title: Multimedia exposures to arsenic and lead for children near an inactive mine tailings and smelter site.
abstract: Children living near contaminated mining waste areas may have high exposures to metals from the environment. This study investigates whether exposure to arsenic and lead is higher in children in a community near a legacy mine and smelter site in Arizona compared to children in other parts of the United States and the relationship of that exposure to the site. Arsenic and lead were measured in residential soil, house dust, tap water, urine, and toenail samples from 70 children in 34 households up to 7 miles from the site. Soil and house dust were sieved, digested, and analyzed via ICP-MS. Tap water and urine were analyzed without digestion, while toenails were washed, digested and analyzed. Blood lead was analyzed by an independent, certified laboratory. Spearman correlation coefficients were calculated between each environmental media and urine and toenails for arsenic and lead. Geometric mean arsenic (standard deviation) concentrations for each matrix were: 22.1 (2.59) ppm and 12.4 (2.27)ppm for soil and house dust (<63μm), 5.71 (6.55)ppb for tap water, 14.0 (2.01)μg/L for specific gravity-corrected total urinary arsenic, 0.543 (3.22)ppm for toenails. Soil and vacuumed dust lead concentrations were 16.9 (2.03)ppm and 21.6 (1.90) ppm. The majority of blood lead levels were below the limit of quantification. Arsenic and lead concentrations in soil and house dust decreased with distance from the site. Concentrations in soil, house dust, tap water, along with floor dust loading were significantly associated with toenail and urinary arsenic but not lead. Mixed models showed that soil and tap water best predicted urinary arsenic. In our study, despite being present in mine tailings at similar levels, internal lead exposure was not high, but arsenic exposure was of concern, particularly from soil and tap water. Naturally occurring sources may be an additional important contributor to exposures in certain legacy mining areas.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community, Environment and Policy, Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, 1295 N. Martin Avenue, P.O. Box 245163, Tucson, AZ 85718, USA. Electronic address: mloh@email.arizona.edu.
authors.forename: Miranda M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Loh
authors.affiliation: Department of Community, Environment and Policy, Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, 1295 N. Martin Avenue, P.O. Box 245163, Tucson, AZ 85718, USA.
authors.forename: Anastasia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sugeng
authors.affiliation: Department of Community, Environment and Policy, Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, 1295 N. Martin Avenue, P.O. Box 245163, Tucson, AZ 85718, USA.
authors.forename: Nathan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lothrop
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Arizona, P.O. Box 210207, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA.
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Klimecki
authors.affiliation: Hospital Medicine and Outreach, Department of Pediatrics, Diamond Children's Medical Center, The University of Arizona, 1501 N. Campbell Ave. Tucson, AZ 85724, USA.
authors.forename: Melissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cox
authors.affiliation: Superfund Research Program, The University of Arizona, 1110 E. South Campus Dr., Tucson, AZ 85721, USA.
authors.forename: Sarah T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Wilkinson
authors.affiliation: BIO5 Institute, The University of Arizona, 1657 E. Mabel St., Tucson, AZ 85721, USA.
authors.forename: Zhenqiang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Department of Community, Environment and Policy, Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, 1295 N. Martin Avenue, P.O. Box 245163, Tucson, AZ 85718, USA.
authors.forename: Paloma I
authors.initials: PI
authors.lastname: Beamer
mesh_terms: D001130:Arizona; D001151:Arsenic / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000652:urine; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004391:Dust / Q000032:analysis; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007854:Lead / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000652:urine; D008297:Male; D008906:Mining; D009262:Nails / Q000737:chemistry; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000652:urine
chemical_list: D004391:Dust; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D007854:Lead; D001151:Arsenic
keywords: Biomarkers; Exposure assessment; Hazardous waste; Metals; Multimedia