Evaluation of The Effect of Environmental Pollution on Metals Concentration in Primary Teeth of Children from Sari and Tehran in 2021

Background and purpose: Metals are widely influenced in environmental pollution and disease development in humans. Since children are exposed to chemicals in the environment more than adults, risk assessment should be taken into consideration. Therefore, the investigation of the difference in children's contact levels in environments with different pollution and monitoring the concentration of metals through tissue sampling are essential for identifying and preventing such effects. Materials and methods: Teeth were collected according to the inclusion criteria from dental clinics in Sari and Tehran. The samples were completely turned into powder by a grinder and prepared using an acid dissolution process to determine the concentration of metals by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Moreover, the maximum, minimum, mean, median and standard deviation values of the data were calculated. The normality of the data was determined by the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. All statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS statistical software (v. 16). Results: The average concentration of Pb, Cd, Cr, Cu, Zn, Al, Mn, Ba and Sr in two cities had a significant difference (P<0.05). In the case of the As, this difference was not significant (P>0.05). Additionally, in terms of tooth type a significant difference was observed among all these elements except Ba (P<0.05). Conclusion: It was concluded that the concentration of metals in deciduous teeth in Tehran was higher than in Sari, which can indicate its relation with more contact of children with metals in environments with higher pollution and harmful effects on human health.