Continual decrease in blood lead levels in children of Hoboken (Antwerp, Belgium)

Abstract

TPS 621: Exposure to metals, Johan Friso Foyer, Floor 1, August 26, 2019, 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM Background: In the early 1970s, in the district northeast of a non-ferrous metallurgy in Hoboken, health problems were observed and related to environmental heavy metal exposure. As a result, lead exposure in children living in the neighbourhood of this industry has been monitored via blood tests twice a year since 1978. The study focuses on children because they have both higher health risk at lower doses and higher exposure risk e.g. due to more frequent hand-to-mouth contact and higher intestinal absorption. Method: From 1978 to 2018, all children between the age of 1 and 12 years living in the district approximate to the metallurgy were invited for a blood test at school or at a service centre. Capillary blood samples were obtained through a finger prick. A control school was included since autumn 1993. Results: Over the last thirty years, the mean blood lead level declined from 21.5 µg/dl to 3.9 µg/dl. Blood lead levels were higher in children living in the zone close to the factory and in the youngest age group (preschool children). In the most recent campaign, i.e. in autumn 2018, 206 of the 404 children from the district were investigated. The mean blood lead level of children living in the district was significantly higher than the control group (district: 3.9 μg/dl; control: 1.9 µg/dl). Twenty-three percent of the children living in the district had a blood lead level above the reference value of 5 μg/dl. Conclusion: Even though the levels of lead in blood are decreasing over time, we still observe elevated blood lead levels in children living in the neighbourhood compared to those living outside the neighbourhood. A quarter of the children exceeds the health-based guideline. Therefore, continuous monitoring in hotspot areas is important and further actions are needed to promote and protect public health.