PEDIATRICS Vol. 95 No. 4 April 1995, pp. 550-554
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Survey of Lead Exposure Around a Closed Lead Smelter

Renate Kimbrough MD1, Maurice LeVois PhD1, and David Webb MS2

1 Institute for Evaluating Health Risks, Washington, DC
2 Illinois Department of Public Health, Edwardsville, IL

Objective. To test the hypothesis that elevated lead in soil is positively correlated with blood lead (BPb) levels in children in an urban population surrounding a closed lead smelter, a US Environmental Protection Agency Superfund clean-up site was surveyed.

Method. A total of 827 volunteers including 490 children under 6 years of age participated. A questionnaire was administered. Blood lead was determined as was lead content of samples of house dust, soil, paint, and water of the participants' homes.

Results. The arithmetic mean venous BPb in 490 children between 6 and 72 months of age was 6.9 µg/dL (0.33 µmol/L) range 0.7 to 40.2 µg/dL (0.03 to 1.94 µmol/L). The BPb of 78 (16%) children in this group was ge 10 µg/dL (0.48 µmol/L). Based on multiple regression modeling, lead in house dust accounted for 18% of the variance in BPb. Lead in paint together with the condition of the house were the main contributors to the dust lead variance (26%) with soil lead accounting for an additional 6%. Lead in paint alone accounted for 3% of the BPb variance. Lead in paint together with the condition of the house accounted for 12% of BPb variance, and lead in soil accounted for an additional 3%. Factors other than environmental lead such as education of parents, household income, and behavior were associated with BPb levels.

Conclusions. The mean BPb in children was below the present level of concern of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Children with BPb of ge 10 µg/L (0.48 µmol/L) tended to live in poorly maintained older houses. Based on these findings lead in soil and paint in well-maintained homes contributed little to the lead exposure of children.

Submitted on May 3, 1994
Accepted on July 26, 1994