Lead poisoning among internally displaced Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian children in the United Nations-Administered Province of Kosovo.
BACKGROUND
This study assessed the association between lead poisoning prevention activities and blood lead levels (BLLs) among children living in lead-contaminated camps for internally displaced persons in the United Nations-Administered Province of Kosovo.


METHODS
We conducted a population-based study to examine the relationship among geometric mean BLLs in children (i) born before any lead poisoning prevention activities were instituted, (ii) born when specific interim interventions were instituted and (iii) born after relocation and medical therapy were available. The study population consisted of 145 of the 186 children born in the camps between December 1999 and July 2007.


RESULTS
Lower mean BLLs were found in children born following implementation of the interventions as compared with the children born before the interventions. However, this decrease in mean BLLs was attenuated in children born into families suspected of informal lead smelting.


CONCLUSIONS
Despite lower BLLs following interventions, children living in these camps have BLLs that remain unacceptably high. Further efforts are urgently needed to control or eliminate lead exposure in this population. Continued blood lead monitoring of the population is also warranted.
Brown
Mary Jean
MJ
Lead Poisoning Prevention Branch, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30348, USA. mjb5@cdc.gov
McWeeney
Gerry
G
Kim
Rokho
R
Tahirukaj
Ardita
A
Bulat
Petar
P
Syla
Skender
S
Savic
Zoran
Z
Amitai
Yona
Y
Dignam
Timothy
T
Kaluski
Dorit Nitzan
DN
D001774:Blood Chemical Analysis; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004534:Egypt / Q000208:ethnology; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007854:Lead / Q000097:blood*; D007855:Lead Poisoning / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D008297:Male; D008669:Metallurgy / Q000379:methods; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012111:Residence Characteristics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D018154:Slovakia / Q000208:ethnology; D014171:Transients and Migrants / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015022:Yugoslavia / Q000453:epidemiology
D007854:Lead