[Effects of environmental lead exposure in kindergartens on children's blood lead level]

To determine if kindergartens' environmental status can influence children's lead exposure.

Environmental specimens, such as floor dust, peeled-off paint chip, soil and drinking water, as well as children's hand dust and blood samples, were collected and measured for their lead levels in 19 kindergartens, to analyze the relationship between children's blood lead levels and their environmental lead exposure.

Geometric means of lead concentrations in indoor floor dust, peeled-off paint chip, dust fallout, outdoor floor dust, soil and drinking water were 86.5 microg/m(2), 235.5 microg/g, 445.9 microg/g, 172.4 microg/m(2), 70.1 microg/g and 12.5 microg/L, respectively. Lead level on children's hands averaged 3.4 microg at both hands. Blood lead levels in children correlated positively with the lead concentrations of outdoor floor dust and their hand dust, with correlation coefficients of 0.5186 and 0.2206, respectively. Multiple regression analysis showed that hand dust lead level in children entered the regression model with a largest standardized partial regression coefficient of 0.3842 and a coefficient of determination of 0.673 for the full equation with F = 6.52 and P < 0.01.

Status of environmental health in kindergartens plays an important role in children's lead exposure. It is necessary to offer health education for children and make them wash their hands often and overcome unhealthy behavior of sucking their fingers.