Lead and Arsenic in Shed Deciduous Teeth of Children Living Near a Lead-Acid Battery Smelter.

ABSTRACT: Lead (Pb) is a potent neurotoxicant with no safe level of exposure. Elevated levels of Pb and arsenic (As) are found in the air and soil near facilities that recycle lead-acid batteries in the United States. In urban Los Angeles County, California, a facility processed ∼11 million batteries per year and operated for decades without proper environmental review. Measuring Pb and As in shed deciduous teeth is a promising technique to assess prenatal and early life exposure. In this pilot study coined the "Truth Fairy" Project, 50 shed deciduous teeth from 43 children living their entire lives within 2 miles of the smelter were analyzed to understand retrospective exposure to toxic metals using a community-driven research approach. Concentrations of Pb and As in teeth were assessed using laser

SUBMITTER: Johnston JE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6996839 | biostudies-literature | 2019 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature