Blood Lead Levels in Children from Lower Socioeconomic Communities in Denver, Colorado

Abstract

We measured blood lead levels and inquired about environmental exposure pathways in 443 children aged 6 mo to 6 y in four lower socioeconomic Denver, Colorado, neighborhoods. Two neighborhoods were adjacent to a cadmium refinery. Eight percent of the children had blood lead levels > or = 10 micrograms/dl and 45% were below the detection limit of 4 micrograms/dl. Statistical analyses specific to the problem of below-detection values (i.e., dichotomization of variables, the probability plot method of estimation, and the bootstrap estimate of the standard error) were conducted to detect neighborhood differences. A child who lived in Globeville, the neighborhood surrounding the refinery, had a slightly higher probability of having a blood lead level > or = 5 micrograms/dl. Yet, the results as a whole documented the striking decline in blood lead levels in urban children after the deleading of gasoline.

Effect of dietary calcium intake on lead exposure in Inuit children attending childcare centres in Nunavik

“…However, this could not be captured by a one-day recall as we did not observe any significant association between consumption of traditional foods and children's BLLs. Other studies found a negative association between children's age and BLLs (Brody et al 1994;Gottlieb & Koehler 1994;Elias et al 2007). The main sources of lead exposure in these studies were possibly lead-based paint and lead-contaminated house dust, air and soil, which affect younger children more than older ones due to infants and toddlers' mouthing behaviour.…”

Lead Poisoning and Associated Risk Factors Among Preschoolers Enrolled in a Head Start Program

“…Similarly, although there are studies with rural and suburban samples, the majority of recent studies used samples of children living in northern cities where exposure to lead is theorized to be highest (Dalton et al, 1996;Gottlieb & Koehler, 1994;Haan, Gerson, & Zishka, 1996;Lucas, Sexton, & Langenberg, 1996;Needleman et al, 1996;Schaffer, Szilagyi, & Weitzman, 1994). Further, research on the correlates of lead toxicity is limited with exception of the studies (Binns, LeBailly, Poncher, Kinsella, & Saunders, 1994;Dalton et al, 1996;Nordin et al, 1994;Rooney, Hayes, Allen, & Strutt, 1994;Schaffer, Kincaid, Endres, & Weitzman, 1996;Schaffer et al, 1994;Tejeda, Wyatt, Rostek, & Solomon, 1994) that investigated the predictability of specific items within the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) questionnaire in explaining the development of elevated lead levels.…”