title: Burden of disease resulting from lead exposure at toxic waste sites in Argentina, Mexico and Uruguay.
abstract: Though lead contaminated waste sites have been widely researched in many high-income countries, their prevalence and associated health outcomes have not been well documented in low- and middle-income countries.
  
  
  
  Using the well-established health metric disability-adjusted life year (DALY) and an exposure assessment method developed by Chatham-Stephens et al., we estimated the burden of disease resulting from exposure to lead at toxic waste sites in three Latin American countries in 2012: Argentina, Mexico and Uruguay. Toxic waste sites identified through Pure Earth's Toxic Sites Identification Program (TSIP) were screened for lead in both biological and environmental sample media. Estimates of cardiovascular disease incidence and other outcomes resulting from exposure to lead were utilized to estimate DALYs for each population at risk.
  
  
  
  Approximately 316,703 persons in three countries were at risk of exposure to pollutants at 129 unique sites identified through the TSIP database. Exposure to lead was estimated to result in between 51,432 and 115,042 DALYs, depending on the weighting factor used. The estimated burden of disease caused by exposure to lead in this analysis is comparable to that estimated for Parkinson's disease and bladder cancer in these countries.
  
  
  
  Lead continues to pose a significant public health risk in Argentina, Mexico, and Uruguay. The burden of disease in these three countries is comparable with other widely recognized public health challenges. Knowledge of the relatively high number of DALYs associated with lead exposure may be used to generate support and funding for the remediation of toxic waste sites in these countries and others.
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, City University of New York, 2180 Third Ave., New York, NY, 10035, USA.
authors.forename: Jack
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Caravanos
authors.affiliation: Pure Earth, formerly Blacksmith Institute, 475 Riverside Drive, Suite 860, New York, NY, 10115, USA. jon@pureearth.org.
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Carrelli
authors.affiliation: Pure Earth, formerly Blacksmith Institute, 475 Riverside Drive, Suite 860, New York, NY, 10115, USA.
authors.forename: Russell
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dowling
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, City University of New York, 2180 Third Ave., New York, NY, 10035, USA.
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pavilonis
authors.affiliation: Pure Earth, formerly Blacksmith Institute, 475 Riverside Drive, Suite 860, New York, NY, 10115, USA.
authors.forename: Bret
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ericson
authors.affiliation: Pure Earth, formerly Blacksmith Institute, 475 Riverside Drive, Suite 860, New York, NY, 10115, USA.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fuller
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001118:Argentina / Q000453:epidemiology; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D064371:Hazardous Waste Sites; D006801:Humans; D007854:Lead / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D019057:Quality-Adjusted Life Years; D014583:Uruguay / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D007854:Lead
keywords: Burden of disease; Chemical exposure; Disability-adjusted life year; Latin America; Lead poisoning; Toxic waste sites