino , Alessia N. Calabrese , Concetta Ingenito , Rossella Di Trolio , Serena Rizzano , Armando Pisapia , Vittorio Riccio , Emma Costa , Giovanni Riccio , Carla Errico , Francesco Del Giudice , Antonio Aliberti , Ferdinando Costabile , Giuseppina Busto , Annamaria Libroia , Antonio Coppola , Arcangelo Saggese Tozzi , Oriana Strianese und Luca Scafuri
Veröffentlicht/Copyright: 7. Mai 2025
Journal of Basic and Clinical Physiology and Pharmacology
Aus der Zeitschrift Journal of Basic and Clinical Physiology and Pharmacology Band 36 Heft 2-3

Abstract

Objectives

The Sarno river basin (Italy) is a region characterized by significant environmental pollution, raising concerns about heavy metal exposure in residents. The PREVES-STOP Initiative aims to address these concerns. This study investigates the prevalence of detectable blood lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) in a cohort of adults from this area and examines associations with key health indicators.

Methods

This study analyzed data from 75 adults (aged 30–65) participating in the PREVES-STOP Initiative. Participants completed comprehensive questionnaires assessing demographics, medical history, lifestyle factors (smoking, physical activity), and psychometric measures (fatigue, anxiety/depression, sleep quality). Blood samples were analyzed for Pb and Cd using established methods, with detectable levels defined as≥2 μg/100 mL (Pb) and ≥0.5 μg/L (Cd).

Results

Detectable Pb (18.67 % of participants) was significantly associated with higher systolic blood pressure, hemoglobin, and MCH, and inversely correlated with HDL cholesterol. Poorer sleep quality was also associated with detectable Pb. Detectable Cd (28 % of participants) was significantly associated with higher systolic blood pressure, LDL cholesterol, neutrophil count, and with higher odds of having a history of autoimmune diseases. Multivariate regression models, adjusting for age, sex, smoking status, and BMI, were used to determine these associations.

Conclusions

This study demonstrates that even low-level exposure to Pb and Cd in the Sarno river basin is associated with adverse clinical outcomes. The PREVES-STOP Initiative provides a valuable framework for community-based health assessment and intervention in areas affected by environmental pollution.

Keywords: cadmium; environmental pollution; heavy metals; lead; psychometric assessment; Sarno River
Corresponding author: Carlo Buonerba, MD, Oncology Unit, “Andrea Tortora” Hospital, ASL Salerno, Pagani, Italy; and Associazione O.R.A. ETS-Oncology Research Assistance, Salerno, Italy, E-mail:
Giuseppe Di Lorenzo and Carlo Buonerba contributed equally to this work.

Acknowledgments

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all the patients who participated in this study. We also acknowledge the valuable contributions of “Fondazione Peppino Scoppa-Angri (Salerno, Italy)” and “Studio Medico Sant’Alfonso–Pagani (Salerno, Italy)”, which freely provided their offices for participant visits. We would like to thank DICAL SRL for providing free boxes of LOLLO CAFFE’ to the participants to the Initiative. We would like to thank prof. Mauro Iuliano from the Department of Chemistry of University Federico II of Naples for his expert review.

  1. Research ethics: This study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and approved by the Ethics Council for Scientific Research (Institutional Review Board Associazione ORA ETS Protocol 00324, 16 December 2024).

  2. Informed consent: This study strictly adhered to GDPR regulations to ensure participant privacy and data confidentiality, including only participants who provided explicit consent for their anonymized data to be used for research.

  3. Author contributions: All authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this manuscript and approved its submission.

  4. Use of Large Language Models, AI and Machine Learning Tools: None declared

  5. Conflict of interest: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

  6. Research funding: We would like to acknowledge the “Comune di Pagani” (Protocol AOO.065088\2024) “Sinergie in Rete” (Public Fundraising Event held on 26 February 2024 in Sarno, Salerno, Italy) and DICAL SRL for their support of the PREVES-STOP Initiative.

  7. Data availability: The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author, CB. The data are not publicly available due to privacy restrictions.

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Received: 2025-02-26
Accepted: 2025-03-15
Published Online: 2025-05-07

© 2025 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

Artikel in diesem Heft

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  2. Reviews
  3. Navigating nephropathy and nephrotoxicity: understanding pathophysiology unveiling clinical manifestations, and exploring treatment approaches
  4. Incretin-based therapies: advancements, challenges, and future directions in type 2 diabetes management
  5. Point-of-care testing: revolutionizing clinical biochemistry using decentralized diagnostics
  6. The impact of heavy metals exposure on male fertility: a scoping review of human studies
  7. Glucagon in glucose homeostasis and metabolic disease: from physiology to therapeutics
  8. The efficacy of dietary supplements on health status and performance of football players: a systematic review
  9. Original Articles
  10. Factors affecting self-care in heart failure patients: a cross-sectional study
  11. Physiological regulation of moderate-intensity exercise in improving the biomarkers visfatin and myonectin as a modulator of increasing metabolic performance in obese
  12. A comparative study of heart rate variability (HRV) among adult hypertensive and normotensive subjects in the supine position
  13. Elevated seminal plasma leptin may correlate with varicocele presence and BMI
  14. Clinical significance of detectable blood lead and cadmium in the Sarno river basin population: results from the PREVES-STOP study
  15. Outcomes of systemic thrombolysis with reteplase in high-risk acute pulmonary embolism
  16. The pharmacokinetics and comparative bioavailabilty of oral and subcutaneous semaglutide in healthy volunteers
  17. Short Communications
  18. Approaching a phenomenal contradiction in acid–base physiology
  19. Current trends and innovations in oral and maxillofacial surgery
  20. Letter to the Editor
  21. The need for quality certification for urological apps
https://doi.org/10.1515/jbcpp-2025-0037
Schlagwörter für diesen Artikel
cadmium; environmental pollution; heavy metals; lead; psychometric assessment; Sarno River

Artikel in diesem Heft

  1. Frontmatter
  2. Reviews
  3. Navigating nephropathy and nephrotoxicity: understanding pathophysiology unveiling clinical manifestations, and exploring treatment approaches
  4. Incretin-based therapies: advancements, challenges, and future directions in type 2 diabetes management
  5. Point-of-care testing: revolutionizing clinical biochemistry using decentralized diagnostics
  6. The impact of heavy metals exposure on male fertility: a scoping review of human studies
  7. Glucagon in glucose homeostasis and metabolic disease: from physiology to therapeutics
  8. The efficacy of dietary supplements on health status and performance of football players: a systematic review
  9. Original Articles
  10. Factors affecting self-care in heart failure patients: a cross-sectional study
  11. Physiological regulation of moderate-intensity exercise in improving the biomarkers visfatin and myonectin as a modulator of increasing metabolic performance in obese
  12. A comparative study of heart rate variability (HRV) among adult hypertensive and normotensive subjects in the supine position
  13. Elevated seminal plasma leptin may correlate with varicocele presence and BMI
  14. Clinical significance of detectable blood lead and cadmium in the Sarno river basin population: results from the PREVES-STOP study
  15. Outcomes of systemic thrombolysis with reteplase in high-risk acute pulmonary embolism
  16. The pharmacokinetics and comparative bioavailabilty of oral and subcutaneous semaglutide in healthy volunteers
  17. Short Communications
  18. Approaching a phenomenal contradiction in acid–base physiology
  19. Current trends and innovations in oral and maxillofacial surgery
  20. Letter to the Editor
  21. The need for quality certification for urological apps
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