title: Childhood lead exposure in the palestinian authority, Israel, and Jordan: results from the Middle Eastern regional cooperation project, 1996-2000.
abstract: In the Middle East, the major sources of lead exposure have been leaded gasoline, lead-contaminated flour from traditional stone mills, focal exposures from small battery plants and smelters, and kohl (blue color) in cosmetics. In 1998-2000, we measured blood lead (PbB) levels in children 2-6 years of age in Israel, Jordan, and the Palestinian Authority (n = 1478), using a fingerstick method. Mean (peak; percentage > 10 microg/dL) PbB levels in Israel (n = 317) , the West Bank (n = 344), Jordan (n = 382) , and Gaza (n = 435) were 3.2 microg/dL (18.2 ; 2.2%) , 4.2 microg/dL (25.7; 5.2%), 3.2 microg/dL (39.3; < 1%) , and 8.6 microg/dL (> 80.0; 17.2%), respectively. High levels in Gaza were all among children living near a battery factory. The findings, taken together with data on time trends in lead emissions and in PbB in children in previous years, indicate the benefits from phasing out of leaded gasoline but state the case for further reductions and investigation of hot spots. The project demonstrated the benefits of regional cooperation in planning and carrying out a jointly designed project.
authors.affiliation: Environmental Protection and Research Institute, Gaza, Palestinian Authority.
authors.forename: Jamal
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Safi
authors.forename: Alf
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fischbein
authors.forename: Sameer
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: El Haj
authors.forename: Ramzi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sansour
authors.forename: Madi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jaghabir
authors.forename: Mohammed Abu
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Hashish
authors.forename: Hassan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Suleiman
authors.forename: Nimer
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Safi
authors.forename: Abed
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Abu-Hamda
authors.forename: Joyce K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Witt
authors.forename: Efim
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Platkov
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Reingold
authors.forename: Amber
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alayyan
authors.forename: Tamar
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Berman
authors.forename: Matti
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bercovitch
authors.forename: Yogesh
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Choudhri
authors.forename: Elihu D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Richter
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel; D007597:Jordan; D007854:Lead / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D007854:Lead