Lead-based paint on playground equipment in public children's parks in Johannesburg, Tshwane and Ekurhuleni.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the use of lead-based paint in public playgrounds in the municipalities of Johannesburg, Tshwane and Ekurhuleni.


METHODS
Forty-nine public parks were selected from the municipalities of Johannesburg, Tshwane and Ekurhuleni. Lead levels in paint on playground equipment were measured in situ using a hand-held Thermo Scientific NITON XLP 700 Series X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyser.


RESULTS
Playground lead levels ranged from 'too low to detect' to 10.4 mg/cm2. The mean and median lead concentrations were 1.9 mg/cm2 and 0.9 mg/cm2 respectively. Forty-eight per cent of lead paint measurements exceeded the internationally accepted reference level of 1 mg/cm2.


CONCLUSIONS
The study shows that lead-based paint is widely used in public playgrounds in the three study municipalities, and most likely throughout South Africa. We suggest key actions to ensure that children's playgrounds in South Africa are lead-free zones, and that childhood lead exposure in these settings is prevented.
Mathee
Angela
A
South African Medical Research Council, University of the Witwatersrand. Angie.Mathee@mrc.ac.za
Singh
Elvira
E
Mogotsi
Mirriam
M
Timothy
Geraldine
G
Maduka
Bryne
B
Olivier
Jan
J
Ing
Dennis
D
D002648:Child; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007854:Lead / Q000032:analysis*; D010150:Paint / Q000032:analysis*; D010988:Play and Playthings; D013019:South Africa; D013052:Spectrometry, X-Ray Emission
D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D007854:Lead