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Abstract:
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High levels of metal exposures is a public health issue due to their potential health effects. Recent exposure patterns to multiple metals in the U.S. population have not been examined. We applied principal components analysis to 7 metals in whole blood in the NHANES 2011-12 national survey data: lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), total mercury (THg), selenium (Se), manganese (Mn), inorganic mercury (IHg), and methyl mercury (MeHg). The first eigenvalue (2.48) obtained from this analysis explained 35% of variation; the second (1.20) explained 17%. The first principal component was strongly correlated with THg (r = 0.93), MeHg (0.89), and IHg (0.56). In contrast, the second principal component was correlated with Pb (0.70) and Cd (0.62). Greater education attainment and income level, Asian ethnicity, and fish/shellfish consumption had the highest scores (90th percentile and above) for the first principal component; however, sex and smoking status did not differ between participants with highest scores versus the general population. In contrast, the participants with highest scores for the second principal component were of lower education and lower income, and primarily male and smokers.
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