Does Involving Parents in Soil Sampling Identify Causes of Child Exposure to Lead? A Case Study of Community Engagement in Mining-Impacted Towns in Peru.

ABSTRACT: Over a million people in Peru may be exposed to lead (Pb) due to past or present mining-related activities; however, neither soil Pb nor blood Pb are routinely monitored throughout the country. Because little is known about Pb contamination in smaller mining-impacted towns, soil Pb was mapped in four such towns with a portable X-ray fluorescence analyzer in 2015. The roadside mapping delineated hotspots of highly contaminated soil (1,000-6,000 mg/kg Pb) in two of the towns. The local health department, provided with a LeadCare II analyzer, then measured blood-Pb levels >5 in 65% and >10 μg/dL in 15% of children (n = 200) up to 6 years of age in these same four communities. There were no clear relations between child blood-Pb levels and Pb levels in soil samples collected inside (n = 50) or

SUBMITTER: Landes FC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7007120 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature