Blood Lead Levels and Risk Factors for Lead Toxicity in Children from Schools and an Urban Slum in Delhi

Abstract

This cross-sectional study was conducted to estimate the mean blood lead levels (BLL) and prevalence of lead toxicity in a representative sample of schoolchildren and children residing in an urban slum. In addition, the association of potential environmental risk factors with elevated BLL was studied. Children aged 4-6 years were selected from schools of the South zone of Delhi (n = 125) and from an urban slum (n = 65). Risk factors were recorded using a pre-tested questionnaire and blood lead and zinc protoporphyrin (ZPP) levels were estimated. The mean BLL was 7.8 microg/dl (SD 3.9) and the proportion of children with blood lead > or = 10 microg/dl was 18.4 per cent. Distance of the residence or school from a main road appeared to be associated with higher blood lead concentrations, but these differences were not statistically significant. In our setting, vehicular pollution may be a major contributing factor in lead contamination of the environment.

Iron Fortification Reduces Blood Lead Levels in Children in Bangalore, India

“…[6][7][8][9][10][11][12] In urban areas of China and India, 20% to 60% of children have blood lead levels of 10 to 30 g/dL. [8][9][10] In poor areas of Johannesburg, South Africa, 78% of 6-to 9-year-olds have blood lead levels between 10 and 25 g/dL. 11 In 4-to 12-year-old children in Dhaka, Bangladesh, 70% had blood lead concentrations between 10 and 20 g/dL.…”

“…6,7 In the larger cities of China, South Asia, and Africa, 20% to 78% of children have elevated blood lead levels. [6][7][8][9][10][11][12] At the same time, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that nearly half of school-aged children in developing countries are iron-deficient. 1 Both iron deficiency 13,14 and lead poisoning [15][16][17] can permanently impair neurocognitive development in children.…”

Animals as Sentinels for Human Lead Exposure: A Case Report

“…Though acute lead poisoning is relatively rare in children [6], chronic childhood lead poisoning is described as one of the most common environmentally caused diseases in children of the USA and developing world [7]. This is due to the continued presence of lead in the environment from sources that predate current lead use regulations in the developed world [8][9][10][11] and the lack of implementation of regulations against the use of lead in developing countries [12][13][14]. Lead poisoning remains common in animal agriculture and is the most common heavy metal toxicosis in cattle [15].…”

Childhood Correlates of Blood Lead Levels in Mumbai and Delhi

“…Previous studies based on regional data have estimated that more than half of the children in India have BLLs ≥10 μg/dL (George Foundation 1999; Kaul 1999; Patel et al 2001), which is the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) definition of elevated BLL in children (CDC 2000). However, only a few studies with relatively small sample sizes have attempted to investigate factors associated with BLLs in Indian children (Kalra et al 2003; Patel et al 2001). …”