title: Lead distributions and risks in New Orleans following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
abstract: During the last four years, significant effort has been devoted to understanding the effects that Hurricanes Katrina and Rita had on contaminant distribution and redistribution in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, and the surrounding Gulf Coast area. Elevated concentrations were found for inorganic contaminants (including As, Fe, Pb, and V), several organic pollutants (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, pesticides, and volatiles) and high concentration of bioaerosols, particularly Aeromonas and Vibrio. Data from different research groups confirm that some contaminant concentrations are elevated, that existing concentrations are similar to historical data, and that contaminants such as Pb and As may pose human health risks. Two data sets have been compiled in this article to serve as the foundation for preliminary risk assessments within greater New Orleans. Research from the present study suggests that children in highly contaminated areas of New Orleans may experience Pb exposure from soil ranging from 1.37 microg/d to 102 microg/d. These data are critical in the evaluation of children's health.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Toxicology, The Institute of Environmental and Human Health, Texas Tech University, Box 41163, Lubbock, Texas 79409-1163, USA.
authors.forename: Michael T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Abel
authors.forename: George P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Cobb
authors.forename: Steven M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Presley
authors.forename: Gary L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Ray
authors.forename: Thomas R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Rainwater
authors.forename: Galen P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Austin
authors.forename: Stephen B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Cox
authors.forename: Todd A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: Blair D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Leftwich
authors.forename: Ronald J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Kendall
authors.forename: Burton C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Suedel
mesh_terms: D000391:Air Microbiology; D055867:Cyclonic Storms; D007854:Lead / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity*; D008145:Louisiana; D018570:Risk Assessment
chemical_list: D007854:Lead