A protocol for a systematic review of the effectiveness of interventions to reduce exposure to lead through consumer products and drinking water.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The toxic heavy metal lead continues to be a leading environmental risk factor, with the number of attributable deaths having doubled between 1990 and 2010. Although major sources of lead exposure, in particular lead in petrol, have been significantly reduced in recent decades, lead is still used in a wide range of processes and objects, with developing countries disproportionally affected. The objective of this systematic review is to assess the effectiveness of regulatory, environmental and educational interventions for reducing blood lead levels and associated health outcomes in children, pregnant women and the general population.

Methods/design

The databases MEDLINE, Embase and the Global Health Library (GHL) will be searched using a sensitive search strategy.

SUBMITTER: Pfadenhauer LM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4049510 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature