Lead Exposure in Children Living in a Smelter Community in Region Lagunera, Mexico

Abstract

Industrial growth has created the potential for environmental problems in Mexico, since attention to environmental controls and urban planning has lagged behind the pace of industrialization. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to assess lead exposure in children aged 6-9 yr attending 3 primary schools and living in the vicinity of the largest smelter complex in Mexico. One of the schools is located 650 m distant from a smelter complex that includes a lead smelter (close school); the second is located 1750 m away from the complex and at the side of a heavy traffic road (intermediate school) in Torreón, Coahuila. The third school is located in Gómez Palacio, Durango, 8100 m away from the smelter complex and distant from heavy vehicular traffic or industrial areas (remote school). Lead was measured in air, soil, dust, and well water. Lead in blood (PbB) was determined in 394 children attending the above mentioned schools. Determinations were performed by atomic absorption spectrometry. Diet, socioeconomic status, hygienic habits, and other variables were assessed by questionnaire. Median (range) PbB values were 7.8 µg/dl (3.54-29.61) in the remote school, 21.8 µg/dl (8.37-52.08) in the intermediate school and 27.6 µg/dl (7.37-58.53) in children attending the close school. The percentage of children with PbB >15 µg/dl was 6.8%, 84.9%, and 92.1% respectively. In this order, the geometric means (range) of Pb concentrations in air were 2.5 µg/m3 (1.1-7.5), 5.8 µg/m3 (4.3-8.5), and 6.1 µg/m3 (1.6-14.9). The Pb concentrations in dust from playgrounds areas in the intermediate and close school settings ranged from 1457 to 4162.5 mg/kg. Pb concentrations in drinking water were less than 5 µg/L. Soil and dust ingestion and inhalation appear to be the main routes of exposure. Our results indicate that environmental contamination has resulted in an increased body burden of Pb, suggesting that children living in the vicinity of the smelter complex are at high risk for adverse effects of lead.