Lead and Arsenic in Shed Deciduous Teeth of Children Living Near a Lead-Acid Battery Smelter

Abstract

Lead (Pb) is a potent neurotoxicant with no safe level of exposure. Elevated levels of Pb and arsenic (As) are found in the air and soil near facilities that recycle lead-acid batteries in the United States. In urban Los Angeles County, California, a facility processed ~11 million batteries per year and operated for decades without proper environmental review. Measuring Pb and As in shed deciduous teeth is a promising technique to assess prenatal and early life exposure. In this pilot study coined the "Truth Fairy" Project, 50 shed deciduous teeth from 43 children living their entire lives within 2 miles of the smelter were analyzed to understand retrospective exposure to toxic metals using a community-driven research approach. Concentrations of Pb and As in teeth were assessed using laser-ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. Soil Pb concentrations were determined using spatial kriging of surface soil measurements. The mean prenatal calcium normalized Pb levels in teeth samples (reported as a ratio 208 Pb: 43 Ca) was 4.104 × 10 −4 (SD 4.123 × 10 −4), and the mean postnatal 208 Pb: 43 Ca level was 4.109 × 10 −4 (SD 3.369 × 10 −4). Adjusted for maternal education and batch, we observe positive significant relationship between prenatal teeth Pb per 100 ppm increase in soil Pb (β=3.48, 95% CI 1.11, 5.86). The Truth Fairy study suggests prenatal and early life exposure to toxic metals is associated with legacy soil contamination in an urban community near a smelter.

An Investigation of the Wild Rat Crown Incisor as an Indicator of Lead (Pb) Exposure Using Inductively Couple Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) and Laser Ablation ICP-MS

“…Moreover, there was a strong positive correlation between Pb-T in L2 and Pb-B in the wild of rats, suggesting that the incisor crown would be a good predictor of Pb exposure just like Pb in blood. This was in agreement with the pattern of Pb-T accumulation reported in deciduous teeth of children living near a lead-acid battery smelter [38]. Comparatively, our results were also in tandem with surface enamel Pb-T in children, where much Pb-T accumulation was reported in polluted areas than in less polluted areas [39].…”

A Collaborative Approach to Assess Legacy Pollution in Communities Near a Lead–Acid Battery Smelter: The “Truth Fairy” Project

“…Sinai for pre- and postnatal lead levels. The findings from the Truth Fairy study suggests that legacy soil contamination in this urban environmental justice community near a smelter is associated with that prenatal and early-life exposure to lead (Johnston, Franklin, Roh, Austin, & Arora, 2019). Both pre- and postnatal tooth lead levels were significantly and positively associated with soil lead levels even after adjusting for maternal education (Johnston et al, 2019).…”

“…The findings from the Truth Fairy study suggests that legacy soil contamination in this urban environmental justice community near a smelter is associated with that prenatal and early-life exposure to lead (Johnston, Franklin, Roh, Austin, & Arora, 2019). Both pre- and postnatal tooth lead levels were significantly and positively associated with soil lead levels even after adjusting for maternal education (Johnston et al, 2019). We observe lead concentration in the teeth of our cohort to those a similar study Mexico City, where lead levels in the environment and consumer products are, on average, higher than in the United States (Horton et al, 2018) and higher than children in Sweden (Arora et al, 2017).…”

Early Environmental Exposures and Contaminants: a Design Framework for Biospecimen Collection and Analysis for a Prospective National Birth Cohort

“…Maternal urine should be used to assess arsenic exposure (Byun et al, 2013). Deciduous teeth can be used to measure prenatal and postnatal exposures to lead (Attramadal & Jonsen, 1976;Johnston, Franklin, Roh, Austin, & Arora, 2019), cadmium (Attramadal & Jonsen, 1976), arsenic (Johnston et al, 2019), and phthalates (Camann et al, 2013). Recommended samples include postnatal maternal serum samples, postnatal urine samples, cord blood, and breast milk.…”