Environmental lead contamination and pediatric lead intoxication in an Andean Ecuadorian village.
Environmental lead (Pb) contamination was measured in samples of soil and locally grown food produce in a remote Ecuadorian village where Pb glazing of ceramics is the local cottage industry. The Pb concentration levels of local soil samples collected at varying distances from a cluster of backyard Pb baking kilns were 29,213 ppm (microg/g) at 0.001 km, 172 ppm at 0.005 km, 81 ppm at 0.01 km, 55 ppm at 1 km, 19 ppm at 2 km, and 1.4 ppm at 6 km, significantly higher than levels in control soil samples from non-Pb-glazing reference areas. Samples of locally grown food produce were also found to be Pb contaminated. Venous blood samples from 166 schoolchildren (ages 4 months to 15 years) in the study area and 56 children in the reference area showed mean blood lead levels of 40.0 microg/dl (SD: 24.5; range: 6.2. - 119.1 microg/dL) and 6.6 microg/dL (SD: 3.4; range: 1.9 - 18.1 microg/dL), respectively, which were significantly different (p = 0.0001). The Pb levels in milk from breastfeeding mothers ranged from 1.44 to 39 ng/g. Lead isotope ratios of the children's blood and of samples of village soil revealed a common Pb source or "fingerprint."
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Harvard University, The Biological Laboratories, 16 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA. allen_counter@harvard.edu
Buchanan
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Ortega
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Amarasiriwardena
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Hu
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D000293:Adolescent; D002516:Ceramics / Q000737:chemistry; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D004484:Ecuador / Q000453:epidemiology; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D062665:Epidemiological Monitoring; D005260:Female; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007854:Lead / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D007855:Lead Poisoning / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000737:chemistry; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D018881:Suburban Health; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
D012989:Soil Pollutants; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D007854:Lead