Knowledge about changes in exposure to toxic metals over time remains very sparse, in particular for children, the most vulnerable group. Here, we assessed whether a reduction in environmental pollution with cadmium (Cd) and mercury (Hg) caused a change in exposure over time. In total, 1257 children (age 4-9) in two towns in Sweden were sampled once in 1986-2013. Blood concentrations of Cd (b-Cd; n=1120) and Hg (b-Hg; n=560) were determined.
The median b-Cd was 0.10 (geometric mean 0.10; range 0.010-0.61) ?g/L and b-Hg was 0.91 (geometric mean 0.83; range 0.021-8.2) ?g/L. Children living close to a smelter had higher b-Cd and b-Hg than those in urban and rural areas. There was no sex difference in b-Cd or b-Hg, and b-Cd and b-Hg showed no significant accumulation by age. b-Cd decreased only slightly (0.7% per year, p