Environmental Lead, Soil Contamination, and Child Health Effects in Less-Developed Nations: Comparative International Research, 1980–2006

Abstract

This investigation provides a survey of the research on lead pollution in soil environments and health effects especially in children in developing nations. Using major internet bibliographic databases, this research analyzed the research on soil contaminated with lead by national location, type of soil and media surveyed, technical survey methods, lead emission sources, and suspected child health effects. This study indicated that in developing nations the emphasis of research studies and surveys concerning lead contamination in soils has differed from that of the developed nations. One major priority in soil contamination studies in less-developed nations has been establishing Pb levels in highway areas and farmlands. These studies have emphasized that soils suspected of lead distributions linked to traffic and leaded gasoline also have been associated with unhealthy blood lead levels in proximate populations of children. Overall, in less-developed nations, soil analysis data is frequently the primary source of environmental Pb data and is used to assess possible human health problems. International recognition of the problem of childhood environmental health has been growing. Soil analysis for lead contamination is an important aspect of the environmental research needed in sites throughout less-developed nations undergoing rapid industrialization and urban growth.